On September 13, MCA Denver at the Holiday Theater presents Lawless: A Fall Fashion Experience, where fashion, music, and storytelling collide. Curated by poet and activist Dominique Christina and musical artist DNA Picasso, this isn’t a standard runway show—it’s a cultural event aimed at breaking boundaries and redefining fashion.
At its core, Lawless is an immersive exploration of the body and its stories through fashion and live performances. It’s an anthropological conversation about the body, its adornment, and the narratives that clothing can express.
“Lawless isn’t just about watching models zoom by and looking at fall fashion,” says Christina. “The designers we’ve chosen are multidisciplinary artists who use their craft to tell stories.”
The four featured designers—Allegra, Chance of Uniq Jeans, Menez to Society, and Faatma Be Oné— each explore unique, personal narratives. Allegra imagines a utopian world, reflecting her idealistic vision, while Chance of Uniq Jeans delves into the tension between self and society. “Is it me versus the world, or something deeper?” Christina says. Faatma Be Oné’s designs, inspired by Dune, blend sculpture and fashion with eerie, alien beauty. Menez to Society, a duo of Mexican-American brothers, infuse a multi-generational seamstress tradition with a sharp, modern edge.
The event is structured to be fully immersive, with live performances interwoven between fashion presentations. “The performances are designed to re-situate the audience, to prepare them for what they’re about to see,” Christina explains. Whether it’s an East Indian pianist setting the stage for Uniq Jeans or dancers interpreting each collection, the goal is to blur the lines between fashion, music, and performance art.
Lawless serves as a prelude to MCA Denver’s upcoming exhibition Movements Toward Freedom, but it stands alone as a testament to the power of collaboration and the possibilities that arise when art and fashion intersect in innovative ways. “Fashion is part of the spectrum of art,” says MCA Denver’s director of programming, Sarah Kate Baie. “There are amazing people working in fashion in our city, and we have this beautiful home to showcase their work.”
