The early settlers of Denver weren't exactly known as fashion plates. But with the city marking 150 years since its founding, maybe it's time for it to shed the frontier image and take a few bows for being cosmopolitan. Of special note is the sixteen-square-block section of central Denver known as Cherry Creek North, where Hermès and Loro Piana will open later this year. Adding to the excitement, there are 280 independently owned boutiques in place and others on the way.
Denver's in-the-know shoppers have been coming to Lawrence Covell (225 Steele Street; 303-320-1023; lawrencecovell.com) since it launched, in 1967. The patriarch of this family-run clothing business doesn't take kindly to what he calls the sloppiness of many contemporary designs, but that doesn't mean he eschews the cutting edge. The men's department leans toward the latest in European lines, while the women's side is more adventurous, with the colorful designs of Etro and the asymmetrical cuts of Yohji Yamamoto. The store is best known for its personal service.
Melissa and Jeremy Oster honed their jewelry talents in Aspen before opening Oster Jewelers (251 Steele Street; 303-572-1111; osterjewelers.com) in Cherry Creek North five years ago. They have an international clientele that has followed them down from the mountains for diamonds, bracelets and, particularly, watches. Among the prizes on offer are a $250,000 timepiece from Parmigiani Fleurier and a $15,000 one from Magellan that shows the position of the sun over the northern hemisphere.
Mario Di Leone has two high-end clothing stores in Denver, one for men (2820 Third Avenue; 303-333-1414) and one for women (280 Detroit Street; 303-333-7474). The stores are overseen by Di Leone and his wife, Kathryn. Di Leone presides over his shops wearing a cowboy hat and an Italian suit, ensuring that Colorado's Wild West design sense includes Italian influences, too.
Two young men in ripped jeans and cowboy boots are the proprietors of Aera Studios (2817 E. Third Avenue; 303-388-2372; aerastudios.com), Denver's most sophisticated home-furnishings store. David Hintgen and John Moinzad, who designed a hospitality suite at the Sundance Film Festival this year, got their start in the interior-design business by remodeling the home of a Denver-based member of the Guggenheim family. Soon after, they remodeled a former bridal shop into a retail space that carries a mix of what they call "organic contemporary and old-world" furniture and knickknacks. Novelties include framed vintage brooches ($1,400) and a globe chandelier covered in Swarovski crystals ($10,995).
In another former bridal shop are Craig Andrisen and Dave Morton, who made their name in the city with the upscale men's store Andrisen Morton before moving to St. Paul Street (210 St. Paul Street; 303-321-0404; andrisenmorton.com) and expanding their wares to include offerings for both men and women. Not wanting to completely erase the former identity of their new location, they sell wedding dresses alongside formal gowns. Their average shopper is over forty, affluent and hip to labels, including those of Carolina Herrera and Blumarine.
One of only eleven stores nationwide that carry Bottega Veneta, Max (3039 E. Third Avenue; 303-321-4949) has been a Denver institution for nearly a quarter of a century. Almost magically, the shop appeals to all sorts of women — from young teens browsing Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's clothing line to stylish professionals who eye the Lanvin bags.
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