During the 24th annual Westword Music Showcase on June 23, we spotted Illinois-based fashion designer Michelle Peitzmann wearing paint-splattered denim overalls with some bold statements incorporated into her outfit. Peitzmann founded a destination boutique, Whiskey River Dry Goods Co., in 2016, where she stocks Nashville- and Texas-inspired country and rock-and-roll apparel. She also creates her own pieces of clothing and accessories that are carried in the shop. We loved Peitzmann's unique and distressed take on festival-wear, and stopped to chat with her.
Westword: Who or what inspires your fashion sense?
Michelle Peitzmann: I do. I have always set my own style and looked different. While I have been here in Denver, you don't know how many people have stopped me. This is just how I dress every day.
What is your favorite color?
Denim. Well, indigo.
What is your favorite accessory?
Silver. Bracelets. Jewelry.
What are some people, places or things that inspire your look?
Jimi Hendrix. I am very inspired by music. ZZ Top. Oh, my God, they're amazing. Rock stars and all of that.
What is your style mantra?
It just depends on my mood. Sometimes I look like this, which people have described as "dirty," and then other times I am very frilly and lacy and wear stuff that looks very early 1900s. So it just depends on my mood. I wouldn't say I have one set style. It is just whatever I feel like throwing on for the day.
Where do you shop?
Whiskey River Dry Goods Co. in Illinois. My best friend made my T-shirt. My overalls are Magnolia Pearl, and she's from Texas.
Like Peitzmann, always be inspired by music in your fashion and lifestyle, Denver.