LOCAL FEATURE Cat feels the gender norms thrust on children like girls should wear pink, and boys should wear blue, or girls play with dolls, and boys with footballs, pushes people into stereotypes. These stereotypes are unfair and restrictive. This is why Cat is trying to build their own fashion line. They want to create something that doesn’t restrict, but rather, welcomes all identities and opens new avenues of personal expression. Over their 18-year career, Cat has been a model for between 15 and 20 shows and has often been pigeonholed into wearing feminine clothing. “I design clothes that aren’t super feminine. They blur the lines between masculine and feminine. Fashion doesn’t have a gender. It is nonconforming,” Cat said. “Men can wear skirts if they want to. [Clothes are] just articles of fabric.” Cat plans to begin selling their designs this fall. They injured their knee and will use the six weeks of downtime to build up their product line. You will be able to find Cat’s clothing on their Instagram account @elliecatstyles, and they hope to open an e-commerce site not long after. Their long-term goal is to save enough money to open a boutique in Denver where they can showcase their Fluid designs. ■ CREDIT: GILES CLASEN CREDIT: GILES CLASEN CREDIT: GILES CLASEN CREDIT: GILES CLASEN August 2022 DENVER VOICE 7
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