Death by Denim Fashion Show fills West Texas funeral home with creative life

A funeral home Saturday night became an unlikely site of celebration, beauty and imagination with the Death by Denim Fashion Show at Martin Funeral Home, 1460 George Dieter Drive, in East El Paso.

The event was coordinated by Janace Walker, aka JunkDredz. In addition to being a fashion designer, Walker is a published author of children’s books and founder of The El Paso Black Arts Association.

Walker also is owner of the JunkApproved clothing brand.

The fashion show took place in a large chapel that vibrated with life as music provided by DJ Death by Noize had the audience’s feet moving throughout the evening.

Also, the efforts of fashion students and faculty at El Paso Community College were recognized during the show.

The four fashion collections highlighted the work of several designers, with short breaks in between each collection. The electrifying excitement from the music, fashions, models and audience united to create a fascinating experience that undoubtedly brought a new perception to the audience of what a funeral home can be.

The denim used in the show was donated to the designers, and a speaker was sure to note that the event taking place in a funeral home helped signify the transformative nature of life, relating it to denim, as it becomes something new.

Tickets were sold out well in advance for the extravaganza that the organizer said explored “the personal journey of transformation, using denim as a powerful metaphor for how we repurpose our experiences into something even more valuable.”

See more photos below.