Denver unfortunately isn’t known for making waves on the national fashion scene. Besides events like Denver Fashion Weekend, not a lot of Denver fashion news makes waves across the country. However, Denver designers such as Crystal Lee are looking to change that.

Crystal Lee is behind CRLEE Designs, a brand that makes stunning, laid-back designs for women; Lee is responsible for everything, including the sewing which she does herself. After going back to school at the Art Institute and working dozens of hours a week on design, Lee earned the opportunity to showcase some of her creations at New York Fashion Week (NYFW) this fall.

“I really needed to tap into my creative side. I had the hardest time finding clothes for myself, so I decided to make clothes for myself. I decided to go the Art Institute for design. I had my first show in 2012. I caught the bug—I didn’t know what I was doing, but people responded really well to it, so I pursued it further,” Lee said in a phone interview. “I started making stuff for friends, and that turned into referral, and I started making stuff for their friends or people that reached out to me on social media. It blossomed into this.”

Lee takes inspiration from a myriad of things, but first and foremost is the female form. She draws inspiration from the different body types and structures. Music is also a huge source for Lee, as she admires hip-hop and its glam-street aesthetic. However, Denver is absolutely key to her designs.

“I saw a real benefit to Denver’s easiness, kind of laid-back lifestyle, the coolness that Denver has. I like to use really high end fabrics like silk and things of that nature, but tie it in with a very easy aesthetic—it’s like Denver,” said Lee. “Silk is my first love because I’m very big on movement. I feel like anything with a silk blend or silk fibers just gives a garment life.”

Lee worked her way up to a show at NYFW despite also having a day job. After working with one of Denver’s top fashion photographers, Kevin Alexander, he suggested she send some of her designs to FGFNY, the producers behind NYFW.

“I submitted my stuff, and they got back to me within the hour and asked if I wanted a show in February,” said Lee. “I actually said I wanted to wait until September to wait to put some funds and some designs together.”

Lee is creating an entirely new line of designs for NYFW, but she will still keep her easy-going, high-end look. After spending countless hours working on designs while also still keeping a day job, Lee is an absolutely dedicated artist that will surely make Denver proud, even from hundreds of miles away. When September finally hits, make sure to scope out fashion websites to admire Lee’s runway designs.