Mile High Fashion: Urban Nights

Urban Nights conjures up images of glamorous people, beautiful and put together, as they sip cocktails and enjoy high culture. And Urban Nights, a Denver-based fashion extravaganza, promises nothing less.

In its second year, the outdoor and under-the-stars fashion show has extended its runway to more than 200 ft. and booked some of the hottest designers and entertainers in the business. Mondo Guerra, local fashion icon and winner of “Project Runway All Stars,” will kick off the event, which will feature collections from more than 13 designers — including a collection designed exclusively for Urban Nights by Mondo.

And if haute couture and equally haute models doesn’t bring enough on the entertainment front (as if!), 22-year-old “Glee” star Charice, who came out as a lesbian last year, will bring the house down with those powerful pipes. The event will also feature a silent auction full of lavish gift items.

But make no mistake confusing fashion with vanity. Urban Nights may be an evening of glitz and glamour, but the showcase is certainly not in vain.

“Urban Nights is a fashion fundraiser unlike anything Denver has ever seen. Our goal in launching the event was to artfully meld the powerful message of Urban Peak with a high-production fashion show with headliner entertainment,” Justin Joseph, the co-chair of Urban Nights 2014, tells Out Front.

Hosted by the Joseph Family Foundation, a philanthropic group that has previously donated to LGBT focused-and-friendly organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign and Project Angel Heart, proceeds raised from Urban Nights will benefit Urban Peak. Urban Peak is a nonprofit organization that seeks to provide resources and support for homeless and at-risk youth ages 15 through 24. Many of the youth Urban Peak cares for identify as LGBT.

“Of the 1.7 million youth experiencing homelessness today in the US, forty percent identify as LGBTQ. Here at Urban Peak, our number is closer to thirty percent,” says Dan Hanley, director of development and public affairs for Urban Peak. “The youth we serve already do not have a voice, a home, or a place in our world, and those who identify as LGBTQ are even at more risk of danger on the streets.”

Hanley shared that Urban Peak has a case manager who specifically, and compassionately, aids youth who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning — just one of the many services offered by Urban Peak made possible from funds raised from events like Urban Nights.

“Urban Nights puts the spotlight on youth experiencing homelessness, a light shining so brightly that many people who had never heard of Urban Peak or of the tragedy that is youth homelessness have the opportunity to learn about it and to make a difference in the lives of the thousands of young people Urban Peak will serve in the years to come,” says Hanley.

Joseph echoed similar sentiments, stating that Urban Nights not only raises money for the organization, but also aims to raise consciousness and the idea of efficacy in ending youth homelessness.

“Urban Nights raises much-needed money for Urban Peak. On any [given] night, over 900 youth sleep on the streets. That’s staggering,” he says emphatically. “Urban Nights is about letting people know [this is a] crisis, and showing them a way to help.”

And attendees of the event can and will help make a difference. Last year, Urban Nights raised more than $150,000 for the organization’s efforts. With this year’s exquisitely designed venue and star-studded lineup, Urban Nights will once again be a guaranteed hit for fashion aficionados and a great help for homeless youth.