KUSA — Twenty three-year-old Mariah Hodges just wants to create fashion that will make people smile.
The native Coloradan and recent graduate from Georgia's Savannah College of Art and Design says her fashion line - Electric Bubblegum - is not meant to be taken seriously.
"It's supposed to make you happy," Hodges told 9NEWS via phone.
Mission accomplished.
The main component of her apparel is liquid glitter. You know - the stuff from those phone cases that exploded in popularity a few years back. That's actually exactly where Hodges got her original inspiration.
"I had one of those liquid glitter phone cases at the time and I just kept thinking it would be so cool if I could put this in a raincoat!"
After some trial and error, she figured it out and the rest is history. Although the original idea for Electric Bubblegum started as a college project, it slowly transformed into something more when her classmates wanted to buy her designs.
"I started selling raincoats and liquid glitter earrings and all this stuff to friends at school. That's kind of how it got started," Hodges recalled of her line's early days.
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A little over a year later (Hodges graduated from SCAD in 2017), Electric Bubblegum transformed from an Etsy shop to a full-blown fashion line.
Hodges calls her apparel - items that span from crop tops to earrings to raincoats - "fun, fearless, fashion."
"It's not something that everyone would wear," Hodges said of her light-hearted and bright pieces. "I like working with things that are really kind of like cutting-edge and new and innovative."
That's the fearless part. The fun part is just self-explanatory.
"In these raincoats and vests, you can't stop playing with it because the glitter moves around and it's like this jelly texture!" Hodges said. "It's a lot of fun."
Next month, Hodges will have 10 models showcase her fun and fearless designs during Denver Fashion Week - Electric Bubblegum's first official fashion show.
"I just feel so blessed to have this opportunity," Hodges said of the upcoming show.
Electric Bubblegum makes its debut in DFW's local designer runway show highlighting streetwear on Thursday, Nov. 8.
If you want to learn more about Electric Bubblegum, click or tap here to visit the website
If you'd like to buy tickets to Thursday's show, click or tap here
