Aspen has always carried a reputation. For some, it’s the land of fur coats, champagne towers, and private jets. For others, it’s a ski town at heart—tight-knit, raw, and unapologetically shaped by the mountains and the people who live among them. Over the years, that second identity—the real Aspen—has started to blur. The world has been quick to dress Aspen up as a stereotype, a luxury postcard, forgetting the grit and the community that actually built it.

Outpst was born in that in-between. From day one, the mission was simple: break down barriers of judgment and inspire inclusivity in the outdoors. Build gear that doesn’t just keep you warm but makes you feel welcome—part of a story bigger than yourself. Outpst has always been about creating space for everyone to explore, belong, and show up exactly as they are.

So when Aspen Fashion Week invited us to take part in the après-themed runway event with Hamilton Sports, we knew we couldn’t just put clothes on a catwalk. We had a responsibility—to remind people what Aspen really means.

That’s why we didn’t bring in professional models. Our models were Aspen itself. Locals who grew up ripping face to 6 laps until their legs went numb, faces that have lived the story of this valley. People who embody the grit, the laughter, the late-night skintracks, the powder-day rituals, the post shred beers in Hamilton. The very people who shaped Outpst. Because Aspen doesn’t need a reinvention—it needs a reminder.

Seeing that lineup on the runway was unreal. Friends, mentors, and skiers I’ve looked up to my entire life gave up a Sunday to walk, not just in clothes, but in a message: Aspen is more than a vacation destination for the rich. It’s a community. It’s shared lift rides, trailhead parking lots, and mornings that start in the dark so you can chase the light.

When I first started sewing fleece hats in my bedroom, I didn’t realize fabric could tell a story. But these past 2 years have shown me that gear is more than thread—it’s a message stitched into something you can wear. Aspen Fashion Week proved that. Each Outpst piece carried a reminder that Aspen is still here. That community still comes first.

Pretty neat watching that message come into focus.

Aspen doesn’t need a stereotype refresh. It needs its truth back. And that’s what we’re here to do—through clothing, through who wears it, and through how they wear it.

Outpst Founder - Cooper Johnson

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