Ever since I began covering the Colorado alternative community a few months ago, there has been one word that has followed me through each adventure: FashioNation.

It didn’t matter whether I was attending a fetish ball or the regular goth night at a local club, whenever I would ask someone where they got a particular item of clothing they were wearing, the most common response was “FashioNation.” From short shorts with a heart referencing Satan emblazoned on the ass to some elaborate boot hybrid that combined both combat and platform styles seamlessly, each item was more impressive and varied than the last.

Given that the Italianos—the family of owners who preferred to answer the questions as a collective—have been doing this now for over 37 years, their dominance in the world of alternative fashion should come as no surprise.

When I asked about their ample selection, they made it clear that a lot of the reason for their success stems from having a laser focus, even when it comes to owning such a robust inventory. “There is one common thread with all our merch; It’s all music-driven fashion. It’s (got to be) rock and roll, punk, goth, metal, rockabilly, and festival wear.” They continued, “We search everywhere for cool stuff, [and] we import from all over the world. Everything in the shop is hand-picked by our family.”

This attention to detail has allowed for another key element of their longevity to flourish; offering hard-to-find items. “Almost everything we carry is a hard-to-find item in a shop. You’ll see some of our gear online but you don’t get to hold it, feel it [like you do in the store].”

And I promise there is plenty to (be)hold at FashioNation.

When I visited the shop recently during an (appropriately) overcast day, the tone was set without delay by the sounds of Sisters Of Mercy coming over the store speakers. With a portrait of classic horror slashers like Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees looming over two goth-inspired, high-backed leather chairs as my greeting when I crossed the opening threshold, expectations were both met and shattered (in a good way) with every step I took from then on.

The main sales floor is where I found some of the more standard goth/punk/emo clothing. Netted t-shirts, black pants adorned with various pieces of menacing artwork, and the aforementioned short shorts were located throughout. Also, the brands they sell should be familiar to any creature of the night—Trip, Hell Bunny, etc.

Dotting the circumference of the interior were counters where I found various accessories like coffin purses and spiked collars. Between the counters were smaller displays that held items which aren’t as in demand as their other products. My favorite of these came in the form of a toddler section. Bite-sized t-shirts with phrases like “Alcohol Related Accident” hung underneath a selection of tiny boots; even little Docs.

Speaking of Doc Martens …

Taking over a majority of the wall space directly across from the leather chairs and slasher portrait was FashioNation’s pièce de resistance: the massive boot selection.

Though I was thoroughly impressed with the fact they had their own FashioNation brand of boot, what really dazzled me was their immense selection of Doc Martens—I’ve never seen that many physical choices in one area before. It was then that I began to hunt for the rock star boots.

For over a decade, FashioNation has had a program called “New Life for Old Soles.” According to the Italianos, “Doc Martens sent over a ‘promo’ boot with Henry Rollins’ signature on it back in the day, which got us thinking this could be something fun. Sometimes customers would leave their boots behind for us to discard. I thought about how many big days, rock concerts, first dates, special occasions these boots were a part of. So, we decided to keep some of them for the rockstars who come to visit to autograph.”

And the number of rock stars that have come to visit over the years is truly ridiculous.

Though the grand sum of touring musicians who have graced FashioNation is astonishing on its own, the name value held by many of these acts in the alternative community is equally as impressive. Names like Al Jourgensen of Ministry and Glenn Danzig instantly pop to the top of the list. However, what’s even more notable is the amount of attention the shop gets from more mainstream acts. Hell, even Sublime stopped by on their last stop through Colorado earlier this year.

Unfortunately for me, during my visit, these infamous boots were nowhere to be found. When I asked about this, the family stated, “The boots are not up in the new shop yet, we’re still figuring out how to display them. [But] we do have the art on display (we put up a cool monitor/screen saver to show our social media art posting of the boots).” So yes, they will be available sometime in the future for those of you who might be planning on making a pilgrimage.

When it comes to the rest of the dark depot that is FashioNation, I was greeted with a complete contrast.

The other half of the store contains the secondary sales floor, where I found more of the bright-colored flair associated with being “scene.” Vivid, neon yellows and other colors popped through a maze of heavily stylized articles of clothing. This is also the section where the more mainstream apparel options were found, along with the corridor leading to some artwork and an office called “Anarchy Alley.”

With a hundred little details placed throughout the location like tiny Easter eggs, I could spend thousands of words on what FashioNation has to offer. But, to be honest, nothing I write could match the joy of discovering them from a good, old-fashioned in-person visit.

With that said, there is one last thought I want to leave you with.

When you learn that “[the store] opened with 40 pieces of clothing and $1,000 in 1987,” you realize the success the Italianos have had is nothing short of remarkable. Between the volume of products they sell and the level of notoriety they have achieved in the alt community, the only appropriate term for describing what FashioNation has accomplished would be “legend status.”