Hidden Gems: Meet Dusty & AJ Howard of Sharpe Suiting

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dusty & AJ Howard.

Hi Dusty & AJ, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
When AJ and I first met outside of our neighborhood cocktail bar in east LA, something in the air felt different. Maybe it was the bougainvillea climbing up the fence or her honey-colored eyes at golden hour, but my whole body lit up when I saw her standing there. Almost four years later, we made our love official with a queer and trans DIY-vintage-Valentine’s-day meets Vegas-queer-prom themed wedding right here in the heart of Denver.

Our wedding felt like a scene straight out of an indie rom com movie. We got married upstairs at The Mercury Cafe (now known as The Pearl), a historic bohemian cafe turned queer bar earlier this year. The night was an intimate, campy affair complete with dice-themed cocktails, camcorders, and cowboy hats.

Everything about our wedding was DIY. From the giant wooden heart and hand-painted swans to the powder blue pipe and drape altar hanging behind us on stage, we did everything ourselves. We even choreographed and performed a line dance that we sent out to our guests to learn before the big night. AJ was the creative visionary behind our wedding and, with the help of myself and our industrious friends and family, she brought space to life. We also both work as stylists for Sharpe Suiting—a custom suiting company serving the Denver area—so even the wedding suit I wore was designed by us!

I wore an all-black custom tuxedo from Sharpe Suiting designed head-to-toe with classic elements and a romantic flare, complete with a peak lapel, racer stripe, and red, heart-shaped lapel buttonholes. As a short and stocky trans guy who has never been able to find formalwear that fits me, my Sharpe suit was a game-changer. To top it off, the white tuxedo shirt was fully customized with my initials embroidered in red on the sleeve, while the suit was constructed with a woven plaid-like fabric—a subtle nod to my Scottish ancestry.

In this political climate, we need celebrations of queer and trans love now for than ever. It is a radical act to find love in this world, and we wanted to bring our friends and families together for one night to feel the transformational power of queer love. For us, the most important part of our wedding was that everything felt entirely ours. We gave thanks to the queer and trans ancestors and gay family members who came before us, read our vows, and tied the knot with a Celtic handfasting ritual. We selected different cords for each value we want to bring into our marriage and agreed to each one as we bound our hands together. We kissed under a balloon drop to “Dreams” by the Cranberries, and the rest was history!

If you, too, are looking to make your big day feel entirely yours, AJ and I would love to help you design the wedding suit of your dreams. For almost a decade, Sharpe Suiting has created custom dress wear for all people, sizes, and shapes. We couldn’t be more thrilled to represent Sharpe right here in Denver. You deserve to look as good as you feel when you say I do!

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Since 2013, Sharpe Suiting has been helping people showcase exactly who they are through custom constructed suits and accessories. Whether it be on your wedding day, at work, or for any special occasion– we fit you using software that is AI-driven and inclusive of all body types. We will customize a 3D silhouette to bring your one-of-a-kind, Sharpe signature clothing design to life.

For almost a decade, Sharpe Suiting has created custom dress wear for all people, sizes, and shapes. We suit anyone who wants a Sharpe fit. We are inspired by women, men, and non-binary people in the LGBTQIA+ community and beyond. We have been seen on red carpets at events such as Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, Tony Awards and the Cannes Film Festival.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sharpesuiting.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharpesuiting