Beatrice Glenora Ellen Doyal Geil (what a name!) is described thusly in a missive I’ve received:

Beatrice Glenora Ellen Doyal Geil was a most extraordinary woman. Raised by her grandmother in one of the poorest coal mining towns of West Virginia, Beatrice grew up to become an accomplished lady of the 1950’s and 60’s traveling the world, socializing and hosting dignitary events alongside the wealthy and privileged. “Jimmy,” as she was known to her friends, lived with a passion and vitality for life that is clearly represented by her clothing collection. Each piece is charged with Jimmy’s enthusiasm and her fire to feel fabulous in the world. Jimmy created her collection with a keen focus on quality, attention to detail and an understanding of the inspiration behind each design.

Jimmy’s granddaughter, Caroline Fitchett, is showcasing her grandmother’s collection in a fashion show and sale to benefit the National Foundation for Democracy and Human Rights in Uganda this Friday in the garden of her home at 5347 N Michigan, at 6 pm ($10 donation at the entrance, and 10% of sales going to the cause). Sounds like an opportunity for collectors and do-gooders alike.

Elizabeth Dye’s latest fashion collection, “Three is a magic number” debuted on Friday, and it was a satisfyingly cohesive crop of neon-piped dresses, watery prints, and easy cuts. If you missed the show, be sure to stop in at The English Dept. to check them out. Special thanks to the awesome Minh Tran for the photos!

The 19th annual North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA) take place on July 13 in Las Vegas (hosted by Victoria Jackson). This year Oregon is representing with Capello Salon up for the design team category—The Teals, married couple Ryan and DeAnnalyn Teal, are also up for the fashion forward category. Check out some shots of their work here, and if you want to attend the ceremony, you can get your tickets here.

It’s true: Gwyneth Paltrow wore a Stella McCartney jumpsuit to the Iron Man premier. Personally, I loved it and hope this is one more step toward a big jumpsuit comeback. They’re everything fashion should be—fun, frivolous, futuristic (in a 70s way).
Unfortunately, I don’t see them nearly enough. Let’s change that! To promote the jumpsuit cause, send me a pic in your favorite onepiece by Monday, May 19 and I’ll select the best, post it here and give the winner a $50 gift certificate to Red Light, which incidentally has an incredible selection of retro jumpsuits—from sleek 70s Cher styles to pop-bright early 80s pieces. Plus a few flightsuit types for guys.
Along with Fringe Vintage, they’re the best places in town to pick one up (prices range from $11-$20). You know, in case you don’t have a selection at home.
Send pics to: brettglass@gmail.com.

Amber Renee in an elegant evening jumpsuit from Red Light

Allison Covington of Amai Unmei just let me know the exciting news that she plans to open a boutique at 2275 NW Johnson, just off of NW 23rd. And fast! Projected opening is early next month; stay tuned for details…

Who: Mike
Where: Movie Madness on SE 44th
Photo by: AM

DB Clay is turning 10 at the end of the month, and they’re launching another new collection of their amazing wallets (we’re on Version 3.1). To celebrate the 10-year landmark and the launch, they’re throwing a party at Lizard Lounge Boutique (NW 13th & Irving) on Thursday, May 29 with music, art, drinks, and a showcase of the new wallets (which, yes, you can be among the first to purchase). Then, Friday and Saturday, May 30-31, there will be a two-day sales event where you can buy discounted samples, make your own wallet kits, and more.

This is a local company that has an inspiring amount of ambition, personality, and heart. I love the way they weave their lives into their product, like this wallet from the new line. Entitled “Adult Chores”, the print, when you see it up close (there are bigger photos here) turns out to be a crossed out to-do list from compulsive list maker and company founder Garett Stenson.

Oooh, right, Mothers’ Day. Whether or not you think they’ve got anything to suit your mother’s tastes, you might be interested to know that in celebration of this maternal holiday Pin Me is offering 25% off the whole store starting tomorrow through Tuesday. Thanks, Mom!!

Mother-daughter shopping: celebrity-approved!

I have posted before about the upcoming launch of Betty Jean Couture (3537 NE Williams) on May 24th, and here are some teaser photos of what to expect.

Did you hear? Barack Obama is coming back to Oregon this Friday and Saturday! I think he’d appreciate these tee shirts from local company TZilla. I mean, everyone secretly wishes they were B.A. Baracus, right?

$20, Tzilla

This Thursday, in addition to Flutter’s Anniversary down the street, Phlox is having an art opening for Casey Burns, whose work has been used for everything from concert posters for bands like Sonic Youth and Sleater Kinney (among many, many others) to, well, covers of the Mercury.

In addition to the art and wine, enjoy 15% off regularly priced merchandise, including threads from one of my favorite brands for t-shirts, 3 Dots, from 6-9 pm.

A quick note that Flutter is turning two, on Thursday, May 8. All day you’ll find 15% off everything, and in the evening there’ll be music (Vagabond Opera’s Eric Stern), sweets and drinks, and Frock Jack Morgan-clad models.

I think “Both Sides Now” is one of the best songs ever written (the Joni Mitchell original is way better than the campy Judy Collins cover).
It’s not really about reversible jackets, but I still think of it every time I see this light/dark layer from Adam Arnold. Not only is the jacket 100% reversible, you can button the collar up or wear it down sailor-style. So versatile.

“It’s love’s illusions I recall”

“I really don’t know love at all”

Who: Julia
Where: Stumptown on SE Belmont
Cutest piece: My vintage Chanel jazz shoes
Photo by: AM

Holy crap.

Nau has announced on their web site that they are closing business operations.

And, um, in the spirit of every cloud having a silver lining, the entire line is now 50% off.

Tomorrow at Anne Bocci Boutique (7824 SW Capitol Hwy), from 1-4 pm, there will be a sample sale of designs from local designer Seth Aaron Henderson’s “Diegio” collection, with items available for as low as $20. Might be worth checking out in case Henderson blows up in the near future… like, on TV or something. The styles? Think Audrey, Marilyn, and Elvis.

Tonight, Lizard Lounge is hosting a First Thursday party. You know what that means: free booze! Plus, you get 10% off regularly-priced merchandise from 7-10pm.
If you haven’t been to Lizard Lounge you should. Whoever does their buying is a genius—everything is very cool without trying too hard. More Kate Hudson than Mary-Kate Olsen.
If you need more incentive: they’ll have a band, and places to sit. Oh and some art by a very talented painter, Arsenio Torres.
But really, shopping under the influence should be enough.

Lizard Lounge, 1323 NW Irving

Tonight at the Art Institute (1122 NW Davis) is the opening of From Vintage to Vamp: 90 Years of Jantzen Swimwear and Advertising, where you can trace the history of bathing suit fashion over nearly 100 years by simply following the advertising art used by the Jantzen company. Sounds like a fine way to keep summoning forth that summer weather…

The reception is tonight from 6-8 pm, and the exhibit will be up through the end of this month.

I’ve got a fashion philosophy: buy a few good pieces instead of a bunch of junk. Quality over quantity. In that vein, check this out:

There are so many things to recommend this dress:
• It’s interwoven with shiny gold lurex thread.
• It’s totally wearable.
• It’s sewn by homemakers in Bangkok. Fair trade!
• It’s inspired by Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye building outside Paris.
• It’s from local designer Modi Soondarotok’s Idom line.
But seriously? I was sold at gold lurex. $215, Idom, 1600 NE Alberta.

May 17th’s Live Wire! will feature Mark Galbraith and Peter Kallen, production design leaders at Nau, with a mini fashion show of sustainable accessories. The show goes down at the Aladdin (3017 SE Milwaukie), 8 pm, $15 general.

Two of Nau’s popular jackets.

First thing’s first: Lose the name!

Okay: So Blush Beauty Bar is celebrating its 4th anniversary next week (May 9-11), with special steals, gifts with every purchase, exclusive products you can’t get anywhere else in town, and a beauty raffle of baskets worth over $200. Tickets are $2, so those freebies are bound to be good…

UPDATE: According to the PR rep who answered my query, Juicy will be going into Pioneer Place Mall on the tentatively planned date of July 24th.

I was doing some Googlin’ last night and stumbled across this : an employment ad for a store manager for a Juicy Couture Portland store. OMG, I can’t believe it took them this long to realize Portland women are the perfect demographic for shlubby (velour!) sweatsuits. I’ve got a message in to the company for more specifics, but in the meantime, are you looking for a job?

Technically, it’s on the 18th that Kirsten Moore will celebrate the 10th birthday of her Piper Ewan line, but this Friday is the closest First Friday to that date, so at the Egg (534 SE Oak, 6 pm-12 am), that’s where you’ll find her, offering 10% off accessories, and 30% off ready to wear. Congratulations!

Looks like the details are still in the works, but Rockin’ Rebelz of Fashion are set to show music and fashion at the Mt Tabor Legacy on June 22nd, with two lines signed up so far: Sweetz Clothing and Ashley’s Assets, plus live music from Honest to Empire . Stay tuned for more details.

Look out for Parallel (1122 NW Marshall) and Lucia Apparel (424 NW 11th), opening in June and late May, respectively. While Lucia is the flagship for the line of the same name designed by Sarah Wallace, Parallel’s Tez Hartley name drops lines like Twenty8Twelve and Sameunderneath that will be in store for this mens (yay!) and women’s boutique. Expect a grand opening for Parallel on August 8, and for Lucia, June 5.

A look from Sienna Miller’s Twenty8Twelve.

Tip of the hat to Neighborhood Notes!

Just to point out the obvious, these things keep popping up in my fashion magazines’ ads, and it’s driving me crazy.

No.

No, no.

Locally based e-shop Le Train Bleu is featured as a “Lucky Break” in Lucky magazine, for 25% off storewide. Order online with the code luckybreaks1, or locals can stop by the store (1905 NW 26th), mention it, and get the discount in person.

(Lahaina Boardwalk Double Pocket Blouse)

My childhood was lovely and stimulating and all that, but it would have been so much cooler if I could have gone to Fashion Design Camp! In the same spirit as cool-kid activities like the Paul Green School of Rock, Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls, etc, Fashion Design Camp is on its third year of operation, holding workshops on various aspects of the fashion industry for boys and girls aged 8-16, taught by local industry leaders (past instructors have included designers Holly Stalder and Kate Towers of Seaplane, and Blake Nieman-Davis of Blake. If you’ve got kids with an interest in fashion, you may want to pull them off the Project Runway marathons this summer (the Portland session runs July 28-Aug 1, and a new Los Angeles installment goes down Aug 4-8) and get their hands a little dirty (you can download an application through the web site linked above). Or if you’re childless, just sit back and enjoy the show: On August 1st, the campers will have a fashion show showcasing the fruits of their newfound skillz.

They managed to fit a surprising number of people into the tiny shop, but assuming you weren’t one of the few at Lille Boutique’s 1-year anniversary party and show, I twisted Minh Tran’s arm to take some photos of the store’s latest, including sexy swimsuits for summer.

Many, many more photos beyond the break.

Who: Jessie
Where: Nike World Headquarters
Photo by: AM

Grand Theft Auto is one of the few post-Super Mario Brothers 1 videogames that I have actually played, but it still took a little ‘splaining on the part of my colleague Erik Henriksen to convince me that Karl Lagerfeld’s involvement in the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 4 doesn’t mean you can play as the famously eccentric Chanel designer, running around smashing car windows and such (kind of a bummer, actually). Instead you can play the game to “DJ Karl“‘s soundtrack (he’s an avid music fan and collector), leaving the criminal acts to the game’s main protagonist. Still, it’s a testament to Grand Theft as more than mere video game that they cast such a wide net to diverse corners of the current culture, creating a kind of snapshot of the times. Look for Earnest “Nex” Cavalli’s review of the game in an upcoming issue of the Mercury.

LAGERFELD: not that I couldn’t picture him smashing car windows.

Whatcha got goin’ on tonight? Are you going to Say Say? Lille Boutique? Physical Element? My calendar got a little easier to manage when Physical Element’s Jo Carter invited me to last night pre-preview of the stores newly re-launched direction. Tonight is an open-to-the-public affair, and if you’ll go you’ll actually be able to see a stable of coats that didn’t ship in time to make it yesterday. As for what I did see, one line that stood out to me was the Danish Casch. It can be hard to focus on fall clothing while begging the skies for summer weather, but come October I can see myself getting some serious wear out of this dolman sleeved dress:

(Carter, a black clothing fan after my own heart, ordered this in black, too).

The line features a lot of other nice pieces that would suit women of various ages and tastes, including an adorable short sleeved knit jacket (that I want to wear as a dress) and a cute cape:

See them up close at 7 pm tonight at the store.

I’ve already given some coverage to Covet (429 SW 10th), the little boutique that opened its doors simultaneously (and quite conveniently for those already drawn to nearby shopping destinations like Odessa and The English Dept.) with Frances May around the corner. If you’ve yet to check it out, heres the perfect opportunity to: They have scheduled a grand opening on Saturday, May 3rd, 5-8 pm, with champagne and hors d’oeuvres, and a chance to check out goods, like killer accessories from Calleen Cordero, collection pieces from smaller lines like Geren Ford, and easy everyday pieces from sly edits of lines like Splendid.

(Calleen Cordero clutches, both available now at Covet.)

Jess McClosky, hot off the runway of Sunday’s Merc Installations show, is having a trunk show tomorrow at Xtabay Vintage (7:30 pm, 2515 SE Clinton). Among other pieces on hand, this will also be the first opportunity to get your hands on the pieces she created for the show, so if something caught your particular attention, step on up.

My heart sank as I flipped through the four digital pages of Refinery29’s new “Wonder Bread” feature on wallets that “put the funny back in your money”; where was DB Clay? All my long conversations with the local company’s ambitious young founder, Garett Stenson, played through my head, and I started to think that maybe the respected indie fashion site was losing its grip, until I hit the last page.

Nice.

In addition to this and this, another thing to add to your list of Friday fashion fun is the spring fashion show at Say Say Boutique (8 pm, 1010 SW Morrison), “Fashionably Late” (at sending out press releases—ha!). Benefiting The Dreaming Zebra Foundation (a non-profit providing monetary support to young artists, it will feature looks from Skunkfunk, Sue Bradbury, Effie’s Heart, and Supreme Being.

(A look from Supreme Being.)

Earlier this year I was assigned to write a glowing review of The Bhaktishop, the owners of which had the winning bid on said review in the Mercury Christmas charity auction. I was prepared to swallow all critical pride in the name of a good cause, but I lucked out and didn’t even have to lie: Lisa and Diana, who run and teach the yoga studio, were awesome, and their approach to the practice is incredibly sincere and open. At the time, they were operating out of a tiny space on E Burnside, waiting for things to be readied at the “real” location, 2500 SE 26th at Division. The time has now come, and all are invited to the grand opening party on May 3rd, with music, food, and giveaways, and in typically good willed fashion, it’s a benefit for Street Yoga.

Well hello, Betty Jean Couture (3537 N Williams). Look what just landed in my inbox:

On Williams Avenue, in the urban and revitalizing end of north Portland, Betty Jean Couture is making history. Among Portland’s booming population of couture to eclectic independent fashion designers, Betty Jean Couture is doing something different: designing superior, classic, and elegant items for all shapes and sizes. At Betty Jean Couture, high quality and style does not end at a size 8. On May 24th, the team at Betty Jean Couture welcomes everyone into the design house for a private, intimate fashion show. Seating is very limited, with reserve seating and standing room only available. Please call 503-284-6711 for ticket information. Price is $10 per person.

Stay tuned for more photos, video, and info on our fashion show micro-site, plus the uh, you know, “paper” that we are currently scrambling on deadline for, but I just wanted to throw up a quick announcement/congratulations to Rio Wrenn of R.A.W., who won the most audience votes at Sunday’s Installations fashion show. Furthermore, congratulations go out to all of the designers, models, volunteers, and assistants who worked so hard to pull off this event.

If you’re anything like me, you’re SICK of freaking iPods! Not only does it constantly fall out of the pockets of my mini jeans shorts, but when I’m wearing my headphones, people act like I can’t hear them and then treat me like I have syphilis!

THERE MUST BE AN EASIER AND MORE FASHIONABLE WAY OF LISTENING TO MUSIC WHILE ENGAGING IN LIFESTYLE ACTIVITIES SUCH AS WALKING, GOLFING OR BREAK DANCING!

Oh, there is? And it’s called “THE MUSIC VEST”? Wow! I’d like to learn more!