Who: Seth aka DJ Girlfriends
Where: New Young Pony Club after party at Dunes
Cutest piece: My hooded cape by Slow and Steady Wins the Race
Photo by: AM

(And on the 7th day, I rested.)

The very last night of Portland Fashion Week was Wednesday, and yesterday I hardly knew what to do with myself (not really).

The evening started with the collection from Habitude, which worked best when sticking with versatile, simpler shapes, including some good pants.

more after the jump…

Popina is the new name for what we have known previously as Poppi Swim: Pamela Levenson's range of modestly cut, retro-inspired swimwear. The first looke out was a red halter sizzler, although I must say that I prefer her styles in matte fabrics. If you're already familiar with the line, this new incarnation doesn't stray.

Garnish came out with some strong looks, among them a black drop waisted dress layered over a longer simple cream slip (the layered dresses look has been a recurring theme this week, although without an "innerwear as outerwear" vibe).

Lucia had a sweet, garden party-appropriate vibe, with lots of polka dots and wrap dresses. My favorite moments were strapless:

Souchi is always a favorite. What's not to like when you're dealing with year-round cashmere in everything from coats to bikinis in legwarmers? This spring preview showed lots of creams in the color scheme, with a few darker shades of gray, metallic stripes, and browns mixed in. The models padded up in down the runway shoeless to a soundtrack of '90s rock slow jams ("Jane Says," "Black Hole Sun," "Sweet Jane").

Photos are by Minh Tran!

The color orange was all over the Fashion Week runways this week and the color orange seems to be all over Portland this time of year. So in honor of this sunny color, here are some of my favorite ‘orange’ items found on etsy.com.

Clockwise from top:
1. Shrub Silhouettes (set of 6 note cards) by Annacote ($10)
2. Mix Tape Pouch by LindseyPorter ($17)
3. Vintage Orange Plastic Dangle Beads from EpochBeads ($3.75)
BACKGROUND: Limited Edition Print (Ohanami) by Apak ($30)

Tonight, at Oh Baby! (Broadway location—1811 NE Broadway) from 6:30-8:30, there will be a presentation of classic corsets from Vollers of England. I’m going to go check it out because I don’t think I’ve ever tried on a real corset before, and I’m curious what, if any, suggestions the staff has for their practical use in this era. Jobie of Pix Patisserie will also be on hand offering flights of cognac in case the thought of lacing into a corset goes down a little better with booze!

Another near-daily dose of PDX love from the Paper of Record: in “Less Than a Spa But More Than A Barbershop,” and article by Natasha Singer in today’s style section, our own Bishops gets a shout out. The article is basically old news to those of us who’ve been living among Bishops locations for years: the phenomenon of the place to get your hair cut that somewhere between a neighborhood barbershop and a stylized salon. And here is the big Bishops quote:

Bishop’s, www.bishopsbs.com, with five outlets in Portland, Ore., styles itself as a rock ‘n’ roll barbershop offering a free can of Miller beer to customers over 21.

By the way, I just deviated from my normal barbershop (aka my boyfriend, a towel, and the front porch) to get a snip at the new Bishops, The Salon last week. As opposed to the rowdier spots with their magazine collaged walls and loud music, the cool white mod-ness of the new, cocktail-serving joint is still hip and casual, but just a little more mature, and just a little more moneyed. I was into it. Anyone else been there?

Get ready to be happy: Starting tomorrow, all clothing and jewelry at Una (2802 SE Ankeny) is 20% off through Saturday. What can you expect? Luxurious sweaters, wraps, and beautiful jewelry, like this Ioselliani ring from Italy:

Izzy Lane kicked things off on the second-to-last night of fashion week, coming from all the way across the pond with a collection that wove a pale tartan through its looks—which featured as its high point wonderful wool from the sheep of wool’s capitol: Scotland.

BlairWair came out next with a very off-to-the-office vibe, though many of the mostly mature pieces could easily take you to after-work dinner and drinks. A hint of power suiting sharpness in the shoulders turned up on a few blazers, echoing mandates from the fashion world at large, the edgiest moment in a collection that erred on the conservative side.

Del Forte came next with denim and cotton separates. Definitely in the high-waisted camp, some cute (if you can get away with them) versions, both long and short, made their way out, along with a few corsets and cropped slim legged pieces. A sailor style pair of jeans took the cake for eliciting the most applause from the audience.

Versatility was a theme in Lara Miller's collection, with dresses becoming skirts and sweater pieces in light greens being turned every which way. Several play suits came out, both great: either a shiny tiny-shorts version that could pass as lingerie and a long strapless production that looked as devastatingly sexy as it did confortable.

As for Anna Cohen, well I don't want to say I told you so when I hinted earlier in the week that orange was a theme—but big beautiful oranges were the anchor of Cohen's color scheme this season, sometime showing up more modestly in peachier shades, but more often than not it was bold and roaring, on its own or paired with neutral separates, which included more dramatic high waisted jeans, a perfect pair of black shorts, and brilliantly, peeking under the lapels of a subtly great coat.

all photos, Minh Tran!

“Fashion and the Creative Economy in Portland,” the second installment of the Talking Fashion series took place at noon yesterday.

The day’s panel included designer Adam Arnold, Seaplane owner and designer, Holly Stalder, Jesse Beason, Senior Policy Director for the Office of City Commissioner Sam Adams, Sue Bonde, director of the Apparel Program at Art Institute of Portland, Heather Larimer of the Portland Tribune, talent agent and designer, Jonny Shultz and Elizabeth Dye, designer and owner of The English Dept.

As Marjorie predicted, the day’s topic did prove to be a feisty discussion. Topics ranged from Portland’s assets to manufacturing to creating a fashion industry association. One of the day’s more energetic subjects was the concept of banding the fashion industry of Portland together as a force (similar to the Creative Capacity Strategy) to aid in getting funding for the arts, bringing manufacturers to Portland, and putting Portland on the map for leading sustainability, not just by using bamboo fabrics, but also by bringing larger production local. The idea of a local manufacturing co-op was brought to the table. Sue Bonde from the Art Institute of Portland mentioned that she will spearhead this idea if there are people interested in helping with the project. The co-op would provide designers access to local pattern makers and sewers, all possibly housed under one roof. In my opinion this is a remarkable concept that could bring many talented people to Portland and provide manufacturing options to designers that would now either avoid it or go overseas. If you are interested in helping Sue with this endeavor, please e-mail her at sbonde@aii.edu.

Portland is a unique city, and instead of copying Fashion Weeks and Incubators of other cities, we need to come up with our own way of doing things. It is what we do best. The manufacturing co-op is just one of these innovative ideas that can bring Portland to the next level. Now all we need is the support of the designers and shoppers of the city to get this moving!

Please feel free to add comments or e-mail me at amy@crazycoconut.net with ideas on how to create this fashion force in Portland.

Last night’s Art Spark was the first event sponsored by the Creative Capacity Strategy. You may recall the Creative Capacity town hall that Commissioner Sam Adams held this past June calling the artists and supporters of the arts of Portland to band together in order to raise more money and awareness for our local art scene. Last night’s packed event at Holocene did just that. With a loose format, the goal for the evening was networking and getting the artistic community motivated to work together. They need the strength in numbers in order to achieve their goals of making “Portland an even better place to live, a stronger competitor in the global marketplace and an incubator of innovation,” so let’s all join in on the fight!

To receive future invites and lend your support, you can sign up here.

Last night was the highly anticipated Collections group show, which drew a big crowd, one with more familiar faces than any thus far. Free of intermission, each designer showed about five or six looks, back to back, each with their own foci, giving the viewer a lot of excitement to process in a short time.

First up was Emily Ryan (who teamed up with Galen Amussen, who provided accessories) who displayed a continuation of her sculptural ideas, which appear intensely haute and comfortable simultaneously.

Holly Stalder showed a range of garments from party frocks to a (hot) pant suit, displaying her knack for detailed adornment.

John Blasioli's a broken spoke gets both softer and tougher this spring, with Easter sweater vests as well as punky zippers and D-rings. Quiter dressing guys in search of a great jacket for the season will be appreciative of a beautiful gray specimen.

Liza Rietz channels and artsy girl chic into her clothing, complete with pockets big enough to carry puppies.

Kate Towers astonishing opening gown pieces of great detail, as in a jagged-hem dress, straps dangling from drama collars, and a touch of white ball trim.

Pinkham Millinery started with a cute skit in which a male model sauntered out, then paused, miming looking for his keys. At this point a woman came out dressed in a man's shirt and hat, which, after a romantic emrace, he took from her and put on, signaling to the audience that it was the hats they were supposed to be focusing on. The drama didn't end there, with a string of men showing hats of different styles, including an impressive collapsable hat the the model pulled from a slim entermodal bag (hello, cameo!), and unfolded it into impeccable shape. The show ended with a fantastically tall couple done up in Miami bling, complete with their Pinkham hats in white (his) and gold (hers).

Genevieve Dellinger was up next with some awesomely sharp ideas about shape and proportion:

Linea by Jess Beebe accented easy pieces with a favorite detail of the night—exposed zippers—to appealing effect:

Daniel McCall showed off his expertise in muslin pieces, beautifully tailored simple dresses, and ended with a wrap dress in a strangely beautiful print.

Elizabeth Dye started out on her playful side with a short playsuit in denim with big shiny buttons and darting. A beautiful evening coat with cape sleeves came out followed by swingy party dresses (one with great scallop detail in back) and a wedding gown ended the show, as per tradition.

All photos, Minh Tran!

Today’s lunchtime panel was the first in the Talking Fashion series, and included speakers Erin Rackelman (PR rep for locals like entermodal and Pinkham Millinery), freelance writer Elianna Bar-El, Tracey Forrest, who runs the showroom True Collaborative Fashion, Rachel Gorenstein of the Moulé stores and the Rachel Mara line, Sam Huff of Hecklewood, and Emily Katz of Bonnie Heart Clyde and the EmilyKatz line.

The crowd was heavy on burgeoning designers, and the discussion was geared to their interest: starting a fashion business in Portland. This ranged in topic from issues of production to having a business plan to getting press. Bar-El, representing the press, emphasized photos as a good way to get attention in the local press. (I would add to that that, for me, tying yourself to anything event-related gives me an easy way to make print space for you, whether it be a fashion show you are having, a sale, an anniversary, a debut, an opening, a trunk show—something that gives me a reason to write about you on a given week.)

Tomorrow’s topic is “Fashion and the Creative Economy in Portland,” which should prove to be a feisty discussion.

The crowd was thinner last night at Portland Fashion Week, probably due to it being a Sunday night. It’s too bad, because last night’s collections were the most inspiring thus far.

Michelle DeCourcy, who prolifically produces attire for (young) ladies who lunch, showed what was my favorite from her thus far, with silvery grays and metallics dominating the ladylike looks. DeCourcy errs on the conservative side, and she knows her fans, but it’s usually not an aesthetic I find interesting. However, their were a few looks last night that showed a sleeker side of the designer.

Leanimal by Leanne Marshall came next, blowing away everything seen thus far this week with her curious inventions. Marshall wins hands down in the creativity department, with looks that were sci-fi feminine showstoppers. Her idiosyncratic pleating and folding techniques create organic details that are just beyond recognition, and her work—which is surprisingly wearable—just keeps getting better.

Bravely following a tough act, IDOM immediately got gasps and applause with designer Modi Soondarotok's first look, which made more noise going than it did coming:

The rest of the collection did not disappoint, with bright colors, intelligent details, and fine craftsmanship. Soondarotok's work is perfect for the ecclectic wardrobe of smart, creative types:

Emily Katz showed a deep understanding of how Portland girls want to dress, offering comfortable, covetable pieces that are screaming to become everyday staples:

The evening wrapped up with Stewart + Brown, who showed a large collection of sweet and simple, almost rural-feeling looks. While there were some eyecatching pieces, and many of the lightweight crocheted layering pieces were quite beautiful, overall the collection seemed a bit drab compared to the night's earlier pieces.

All photos, Minh Tran!

Last night at the shipyards went a little smoother. I think I finally cracked the press registration code, and bleacher seats had been added to give the back rows a better vantage. Likewise, the clothing that came down the runway had a sunny disposition, with lots of brights (orange keeps coming up) and easy, movable shapes and fabrics.

First out of the gate was Lizzie Parker, a vision of cozy layers (I surprised myself by liking the leggings many of the looks were styled with, though I preferred them long when in all but one case they were shown bunched up around the knees.) artfully draped and peeping open. I was less into the big butterfly print that threaded through the collection, especially in the form of wide leg pants with wide butterfly cuffs. It worked better in a flouncy farmer’s daughter skirt with a gingham ruffled hem. The finale piece was a dress whose skirt rippled with white feathers. Very on-trend, it nonetheless seemed a little odd paired with its tight jersey bodice, though not necessarily in a bad way. And what do you think: Not counting the leggings, would you say this is one piece or two?

Next up was Duchess, who showed impeccable men’s suits, quite often paired with Dayna Pinkham’s Pinkham Millinery hats, although she was, unfortunately, uncredited in the program. The suits looked great, if a little short on some of the tall male models, creating a (probably unintentional) Thom Browne-through-the-ages experience, as suits rolled out from the patterns of bygone eras. The colors used in both the suits and their accompanying shirts really popped and modernized these historic creations, though part of me wishes that Duchess would design something less straightforwardly vintage, if only to prove that they can. Regardless, the results were the night’s sharpest.

Nike Considered showed next, with a slew of techy sport and outdoorwear, like a hoodie whose hood doubled as a short cape, sporty white jodhpurs, and complicated woven leather backpacks whose straps looked big enough to carry pistols—something you might want on your next unguarded safari.

Alula proved to be quite pleasing, opening with a charming yellow pleated skirt with a paper bag waist and a pleated-bib tank—the very vision of springtime. A pair of sporty blue short shorts could easily find their way into my wardrobe, while a seersucker version with matching jacket had a slightly irritating (intentional?) malfunction, in which the pockets peeked out from under the abbreviated hems.

Finally, after what seemed like a shorter intermission than Friday night, Sameunderneath began with a skit-like introduction during which founder Ryan Christensen conducted a classroom scenario, gesturing to chalkboard slides that asked, "Who is Sameunderneath?" "What is Sameunderneath?" "Why is Sameunderneath?" "When is Sameunderneath?" "Where is Sameunderneath?" followed by—depending on the question, quick shots of everthing from MLK, staff photos, Bob Marley, JFK, soup kitchens… all a bit hard to keep track of, really, when out of the corner of your other eye the model/pupils were taking turns leaving their seats to tour the runway in tees emblazoned with inventively placed animal motifs, knee length shorts, t-shirt bubble dresses, and other casual looks that the company has made its name on. Theatrics done, a more traditional runway show ensued, showcasing plunging backed jersey dresses, his-and-hers long shorts (and one pair of jams!), some really nice men's jackets, with or without logos, in rich shades of pumpkin and brown, dressed up women's tees with embroidery and back-tying sashes, lightweight sweater tops, a cute, ice blue women's sweatsuit with knickers and a fitted hoodless jacket. The color scheme, again, included punchy oranges and salmon, greens, and purples—many of which found a home in a busy, recurring pattern that I could have done without. The final piece was a two-toned number of powdery grey-blue and salmon, which was heralded with hoots and clapping from a very supportive and enthusiastic audience.

Tonight, Idom is showing Spring looks on the runway of Portland Fashion Week. A recent addition to the landscape of local designers, Idom’s Modi Soondarotok and her NE Alberta store of the same name are a welcome addition. Get ready for tonight’s show with these images of her line, taken by Minh Tran, Mercury photo intern, and aspiring fashion editorial photographer. All clothing is by Idom, and styling by Soondarotok. Makeup is by Nica Demaria, and the models are Patricia Furpurse and Paige E.