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.