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!