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Thursday, June 19, 2008
Event Portland Fashion Week 2008
Posted by on Thu, Jun 19 at 10:02 AM
I’m on the advisory board for Portland Fashion Week, and last night we had a meeting. While my contribution has been (and, I feel like, as someone who also covers the event, kind of has to be) mostly low-level, one thing I can do is make sure that people know about it, particularly local designers, who should be aware that applications are now being accepted for the October series of shows. There’s always been some debate about these events in the community. One of the main things that I hear are local designers who feel threatened by having a fashion week in Portland, because they feel the lack of desire to conform to what other cities do is an important part of why they are in Portland rather than… one of those other cities. I’m curious about what people have to say now after last year’s event, and how that is shaping expectations for the coming one. How do you feel about the “green” angle? Some call it a trend and a gimmick, but it’s the only real toehold Portland has in the fashion world at large, and is something that has the power to drive national and international interest to a Portland event where our designers could have a chance to be seen by some of the higher ups. Beyond fashion, having a well supported event of this type could contribute to luring progressive companies to the city (jobs! cool jobs!). One of the things that comes up during these meetings is the contention that Portland sucks at marketing itself, and has the attitude that we’re so awesome the world is just going to come to us. Thoughts?
Comments
its not just that green is good,
but not green is not good.
green is like anti-slavery. its earth rights. and since right are a necessity, once you go forward, you cant go back.
we cant just wake up a few years down the road and decide its suddenly ok again to steal from the earth. i mean, we have no plans to stop recycling, do we? and since it comes with a certain amount of mutual beneficiality for us, makes little sense to fight, let alone to not embrace and push forward as much as possible.
The world is coming to us! They are watching what we do, and that's why we must give them something to look at. I think Portland will always do it "Our Way" But why not do it WHEN they're looking, and WHERE they're looking? If this means lining up with a major promoted event-do it! I'd hate to see our brightest stars not included!
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Green can apply to any number of aspects of the design/manufacturing of clothing... where it's made, what it's made of, the green-ness of the offices where it's designed, the appeal it would have to others who subscribe to the green philosophy... etc. etc.
I appreciate what the "green movement" has brought to the table and, I believe in the near future, it will be proven to be much more than a trend; it's the beginning of mankind's awareness of our impact on the environment, and the actions and choices this movement promotes will resonate throughout history, regardless of some of the more temporal products and ideas that have come about.
I'm all for "green" fashion... so long as it rocks :)