This Week in the Mercury
Friday, October 9, 2009
Fashion / Event Day 1 of Portland Fashion Week, in Review
Posted by Marjorie Skinner on Fri, Oct 9, 2009 at 1:18 PM
Maybe I'm remembering it incorrectly, but this year's venue for Portland Fashion Week, though merely meters away from the site of its 2007 edition in the same Swan Island shipyards, seems like a diminished version of its earlier incarnation—chalk another one up to the Recession. Likewise, the room seemed a little less electrified, and I spied at least one pair of FLIP-FLOPS in attendance. Ugh. Aren't there enough of them on the runway (and does it really be said that if you're modeling in open-toed shoes without a pedicure your toenails should at least be clean? Ugh, again.)? Nonetheless, the disappointment didn't really set in until the runway show was over. There's really no reason to mince words here—most of what was shown was mediocre, and some of it was embarrassing. (I feel better saying so after the improvement of last night.) Gersemi, the Swedish equestrian line—which has plenty of cozy/puffy jackets in its fall collection that appeal to me plenty—went first. It was the same iteration on the standards: riding breetches with sweaters and jackets. But the sicky-sweet pastel palette was, as one person sitting next to me called it, a "boner killer."
Then things really went south. Hit the jump for the gory details.
NelliDru is a joint collaboration between Nelli Millard and Dru Broekemeier out of Bend. Until they showed up on the fashion week schedule I had never heard of them. The web site was foreboding enough but what was shown was beyond the pale.
I don't think I was imagining the audible tittering happening in the crowd. These are among the loudest examples that culminated in the finale wedding dress, which has apparently been dubbed the "Michaels wedding dress" by some. As in the arts and crafts store. I laughed out loud when this came down, but let's be serious: This would not have made it past the jury I participated on for the emerging designers' showcase last night, all four of whom exhibited small capsule collections that were a head and shoulders above this full collection. The higher concentration of designer footwear and handbags I noticed in the crowd yesterday I dearly hope is a sign that most of the out-of-town press had not accumulated by Wednesday night to see this. It's not representative of what Portland designers are producing, to say the very least.
Speaking of being out of touch, Dimitri was up next, with a collection of mainly menswear pieces inspired by "the Portland rock scene." I wonder if he has ever been to a Portland rock show. That's an honest question.
Things were alleviated from then on, thankfully, beginning with Defyance, whose worst offenses—sending out the same pair of pale green cargo pants five times, for instance—are nothing in comparison.
(The jacket that turns blue when you stretch it is cool, if kind of purposeless.) The night wound down with Icebreaker, which I completely admire for its promotion of merino wool, and they make wonderful simple layer-able pieces that I would happily wear, though some of them are only fit for the gym or the couch. Not a bad thing, but hardly begging for a runway presentation.
I think we're over the hump. Last night (pictures pending) was varied and showed promising, innovative ideas from students and new-to-the-scene designers. Onward. Please.
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The grossly overused term "douche" doesn't really mean anything anymore, but those clothes epitomize douchery.
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Ughhh. These clothes make me shudder. To call this Portland fashion week, is doing a big disservice to the actual talents of the Portland fashion scene, whom by smart decision, chose not to show here.
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