This Week in the Mercury
Friday, October 8, 2010
Fashion / Event Fashion Week Day Two
Posted by Marjorie Skinner on Fri, Oct 8, 2010 at 4:50 PM
Last night was round two for Portland Fashion Week, and the first of the runway shows. The production managed to whip through an impressive 13 designers in all, kicking off with California's Cardi Wrap by Kymaro. An extremely versatile lightweight wrap sweater, it was demonstrated in all its various guises on the runway, certainly making a convincing case for its extreme versatility:
The basic:
The not so basic:
Next up was a trio of Seattle designers: Lizzie Parker, Jesica Milton, and WyattOrr. Parker's been experimenting with tie-dye recently. This heavily ruched dress with a very light tie-dye touch was my favorite design-wise, although at first glance I thought the model had spilled red wine in her lap backstage! Still, love the design:
Milton's looks were heavy on shoulder cutouts and soft, sheer jerseys. I think it works particularly well on this goddess dress:
And I loved the WyattOrr pieces that were in this heathered gray/green:
Next up came the Art Institute Showcase. First up was J. Calderon's casual menswear, with lots of shorts and some easygoing pant options. A finale model came out shirtless with a pair of shorts so tight that the pockets flared out, but that didn't prevent it from being on of the crowd's favorite moments:
Sophie Bridal Couture brought out formal wear in long and short iterations, with lots of pleated waist cinching bands and rosettes. And lots of purple!
Mihaela Munteanu showed a disorienting mix of swimwear and lingerie. I like best the looks that drew their inspiration from belly dancers:
Melissa Gaynor's felted pieces were fantastic. I love this simple dress made interesting and luxurious with its texture:
Johanna Lindström finished the showcase with some very interesting, futuristic takes on jumpsuits and a finale gown fashion from a sail:
The came the Catapult design competition decided by a combination of audience and panel (I was on the panel along with AI's Sue Bonde and Seth Aaron Hendserson, among others). Anar Couture kicked things off with her dress/coats. Some of them would look more appropriate on a woman older than the models, but I really like the kick-y version:
Nelli Millard presented a Russian-inspired collection. I adore this jacket:
Devonation's graphic black and white collection came next, including this jaw-dropping skirt:
Ultimately the prize was taken home by Ms. Wood for her kimono-inspired collection that was brought together brilliantly with sky-high platforms and the occasional ladylike wide brimmed hat. This was considered by many to be the look of the evening:
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