Mega-chain clothing store H&M got some good environmental buzz going last week when it announced a new recycling initiative that will roll out in all of the 48 markets it operates in, including Portland. Beginning in February, you'll be able to take your unwanted clothing—any brand or condition—into an H&M and offload it for recycling (either to charity or to be re-purposed into other materials and textiles) in exchange for vouchers to the store.

I'll be the first to criticize H&M for its mass-marketing, prevalence of cheap synthetic materials, copying of designers, and propagation of the "fast fashion" culture of buying a ton of cheap shit, but this move looks like a point in the company's favor. It's essentially the same experience of offloading your things at Buffalo Exchange or Red Light after they've rejected the opportunity to buy a single one of your items, but bringing it into the malls and suburbs of the metropolitan area. The company has ramped up their presence dramatically in the area over the past five years, and apparently Portland is eating it right up, so this is a nice change of pace from sweatshop scandals and alleged shredding of unsold merchandise.

• H&M
• H&M advertising from the more innocent days of 1954

• AfterAll's Website

• Printed Jacket by Osei-Dura

• DAVID LANTHAN REAMER
• The Woodsman Tavern

Quite recently I sat down for coffee with Joanna Bean Martin, who runs AfterAll Creative Studio. You may recognize her name from a previous post I wrote a while back called 48 Hours in Portland with Joanna Bean Martin. We caught up over americanos about what she’s been up to at AfterAll, her current local crushes, and everything in between.

The Mercury: How did you get started with AfterAll?
Joanna Bean Martin: We moved here from Los Angeles last spring, and Gretchen Jones contacted me after her Project Runway win. I developed her branding, collateral, website, and logo. Before that I worked with clients like Current/Elliot and Forever 21, in their graphic department, creating labels and branding. My husband and I also work together; he runs AfterAll film productions.

Where do you do you find inspiration for your projects?
JBM: Well, I have my inspiration blog called madepadre, which is a collection of found images organized by color. It is really helpful to reference when I’m working on a new project. I also spend a lot of time on the web, specifically Pinterest, lots of fashion, photography, food and art blogs. When I start to work with a client I like for them to send some inspiration images and words to get a sense of their eye, typography, and color preferences. Then I put together an inspiration board and get feedback about what they do and don’t like.

What/who are your current local crushes? (Food, shops, bars)
JBM: Evan at the Woodsman Tavern, my friends and I often go in to grab drinks there. Miho restaurant on NE Interstate is good. For bars I like Sweet Hereafter on Belmont. Also I really like Diana from Standup Comedy, her approach to her space is really great. Oh, and Sword+Fern’s shop for jewelry.

Who are some of your favorite designers?
JBM: Isabel Marant, Balmain, Osei-Duro (Whose printed coat she was rocking, and it was totes amaze ) and Suno.

Can you tell me about any new happenings, events, or projects at AfterAll?
JBM: Our office is above Lucas salon so the space is very flexible, we have the ability to move all the hair stations around and make one big open space. We are hoping in the near future to have a pop-up shop event, live music, and art events. I’m interested in doing an LA focused pop-up shop featuring independent Los Angeles designers. (When we sat down, I noticed her amazing bangles and Ms. Martin happily exclaimed that they were made by one of her favorite LA designers who may be coming up for the pop-up event!) This spring Lucas salon will also host photographer Nikki Fenix.

For more information about AfterAll click here.

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles:

Mercury: Last time I saw you was on the runway at Portland Fashion Week (where I also lovingly work!), what have you been up to since then?
Seth Aaron Henderson: I’ve been traveling a lot, doing lectures at colleges, sometimes with Mondo [Guerra]. I’ve also created a few custom gowns. One was for First Lady of Oregon, which she wore to the Governor's Ball.

Tell me about the launch of your RTW line at LA Fashion Week. Project Ethos seems like an interesting combination of fashion, music, and art. What are you looking forward to with the launch of this line?
I was given a sponsorship for this event, [and] it's being held at a great venue, the Avalon, which is a prime location. I didn’t go too crazy with this line. It’s very sellable, very wearable, nothing to translate. The line includes slacks, jackets, dresses, and evening. Overall the line is clean, strong, and modern. [It] will be sold in Portland at Anne Bocci Boutique. There is also interest from boutiques in LA, New York, Sweden, and Canada.

The Pacific Northwest is home to so many creative designers. Do you find that fashion here is more community based then in other big cities such as LA or New York?
Honestly, I just do what I want. I try not to think of who's going to like this, or who’s not, as long as I’m happy with it.

Stay tuned for pics from the debut of Seth Aaron's ready-to-wear line at Project Ethos LAFW...

• Eli James at NYFW

New York Fashion Week is in full swing. Lucky for us, we have a native Oregonian on the inside. Free-spirited, fabulous, and always in style, Eli James found her niche upon moving to the Big Apple in the fall of 2010. Meeting esteemed fashion photographer Wendell Teodoro earlier this year, well that was merely a coincidence.

This morning, in-between shows Eli and I caught up for a few minutes before the chaos that is NYFW resumed.

Mercury: How did you go from small town girl in Grants Pass, Oregon to working for an established fashion photographer at New York Fashion Week?
Eli James: Small town girls usually have big time dreams, and I have never been afraid to take risks. I met Wendell Teodoro, the photographer who I am assisting, when I first moved to New York in September. He was here shooting fall fashion week. His company, Zeduce is based in Australia, his images are purchased by publications such as Vogue Australia and Marie Claire. He is hired by Getty to shoot as well.

What has been the best moment of NYFW thus far?
Getting backstage access, and having the ability to shoot! I shot my first show solo yesterday, impromptu, Diesel Black and Gold. There was a moment when I realized that I was shooting a high fashion show, and that these images could be published in Vogue Australia.

Have you seen any noteworthy trends?
I don't know about trends, but I like clothing that shows off the collar bone, it is my favorite part of the body.

Where is your favorite spot to shop while visiting Portland?
Favorite store in Portland is the Mustard Seed, a thrift shop located in the basement of the church, located by the house my mother grew up in, in Woodstock.

Describe your style in three words
Cheeky. Coco. Pink.

Hit the jump for some of her NYFW shots.

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Last Friday at Lille Boutique attendees were treated to a fashion show of the Spring collection from Unforeseen Circumstances designed out of New York by Teo Griscom. (Check out the apparel line she also co-designs, Jackson, Johnston & Roe). The gorgeous pieces in eye grabbing colors like French blue and vibrant emerald will all be available at Lille. In the meantime check out the fall collection in stock and this Q&A with Griscom herself:

MERCURY: What is your design background, and what is the relationship between Unforeseen Circumstances and Jackson Johnston and Roe?

Teo Griscom: I have a BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The school is interdisciplinary, so I worked in painting, printmaking, and photography. I also have an associates degree from The Art Institute of California in Fashion. I have interned for the likes of VPL, and worked freelance as a designer for several knitwear and womenswear collections based in New York. There is really no relationship between the two brands—except that I also am co-owner and designer of Jackson, Johnston and Roe. (I am Johnston). I have designed a few exclusives—Unforeseen Circumstances for JJ&R—in the past. JJ&Rjj and UC definitely share the same principles and philosophy regarding production and material standards.

What are your priorities as a designer, in regards to materials, production, price point, etc?

I have been focusing more on bringing my sensibilities as an artist into the line. I want UC to be sort of fantastical in its use of color and detail, and sold more as one of a kind. I realize also that if I choose to grow the brand that there is a certain expanding that as a designer you have to give into, but there are things I won't comprise on, such as it is really important to me that the line be produced in the US and not in China. I believe strongly in quality and not quantity. Needless to say this makes it a bit of a labor of love and not any sort of monetary glory. I try to use only silks and cottons coming from Italy or France, which is hard, of course. My price point is fairly reasonable—most of it is under $100. As I expand I intend to offer a range of collection price points. I am very much of the thought of owning things that I really love and care for. If one cares for their lingerie, washing it by hand, it will last. My line is not supposed to be really seen as functional everyday wear, under jeans for example. That might really go against people's reason to buy clothes and lingerie in general, but for me it's about slowing down, almost. It's about a consideration in what you wear, if you are, say, hanging around your apartment in the afternoon.

What in particular is new or of note in the spring collection? What were your references?

I added a few new bodies and colors that were influenced by watching Powell and Pressburger films, mainly Red Shoes and Tales of Hoffmann. I love the costumes and the dancing. I am still always thinking about relationships between interiors and one's surroundings. I was also inspired by recent travels to Provence, France and Santa Fe, NM (where I am from).

In this week's paper I have an interview with Sword + Fern's Emily Baker, but because of the space constraints of newspapering, it had to undergo quite a few nips 'n' tucks for print. That's why there's the internet. Here's our Q&A in full:

MERCURY: Over the past two years, how has Sword + Fern evolved? Which changes have been surprises, and which were calculated?
EMILY BAKER: I'm really happy about the shop's natural progression. I haven't made many calculated decisions about the shop at all, apart from curation and the intention I put into the design and feel of the space. I feel like Sword+Fern has turned into a magical little entity that leads me around. The designers and artists I have approached about sharing their work in Sword+Fern have been incredibly open, and the support I have received from Portland has been amazing. It's a super nurturing place that allows us to thrive and show our work. It rules. Still, it hasn't been easy, and I've made a ton of sacrifices in my life to work on the store, and that's been difficult, but it's worth it. I love that people want to come visit this little world i have created.

How has having a brick & mortar affected your jewelry making/business?
I think the opportunities that have come my way have a lot to do with Sword+Fern as a public space. I really can't believe how cool the response has been to my work/interior design/curation from people coming through the door. Whether people come to my studio to find the jewelry or just stumble upon it, I want to make it a kind of weird unexpected experience when they take the time to visit.

The location itself is a very special thing. I love being in the 811 building. It's a tiny portal to another dimension and I love my building mates, especially now that May (of Nationale) and Holly and Laura (of Haunt) have moved in, and that the crazy construction is close to being finished. 811 E. Burnside feels like a special destination. Everyone here works their asses off. It's an awesome thing to be a part of.

Still, the public nature of the space can be challenging. It can be difficult to stay focused when people are visiting and shopping, and there are so many time consuming details involved in maintaining the store as an entity. My jewelry itself probably takes up the least amount of my time. I probably need to stop being stubborn and just hire someone to work here. But I don't know if it would be the same place energetically if I did that. I'm not sure what the answer is, but I hope it presents itself soon so I can spend part of this winter traveling in Mexico with my girlfriend.

A little bird told me you are planning to open a second location in LA. What is the timeline on this, and why LA?
Absolutely. It's pretty simple. I love owning and working on my shop, so why not open another one? Plus, I love L.A. I get really great reactions from my L.A. customers. They give me a lot of the confidence to do it.
Three years ago I almost moved to L.A. but chose Portland instead, so I feel like it would be fun to have a shop in the city that I could visit and take care of when I'm cold in Portland. I love the idea of a little piece of the Pacific Northwest in sunny L.A., and I definitely have it in the five year plan. I hope it works out.

Outside of L.A. talks, what are your next goals for Sword + Fern? Anything you want to add/provide in terms of goods, services, art, landscaping, architecture?
Short term, I am getting excited for holiday, I plan to offer some great new designers in the shop. Also I have been working on creating an apothecary in the shop, with teas, my lip balm, tinctures, and more from local harvests and herbalists—something I've wanted for a long time. I am searching, so let it be known, if you or anybody you know makes amazing sustainably harvested/organic tinctures, flower essences, incense, or natural perfumes locally, give me a call! As far as goods for the rest of the shop, I want to stick with more of the same: vintage, ceramics, paper—I wish I could stumble on a giant hill of obscure textiles, that's a dream. I am working on it, and changing up designers as I explore and find new work.

I have two installation shows planned for the end of the year, including a study of insects by (ex-Explode into Colors' drummer) entomologist Lisa Schonberg. I'd love to be more diligent in the curation of visual art, but I will have to see what comes my way and stay open to possibilities. It has to feel good energetically. I have a new collection coming soon and a photo shoot planned with Sarah Meadows. I told her I designed some of the collection with her photography in mind,which I am very excited about. Besides all of that, just trying to keep moving forward, slowly, with everything all the time.

... I don't want to make any promises. Everything has unfolded pretty nicely just going with the flow. I am always sort of surprised myself how the place has turned out.

Don't miss the second anniversary celebration of Sword+Fern this Friday (tomorrow) starting at 5 pm at 811 E Burnside.

This week I made brief mention of Portland Sewing, a new institution for sewing instruction and beyond founded by Sharon Blair. There's more to the story than what was crammed in that limited space, though! See below for the Q&A with Blair, and check it out yourself on Sunday's open house, 3-5 pm.

• What led to the decision to begin teaching sewing lessons?
Teaching has long been in my blood. I have to thank Pati Palmer for leading me to teach sewing. But before that I taught in high schools. And I've long been making and selling clothes — most recently under my StudioSKB and SKPDX lines. I'm interested in how things work, then sharing what I've learned with others.

• How is PS different from classes offered at the Art Institute? Would you say that it is in competition with the school or that it compliments it?
S compliments AI. Most of the people who would come to PS would not likely go to AI. They want to know how to drape, pattern, sew with industrial machines and the like but they aren't inclined to go to AI. For the rest, you could say it's a prep and finishing school. We AI teachers have often expressed how we wished our new students would enter with more skills. Unlike other fashion design institutes, AI doesn't require a portfolio. Students don't even need to know how to sew or draw. But if they did know some of this going in, we all would have a richer, fuller experience at AI. Sue Bonde, AI's apparel department director, and I have talked about continuing education for graduates. So PS offers the facilities and classes to keep graduates' skills in tune with changing demands of the apparel industry.

• What does PS bring to the community that is unique; what is it making available to Portlanders for the first time?
We offer apparel design and business classes people can't get anywhere else. Like many others, we teach beginning sewing, but we use professional, ready-to-wear techniques. And if you want to go on to industrial machines, you can. Like some, we teach patternmaking, but if you want to go on to draping and computer patternmaking you can. You can take fashion drawing, then if you want to learn how to do it on the computer you can. In fact, with these computer skills, you can get a foot in the door of some apparel companies. To that end, we offer a certificate once you've completed these courses. You can find business courses elsewhere, but my colleagues and I have created courses aimed just toward apparel business. To that end, we also offer a apparel business certificate. These are aimed at independent designers who want to start or maintain an apparel business. In fact, our slogan is "we are apparel people teaching apparel people."

• I realize that you've been teaching as Portland Sewing since 2002, can you describe to me the growth that brought it up to the stage at which it was time to open a brick and mortar institution? Was that always the goal?
All this grew rather organically. I've taught at many places, including PCC. Along the way, people kept asking me for more classes, or the next class or they've suggested a class from my apparel design work. But I never found the right facilities to hold all the classes I had to offer. The last place where I was teaching sewing classes was Ruthie's Rags, a fabric store. Ruth decided to "retire" from her store. That gave me to push to buy and open my own place. So far, it's been great. It's big and homey and has room for all the classes plus one on textile manipulation — a basement where we can get really messy. Plus it has room for a little fabric and notions store and that drive-through notions window!

Janeane Marie Ceccanti is on this morning's edition of Think Out Loud right now talking about being on Project Runway. Listen here and look for a Wrap-Up of last night's episode later today.

I mentioned yesterday that there's a new Portland entity in the works that's being formed to support the apparel design and manufacturing industry in town, the Portland Apparel Development Co-op. I was unclear on some of the details, given the brevity of a press release that centered on the co-op's upcoming open house this Saturday at 6 pm at the headquarters: 2515 NW Nicolai. I think the founder of the co-op/Rose City Textiles/U4E, Wilson Bright, may address some of these questions in more detail at the open house, as he's asked me to use some of them during the party's Q&A. From what he's said here, this looks like another great opportunity for people working in the local industry to get in on the ground floor of something. If there's any truth and future in the idea that local economies will sustain us, opportunities such as this should be highly valued.

Can you outline what Rose City Textiles Inc. has been doing for the last 26 years of business? Do they manufacture fabric?

WILSON BRIGHT: For 26 years we have been a consignment company selling excess fabric from large outerwear manufacturers. We started converting fabric in Asia about 6 years ago. We also managed some very large private label programs of outerwear apparel in Asia.

Does the founding of the co-op mean that the corporation is going to cease its normal operations completely?

The Rose City Textiles Inc. would cease to be a legal identity with all the fabric, equipment, and intellectual property being turned over to the co-op. I would become a teacher more than a broker. We would keep all our normal business activities to support the co-op. The concept of cost would have to become more transparent, with the needs of the co-op being recognized in pricing.

What kind(s) of fee structure(s) are available to local designers, and can people join now?

The development center currently offers the use of CAD pattern software, a small fleet of sewing machines, as well as embroidery, seam-sealing and direct-to-garment printing machines. A crucial tool that will complete the system is an electronic cutting table, allowing computerized patterns to be cut precisely and quickly, streamlining the prototyping and manufacturing process. We have had access to this
machine over the past months, allowing our designers to prove its worth, but have been unable to come to a mutually beneficial operating agreement with the machine's owners, and therefore are developing a plan to purchase one for the co-op.

The fee structure is not yet set as it is necessary for us to work with designers to ensure that the fees are affordable and appropriate. We are open to working with interested designers whether their interest be
developing their own brands or joining the U4E brand.

What is the relationship between Rose City/Portland Apparel Development and U4E? Have you been working with them from their inception?

I am proposing as the founder and sole owner of Rose City Textiles, and the Architect of U4E, to create the Portland Apparel Development Co-op. The touchiest issues are really that I, Wilson Bright, have a stronger vested interest in the U4E Brand than I do in the Portland Apparel Development Co-op. I believe by using a transparent enough accounting system, the Development Co-op can feel safe that the brand is paying its share of the co-op's cost. The idea is that the more successful the U4E brand, the lower the costs for the co-op, in turn reducing the overall membership costs of all designers. It may be the second most liked brand of every designer.

Does joining the co-op necessitate also becoming part of U4E?

Definitely not. The idea is that The Portland Apparel Development Co-op becomes a neutral ground for all designers, a place to co-op the fabric buys, use the apparel development equipment and rent warehouse space, accounting, knowledge, etc.... To get to the entry level of U4E, I am leaving it to the group to give comment, and help me make the best way based on "The laws of openness." This will be voted on by the Board of Directors after the first investment has taken place. I will suggest an approach that requires a tenor at the co-op that gives the person the needed knowledge, and then some kind of membership (or Public) vetting process that allows entry.

Most of us know Ryan Christensen as the founder and CEO of Sameunderneath, the local apparel company that he sold to another local company (LFI) in September. Now, he is embarking on a new chapter with RYZ Wear, another locally founded company that invites artists to design graphics on a template sneaker design, which are then voted on by the company's online community to determine which styles go into production, a method called crowdsourcing. I wrote about it briefly here, but behind the jump is a Q & A that further explores his transition.

A contender from RYZ's site: "Back Burn" by DamienOReilly

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One of my big new year's resolutions is to start a successful blog and make tons of money and move to some tropical place and drink slushie alcoholic drinks all day. Easy peasy, I'm sure. One lady that's mostly done this (though she chooses to kick back in our fare city instead of at the beach) is the lovely Chelsea Fuss of {frolic!}. The blog is like a sugary treat, featuring a variety of simply lovely things: photos from her always beautiful adventures in Portland, new clothes from local and not-so-local designers, magazine cutouts of beautifully-styled rooms, pics of backyard parties that she's styled. Chelsea is so good at blogging that late last year she was able to leave her nine-to-five to blog full time, so I asked her some questions about her blogging start to see where everything went so right. Check the Q&A after the jump.

photo by john valls, styled by chelsea fuss

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My column this week takes a look at the recent Sofada fashion show, but a mere 450 words could not contain the long conversation I had with Sofada designer Alice Dobson. Below is the full Q & A, with more pictures from the show taken by Minh Tran.

You've been designing in Portland for quite some time. Recap?

I've been sewing my whole life. Right around eight years old I have concrete images of sewing, but I know I started earlier than that. All through grade and high school I liked to make things. I went to Seaside High School, which offered sewing as an elective, and I felt so fortunate to finally have a teacher. When I moved to Portland, I worked at Washington Mutual, and although I had been selling my things through word of mouth, for cheap, it never dawned on me that that could be my job. It seemed like a pipe dream. I was working at the uptown branch, and this really stylish guy and his wife would come in to do their banking. They told me about FIDM in Los Angeles, and I immediately knew that I would go there. My degree is in apparel manufacturing, because that program also included classes on how to make a business. I was 20 when went there, and moved back at 23. I heard randomly about Seaplane, and was totally excited because even three years before there was nothing going on in Portland. It's been this huge bubble burst of fashion designers since. I met Kate [Towers] at Seaplane, and my stuff started selling immediately. Kate and Holly [Stalder] were sending people to me all the time who wanted a certain dress in a different color, etc. I was tired of people coming over all the time, so I started looking around for shops, and found the teeny one on Fremont. It had no bathroom, no air conditioning--which in a shop is horrible.

In retrospect, what do you think about your decision to pursue apparel design in Portland as opposed to New York or another large market?

I think it was the best decision I ever made. And I cried when I was leaving LA. I loved my life there. There's an omelet named after me there. I thought, "What am I doing moving back to Portland, Oregon?" But my husband and I wanted to buy a house. It only took two months to see that things had changed, and probably because of Kate and Holly. I feel like I am lucky to have gotten in on the ground floor. It's definitely been nice, and I feel special to have been part of that growth. I've been in business six years and it just worked out, because of really good timing, good people. I never had any ambition to go to New York. It's too far away, I have my family. Even when I sold my line in LA, I had so much trouble just getting paid. Here we have a pretty good handful of designers, but in LA there's like two million. I thank every day that I went to school in LA, and that I moved back when I did.

Can you talk a little but about your business plan and current goals? How important is growth to you?

It's changed over the years. In the beginning, growth was really important, but I was taught in school "baby steps, baby steps, baby steps." I just want to live nicely, like anybody. The business doesn't need to be huge and I don't need to be rich. I just want to keep on working and building the business. When I went to New York fashion week, I was six months pregnant, and when I had my son I had to step back. I got so much good press and so much business, but in hindsight, it was sort of too big of a step. I had to make a choice: I have my family and my business. I decided to focus on the wholesale accounts that really loved me, and concentrate on the store. The store is my bread and butter, and I wanted to get my production in-house. We now even offer production for other lines outside of Sofada under the name Alice, Inc. We've always sewn in-house, but we used to send things out to local contractors too, and always had problems. I'm so much busier on Burnside [2937 E Burnside], and I'm so happy we were able to buy the building. I now have four employees, plus interns. I personally don't make much money at all. I pay my mortgage and pay the girls, but that way everybody has a job.

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Another MOD Q & A! This installment: Pamela Baker-Miller whose new store Frances May is one of a number of shops, which, along with the looming Ace Hotel, have galvanized the "West End" of downtown. Here's what's on her mind these days:

What are your picks of this season from your store?
A Mooka Kinney Romper:

Rachel Comey high waisted camp shorts, Church + State's Work Horse Jacket:

A Samantha Pleet blue mini dress, and Christian Joy's Bridge Top.

Favorite Places to eat?
Simpatica for brunch, and Clyde Common for happy hour. Cheap eats are Pho Hung and the Mexican food cart on 50th and Division.

Drink of choice?
Everyday drink: vodka soda, hard day drink: Makers on the rocks, end of the night: Budweiser bottle.

What summer music are you playing at your store?
Au Revoir Simone, Paul Simon's Graceland , and the Beach Boys.

Travel destination and dream companion?
Brazil with all my girlfriends.

Favorite quote?
"You could be a part-time model." -Flight of the Concords

Items in your wear-every-day outfit?
A charm necklace, a Mina Stone dress or jeans and deep-v neck, Minnetonkas.

What Portland event/concert are you looking forward to?
I never know who's playing until the day of. The TBA festival is right around the corner.

Last thing you bought?

Ditto shorts.

Meet Sarah (if you don't already know her, you haven't been to Lille often enough!) as she gives us her current nearest and dearest selections on matters of style:

What are your picks of this season from your store?
A VPL Bisectional Set—Amazing art deco-inspired bralette/boyshort that could almost double as a bathing suit:

A Stella McCartney Dolly Snogging Set—The most unique bra I've ever seen; creates a gorgeous line on the neck:

An Araks Petra One-Piece Bathing Suit—Supremely elegant; very French Riviera:

And an Araks Organics Dasha Teddy—Cute and loose, it would be adorable worn over tights and a cami if you're fearless:

What are your favorite places to eat?
Masu East, Le Pigeon, Toro Bravo, and Noble Rot.

Drink of choice?
French 75—so crisp and clean for the summer. Be careful, though—they hit you hard.

What summer music are you playing at Lille?
St. Vincent's Marry Me, MGMT's Oracular Spectacular, Cat Power's Jukebox, Simone White's I Am the Man, Spoon's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, and Devotchka's A Mad and Faithful Telling.

Ideal travel destination and dream companion?
Kyoto with my husband—reliving my honeymoon!

Favorite quote?
"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." —Anaïs Nin

What items are in your wear-every-day outfit?
Can I give you my current favorite outfit that I might not get to wear every day? [Of course!—Ed.]: An Eres Edelia/Domino set in Rosemary; a 3.1 Philip Lim Flutter Sleeve Blouse; LAMB Navy Flared Shorts; J. Crew Leather Ballet Flats; and a Marc Jacobs Mouse Gray Turnlock Tote. If I'm going for over-the-top '60s glamour, maybe a vintage silk scarf wrapped around my head and my big white Electric sunglasses

What Portland event/concert are you looking forward to?
Eddie Izzard at the Schnitz? That man cracks me up. I saw him drunk on the street in New York once... funny story.

What was the last thing you bought?
Chie Mihara Crio Mary Janes in off-white from Shoefly.

This edition of the MOD Q+A is for "person whose style we admire".
Brighid's sartorial savvy owes mostly to her totally confidant sense of self--her choices, which usually include brands from Sweden, Antwerp, Berlin, New Zealand and Australia, reflect her sharp and discerning eye. Utterly cool, she constantly garners the attention of photographers and designers and has been in fashion shows and editorials. Check out photographer Chloé Richard to see some more of Brighid...I just can't get enough...

Where are you from? When do you move to Portland? What do you do?
Denton, Texas. I left Texas and moved to Portland – sight unseen – as soon as I was old enough. I celebrated my 6th anniversary in March. I am now a fourth-year student at PSU focusing in Germanic & Scandinavian Studies and Applied Linguistics. I somehow ended up with three jobs. I am spread out between being a nanny and cleaning house/tending to a dog.

Favorite Portland shop:
Stand-Up Comedy. I often want to open my own shop someday, and when I do we’ll be rivals.

Favorite else-where shop:
I otherwise do a lot of online-shopping from stores in New York and abroad. Recent favorites are sevennewyork.com, ashtray.se, reborn.ws, kronkron.com, bestshop-berlin.de, park.co.at, & generalcucumber.com

Place to eat/drink:
A really old personal favorite is M Bar in NW, but I haven’t been there in a couple of years and it probably isn’t the same as I remember; it started to get a lot busier in the last days I lived around there. Its appeal for me was in its size, I think it holds the record for smallest bar in Portland. If you can get in fairly early and sit with just one or two friends, it’s a lovely time. They only serve beer & wine last time I checked.

The items in your wear-every-day outfit:
A pair of raw denim high-waisted Acne jeans, black flats, and an old silk blouse inherited from my mother.

Concert/event you're going to next:
The next Nightclubbing at Holocene on July 3? Please tell me there’s something going on before that.

Travel destination and dream companion:
Iceland, with my cat, Baldr.

Things on your inspiration board:
Braids, horses, masks, a wolf, knots, chains, blood, lightning, taxidermy, swords, prisms, hair, the universe, the ocean, dirt.

Last thing you purchased:

A Christian Wijnants zip-up jacket/dress, purchased from Seven NY.