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Happenings

CONTENT 2011 Line Up

The official line up for the one night fashion/art exhibit is announced. And it’s good….real good.

Posted by: Eden Dawn on Sep 22, 2011 at 08:00AM Speech Bubble 1 Comments

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Two years ago the team (designer Gretchen Jones and the Mercury’s Marjorie Skinner amongst others) that produces CONTENT took over the second floor of the Ace Hotel for one night of art and fashion mashed up into a glorious display. In 9 days they’re bringing it back. On October 1st the downtown block will be abuzz with all the coolest people in town squished into one area. Each guest room on the second floor is taken over by a designer or stylist to curate their own live fashion installation for viewers to come explore. The block will be roped off for a full party and you can also purchase items from the designers in a temporary pop up shop in The Cleaners space of the building.

The schedule goes a little something like this.
All evening : Pop-up shop curated by Pam Baker of Frances May in The Cleaners.
4 – 10pm : Beer garden and mingling with fellow fashion enthusiasts on Stark Street
6 – 10pm : Installations on second floor open to public
10pm til late : After parties and extended shopping hours at local boutiques

Tickets are available for $15 through TicketsWest

This year’s designers and artists (with a few descriptions to entice you) include:

Rad Summer Collective – The team behind the beloved vintage shop on SE 28th is sure to pull together something fabulous.
Student Stylists – Full disclosure: I am one of the cofounders of this company that specializes in young stylists for hire and will curate a room of all Art Institute apparel designers.
Studio SKB – The line behind Sharon Blair of Portland Sewing. Blair has guest designers like Bryce Black and Joshua Buck do one season collections under her umbrella.
Ruki – A modern, tasteful collection of womenswear by designer Melanie Parr.
Sarah Seven – Floaty and romantic dresses. Catch some bridal, some ready-to-wear and just some pretty things.
Reif – Designer Lindsey Reif keeps an edgy eye on her womenswear line with modern takes on what’s happening now.
John Blasioli – One third of the design team behind Pendleton’s Portland collection, this is your opportunity to see Blasioli’s menswear that’s 100% his point of view.
Bridge & Burn – The casual wear line encompasses looks for both men and women and is so perfectly Portland you can almost hear the recycling.
BOET – The bold accessories line does not subscribe to the notion that less is more.
Duchess – Duchess suits are akin to a current episode of Mad Men. Sexy and smart with Don Draper oozing out of all of them. Have a Highball before you enter the room.
Haunt – The ladies from this adorable boutique at the 811 E Burnside Mall are sure to delight. Last CONTENT designer Holly Stalder made a dress that encompassed the entire bed with a pixie model sitting perfectly still right in the middle.
Jayme Hansen/Sys
Frocky Jack Morgan
Tanner Goods
Emily Katz
Pattern People
Moonwoods
Draught Dry Goods
Andy Lifschutz
Dawn Sharp
Isaac Hers
Sara Bergman
Chromium Dumb Belle and Ryan Mitchell Boyle
IDOM
Better Late Than Never
Terrazign
Portland Garment Factory
Family Name
AfterAll

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Tags: ace hotel, Haunt, Dawn Sharp, Isaac Hers, Isaac Hers, Bridge & Burn, Boet, Sara Bergman, Reif, Ruki, Ruki, Studio SKB, Fashion, Idom

Style Spotlight

Dress/Undress Fashion Show Review

A slide show recap of a party time fashion event.

Posted by: Eden Dawn on Sep 08, 2011 at 09:00AM Speech Bubble 0 Comments

A runway look.

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Last Wednesday’s Dress/Undress Fashion Show benefitting the Planned Parenthood’s Equal Access Fund (which aims to raise funding and awareness for Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette’s (PPCW) LGBTQ services and funding programs) was one big party. While it was actually equal parts fashion show with local designer and styling show with local boutiques the point was to check out the eye candy and have a good time. The slide show can fill you in on the rest.

Featured Designers:
Idom
Sword + Fern
Heather Treadway
Golden Rule
Midge
Yo Vintage!
Benjamin Blak
StudioSKB

Video of Heather Treadway and Yo Vintage segments courtesy of MyCityDesigners.com

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Tags: fashion show, Bryce Black, Studio SKB, Yo Vintage, Midge, Heather Treadway, Golden Rule, Idom

Runway Happiness

Portland Sewing: Fashion Show Review

A thorough look at a well run show.

Posted by: Eden Dawn on May 03, 2011 at 09:00AM Speech Bubble 1 Comments

Photo: Rachel Decker

Ms. Wood- THE Coat. Love, love, love.

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Few things give me greater joy than a perfectly planned fashion show. I know from having produced them before, as with any live event, there will be hiccups. Models can trip, music can cut out, someone who has indulged in a tad too many martinis can make a fuss, and the list goes on. But, it gives me a big case of the warm and fuzzies to walk into a show that was well thought out and executed according to plan. And that is exactly what I got at the recent Portland Sewing Garden Party Fashion Show.

Portland Sewing is situated in a home-turned-sewing-school, which could potentially have posed some problems for the excited crowd in line outside when I arrived. But producer, Jasin Weiner, lined chairs through the whole bottom floor and choreographed the models walk to let everyone see the clothes up close and personal (and made a separate press section, which is an excellent choice because we like to be pampered). And clothes there were! When the last model left the runway I turned to my fellow fashion writers and declared that was my favorite sleeper secret fashion show of the year thus far. I love surprises.

The show began with Ms. Wood who I have been raving about since the moment I voted for her on my judging panel at Portland Fashion Week’s Emerging Designer competition. She sent out a fall collection that was completely wearable and chic for the 30’s something fashionable woman. I was already pleased as punch when “The Symphony Coat” came cruising out and I felt my cheeks get a little flush. That marvelous creation earned Ms. Wood extra style points.

Photo: Rachel Decker

Clair Vintage Inspired

Following Wood was Alyson Clair with her Clair Vintage Inspired line. Clair is an exceedingly capable seamstress and patternmaker, which is evident in the fit of her clothing. Surprisingly these skills are not as evident in the design community as you would hope, so when her sexy secretary jumper fit like a glove, it means something.

Estate followed with its line by designer Robin Forsythe. I wasn’t familiar with the line that showed mainly basics. It was not the most elaborate grouping, but it did have some pieces that are available for casual daywear looks. My one suggestion would be to let the basics be exactly what they are. It felt over styled which distracted from the clothes. I am perfectly content to see if a casual dress just fits well; it doesn’t always need a lot of bells and whistles.

Stephanie D. Couture showed both her fine eveningwear and knitwear, which took me a moment to adjust to the intertwining. Especially because I think her bridal wear is fun and fancy. The bright blue in the collection is definitely for someone who is prepared to be noticed. But my favorite look was the long black Alena dress, appropriate for an opera or something awesome I’m not being invited to.

Tiffany Bean is the owner of Mabel & Zora boutique and a newbie to the design world. Her first jump in stuck to simple shift dresses and basic design lines. I think it was smart. Too many new designers get overambitious in comparison to their skill set and it rarely turns out well. While nothing was reinventing the wheel it was all wearable pieces geared 100% to her store’s demographic, which she knows very well.

Next on the roster was Vien To, an Ai alumna who could obviously take the cake at a sewing contest. Her collection was not geared to my age range or aesthetic, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t completely appreciate it. Every stitch I saw was perfectly sewn, stripes were matched up in pleasing combinations and the overall tailoring was spot on.

Photo: Rachel Decker

Bryce Black for Studio SKB – Dress or Cape? Cape.

Finally the title act, Grey Gardens, by Bryce Black for Studio SKB strutted down the staircase and impromptu runway. The pieces were inspired by the 1975 documentary about two troubled reclusive socialites, a mother and daughter both named Edith Beale. Each piece was multi-purpose and represented the duality that came from Little Edie and Big Edie. To illustrate to the crowd how you transform a skirt into a cape, Black stood at the end of the runway and quickly shifted his models clothing from Look A to Look B right before our eyes. It was like the David Copperfield moment of fashion. I thought the pieces stood well on their own, but add the multi-use element to them and you’ve got me (and any penny pinchers) sold over.

Overall a big Brava to Portland Sewing teacher and creator Sharon Blair. If each show is going to be that well curated and produced, you can count me on the press list every time.

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Tags: fashion show, Portland Sewing, Bryce Black, Ms. Wood, Claire Vintage Inspired, Stephanie D. Couture, Mabel & Zora, Studio SKB

Runway Happiness

Garden Party Fashion Show

Alyson Clair, Tiffanee Bean, Stephanie D. Couture, Ms. Wood and Bryce Black for Studio SKB all show off this weekend.

Posted by: Eden Dawn on Apr 11, 2011 at 09:00PM Speech Bubble 2 Comments

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An example of Black’s multi-function garments.

Add another fashion show to your calendars my friends. This is one I plan on elbowing my way to the front. Portland Sewing, ran by the fiercely lovely Sharon Blair, is having an indie fashion bonanza this weekend. The designer list has a good sample of talented Pdx-ers including Alyson Clair, Tiffanee Bean (owner of Mabel & Zora), Stephanie D. Couture, Ms. Wood and the first collection Bryce Black has designed for Blair’s SKB Studio line. I would literally bet money that this will be a show worth the effort. I caught up with Bryce and got a few answers out of him about the new collection.

What was the inspiration for the collection?

The inspiration for the Little Edie Collection came from the 1975 documentary film by Albert and David Maysles, Grey Gardens. The film depicts two reclusive socialites, “Big Edie” and “Little Edie”, who live at Grey Gardens, a mansion in East Hampton that is slowly crumbling away like their fortune. Little Edie is always seen in wearing garments, or other forms of fabric, from around the house and draping them on her body as something new. Like a sweater for a skirt or two army jackets as a dress. This gave me the idea to make garments that can be worn in several different ways, such as my 3-in-1 cape. The cape can also be worn as a dress and as a skirt just by flipping it upside down. Many of the pieces are flipped or reversed into a new look or a new garment.

How do you go about designing items that have multi-functions?

I first designed the collection as I would any other collection. Then I looked at each individual piece and sketched ideas on how else it could be worn or draped on the body. It really came together in the development stages. It was all about measurements and math. You need to be sure that the garment fits well in every variation and look.

What’s it like designing under a studio’s name?

Designing for Studio SKB was an amazing experience. I was able to see first hand what it is like to design and develop a small independent collection. Independent designers might be the hardest working people in Portland. Studio SKB is known for its superb tailoring, fit and sustainable fibers. Founder Sharon Blair is an institution in Portland’s fashion community. A lot of the talent we see in Portland has been taught or worked with Ms. Blair. I felt the pressure to produce a collection that held up the integrity of her brand, but kept true to my own design aesthetic. In Portland we are looking for garments that are fashionable, unique and can endure any change of weather. We like clothing that take us from the office to cocktails. I feel confident that my Bryce Black for Studio SKB is a collection Portland didn’t know it wanted.

If you want to see this all with your own eyes, get your tickets fast.
Garden Party Fashion Event
Portland Sewing
2111 NE 43rd Ave, Portland
Saturday, April 16.
Doors open: 7 pm. Show at 8 pm.
For tickets – $10 in advance; $15 at the door

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Tags: Fashion, Alyson Clair, Studio SKB, Studio SKB, Stephanie D. Couture, Ms. Wood, Bryce Black, Portland Sewing, fashion show, Tiffanee Bean

SHOP TALK

CONTENT 2011 Line Up

Dress/Undress Fashion Show Review

Portland Sewing: Fashion Show Review

Garden Party Fashion Show

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