Portland Fashion Week - Day 4 and 5 Retrospective

The past two days in Portland have been a flurry of fabric and fun. From local style icons to the only European collection at Portland Fashion Week, this has been a very enjoyable 48 hours. Tuesday was host to "The Collections" - a grouping of Portland designers, most of which have collaborated together or been shown side-by-side before. Wednesday was a mix of local and "foreign" fashions, including brands from the UK and our friend to the south (and location of my apartment), San Francisco.

The most anticipated night of the week, Monday's presentation of "The Collections" displayed Portland's own brand of innovation, community, and innate attention to comfort. Tuesday was full of demure designs that Marilyn Monroe would have shined in, giving a solid voice to the vivid influence of the 1920s-50s that has been sprinkled throughout the week.

A small glimpse of more fashions for the fellas came on Monday with A Broke Spoke's punk-meets-preppy set of outfits and Dayna Pinkham's tailored, personality-heavy head wear collection. One of the A Broken Spoke ensembles reminded me too much of a mix of Mister Rogers and my grandfather on my mom's side. Baring that, the rest of the line has some serious charm, using subtle details like tailored cuffs, seams, buckles and buttons to give each piece its own identity. Dayna's millinery skills would be a pleasant addition to any guy's outfit, especially the duo-toned fedora. Since I'm always telling my boyfriend to add more color to his wardrobe, I was a bit disappointed to see nearly all of Pinkham's pieces in black, especially for a Spring collection

The heavy use of muted gray and shimmering silver immediately reminds me of the dingy skies of Portland, under which so much talent has been displayed during the past 5 days. We're not talking the ever-popular heather gray shades either - these are flat tones, yet fluid in their hint of blue, like the stray bit of clear sky trying to poke out between the layers of clouds. The big gassy ball that is our sun is always on the other side though, leading designers to feature a hint of fresh yellow; two designers, Elizabeth Dye and Genevieve Dellinger, were shining examples (no pun intended). A hint of color can brighten anyone's day or mood, even in a city that is content with cloudiness.

Experimental cuts with angles even the MOMA would love had my eye trained on two other designers: Linea by Jess Beebe and Liza Rietz. From big magazines to people on the street, I've heard both men and women pondering when the "shapeless/tent" trend will be over. From the looks of these two collections alone, it is clear that comfort and style can not only move in together, but they can marry and have some sexy looking kids. From these two designers, there is only one outfit that made me cringe a bit. Why? Maybe it is the way the model is standing or that dress just doesn't fit her right, but it makes her look quite "thick" around the middle, which I'm sure most women would like to avoid.

Subdued glamour - those two words describe every single piece from all the shows on Tuesday night. The "good 'ole days" when women wore their curves with pride and Hollywood thanked them for it, the 1940s and 50s were represented in full force. As with all the lines from "The Collections" on Monday, the Tuesday night designers focused on tweaking classic shapes with details that magnified the psyche behind each outfit.

All the way from the UK, Izzy Lane found undoubtedly chic ways to integrate Scottish wool into their line. Puckered plaids and scalloped skirts were pleasing to my eye, and would be a treat to see on any street or office. Portland's Blairwear collection was also very office-friendly, but with a clearly less playful tone than Lane's offerings. A slightly geometric wrap dress was the first piece of the line to be added to my wish list, which was soon followed by an artfully gathered dress that showed off more curves than skin.

!ADVERTISEMENT! 

All the way from the San Francisco Bay, Tierra Del Forte's denim collection is always on my fashion radar. A curious blend of soft pinks, sailor stripes, and cinching denim, Del Forte screams "fancy or casual, denim dominates!" I was most pleased to see that despite the popularity of dark wash denim, first-rate stone washes are still celebrated. Stepping way ... way back into time, Lara Miller brings us to the art deco days of the 1920s and 30s. Draped layers take on a whole new meaning when they're made from smooth bamboo, tinted a universally flattering mossy green, and paired perfectly for that special Easter dinner you have in the works.

Oh Anna, how we love thee. Now hunkered down here in Portland, Anna Cohen worked for fashion houses in Italy before starting her own now-infamous sustainable collection. A dedicated member of the Portland Fashion Week Advisory Board, Anna's Spring/Summer 2008 line is one of the most seamless blends of every fashion trend from the 1920s through the 1970s I've ever seen. Before I go any furthur, I must say that I hate orange. Well ... I used to hate orange; it's one of those colors that hardly looks good on anyone. I don't know how, but Cohen found just the right shades between vibrant orange and pinky coral to compliment the human skins' subtle shades. It's pretty obvious that orange isn't a very Spring-like color, but seeing such a mainstream eco-fashion designer using it for her Spring/Summer collection gives me hope that the seasonal color boundaries are coming down. I bet all those falling leaves from the many trees in Portland helped to inspire her vision, both in color and shape.

FAVORITES AND FAILURES

Top 3 Brands I Covet (and why):

1) Anna Cohen (This one doesn't really need an explanation ... just look at the collection; hello, drool!)

2) Genevieve Dellinger (Repeat after me, "Color is my friend. I am not afraid of color."

3) Elizabeth Dye (I just can't resist a woman who uses yellow, especially on textured tights.)

Biggest Collection: Anna Cohen

Smallest Collection: 3-way tie! A Broken Spoke, Emily Ryan and Liza Reitz

Only Swimsuit Seen So Far: Lara Miller

Outfit that Most Resembled the 1980s: Blairwear

Best Example of A Bad Prom Dress: Emily Ryan (runner-up: Elizabeth Dye)

Dress that Most Resembles the Capes You Wear When You Get Your Hair Cut: Daniel McCall

Best Dress for Layering During those Brisk Spring Mornings: Lara Miller

Outfit Most Resembling a 21st-Century Superhero: Emily Ryan

Most Applauded Outfit/Dress: Kate Towers

Best Use of Multi-Colored Satin: Holly Stalder

Dress Marilyn Monroe Would Have Worn to Her Civil Ceremony Wedding: Blairwear

ALL GOOD THINGS MUST END

One solitary day left here at Portland Fashion Week, but don't tune your Internet connection to another frequency (is that even possible?). We've still got the final day review and the week-long wrap up coming your way!

Wednesday:

1) Habitude

2) Poppiswim

3) Garnish

4) Lucia