Portland Fashion Week: Day 1

Waiting in a line of cars to have our IDs checked at a security gate wasn't the most welcoming start to Portland Fashion Week, but then again, we were at a working shipyard (Vigor Industrial Shipyards on Swan Island). It made me a bit nostalgic for the nights searching for that secret rave in some industrial warehouse—fitting, considering the ‘90s are making their way back into style.

Tucked amidst hulking boats-in-progress, the PFW Plaza attracted the fashionistas like a moth to a flame, with the foodie-hot KOiFusion truck parked out front and a bar serving local wines and signature cocktails inside. PFW bills itself as the greenest fashion week in the world—from using organic styling products to energy-efficient lighting, biodegradable corn cups and recycled paper to a runway made from recycled materials—but it was still glamour rather than granola. Even a woman I met who was a VP at Gucci and Louis Vuitton was impressed with the production. Personally, I felt a little "buzz" of years past was missing—at times waiting for the hour-late show (c'mon, this isn't Marc Jacobs!), I felt like we were all awkwardly milling around, well, a warehouse, rather than some fabulous event space. I was expecting opening night to kick-off with a bang, but maybe it'll be more of a slow build to the signature designer collections showing this weekend.

Still, the guests dressed to impress. Sometimes I think the styles in the crowd of a fashion show are more interesting than what's on the runway (and in this case, that couldn't be more true, but more on that in a minute). There were lots of leggings, lots of boyfriend blazers, lots of booties and gladiator-style heels. Lots of black, of course. And when ladies weren't sporting heavily-hairsprayed poufs, they capped off their outfits with fedoras and driving caps. My favorite outfit of the night was an all-black ensemble of leggings, long Jil Sander sweater blazer, gray patent Dries Van Noten wedge heel booties, and a brown Balenciaga bag (I somehow found the owner, Cecilia, on Twitter during my post-show research!). Simple, modern silhouettes with eye-catching accessories—that's my style (though, admittedly, on a slightly less designer budget!).

According to Executive Producers Prasenjit Tito Chowdhury and Christopher Cone, the goal of PFW is to champion independent and eco-friendly designers as well as bolster the local economy by promoting Portland as a fashion center. To that end, this first night was dedicated to "Moving Fashion," a nod to the City of Portland's five-year development plan to grow the local activewear industry. It helps that PFW designers are now showing Spring/Summer 2010 collections, putting them on the international fashion schedule, but closer to home, the event could have used a little more attention to detail—like a program that provides some background on the designers to better understand what they're sending down the runway. And in addition to the annoying late start, the lineup went in reverse order than the printed schedule, which was a bit confusing. Let's hope the kinks got worked out.

The first looks were from the Swedish equestrian fashion line Gersemi, showing various iterations of the breeches-riding boots-jacket combination. As a former rider, I have a soft spot for equestrian looks, so could see women sporting the pants nowhere near a stable (though, really, no one will look good in the plaid ones with a bright block of teal fabric highlighting her backside), and the sporty windbreakers and parkas look great for a Northwest winter. (Gersemi is available at the Portland Outdoor Store).

Next was Nelli Dru Designs, a collaboration between two designers out of Bend. I'm not sure how their pieces fit into the "movement" category, but they'd fit very well in the flashback-to-1993 category—and not in a good way. Metallic swirl fabrics looked cheap, dresses were ill-fitted, and accents like ruffles, rhinestones, and feathers seemed haphazard. Capping off the collection with a wedding dress decked out in foil-esque ruffles and floppy antennas... well, a picture says a thousand words.

Portland-based Tony Dimitri sent out his all black and gray, very rock ‘n roll collection next, adding a few ladies items to the two-year-old men's line. The skintight mini-dresses with exposed zippers, which looked like they could have come right out of Uhuru's closet in the new Star Trek movie, were especially hot.

Dimitri

Men's highlights included seamed, fitted long sleeve shirts and trousers with a slightly longer rise—a sort of modern interpretation of the zoot suit.  A whole line with looks as sleek as these would have been impressive, but heavy-handed accessories like dog tags, rosaries, and bullet bracelets distracted and seemed more LA than PDX. And honestly, who would actually wear a hoodie topped with a bristled mohawk?

The local Defyance line calls itself "clothing for your movement," using various performance fabrics to create stylish men's casual wear, featuring fashion-forward fits with smart interior gadget pockets and high-quality closure and zippers. These are elements that would have been great to read about in the program because practical details like that just don't jump out on the runway. In the same way, the everyday jackets, button-ups, tees, cardigans, and shorts would look great on a guy walking down the street, but were a little bland one after another under the bright lights.

Still, there were highlights: the white blazer and shorts combo with sockless loafers was very resortwear, something we don't see enough of in Portland. 

The short- and long-sleeved button-ups incorporated great details like epaulets, and the cardigans reinterpreted the grandpa sweater with a modern cut.  Fashion writer Karen Vitt, who writes The Neat Sheet shopping blog, deemed the jackets "Gap-worthy,"  classics you will wear for many years to come, but I'm still on the fence about the one that looked like it was made out of a trash bag.

The night finished with new pieces from Icebreaker, a company based in New Zealand, but that made Portland their U.S. headquarters, with a flagship store in the Pearl District. The line is made entirely from sustainable, washable wool that is light, soft (not scratchy!), and breathable; available in various weights, it's nature's original performance fabric. The new collection included both workout wear—capri leggings (on dudes, I'm not so sure), zippered pullovers, and tanks —and cozy-looking casual wear that could go from bike ride to dinner in an instant.

 Icebreaker

I loved the men's button-ups —simple but striking because of the unexpected fabric—and the lightweight criss-cross hoodie. And added to my personal wishlist: the easy wrap dress, and the baggy, slightly-harem pants and fitted asymmetrical jacket, a great pairing that balanced the opposite silhouettes and the tension between fashion and function.

Overall, the evening was a bit underwhelming—not because the designs were necessarily bad (though there were a few that left me aghast), but because I don't think they were particularly suited for the runway. Activewear is at its best when it fits you well, and it's at that close-up level that you can appreciate the craftsmanship and innovation. It's hard to translate those features from afar. There was also was a bit of a local disconnect; although the last three designers are based or headquartered in Portland, only Icebreaker is available at a PDX store (it's own). It's always exciting to see new creations coming out of our own backyard, and I'd love to be able to find them at our local boutiques.

The rest of the week should pick up steam, starting with the Art Institute of Portland show tonight and the chance to decide this year's Best Emerging Designer. Friday will probably be the hottest evening, with favorite local designers Amai Unmei and Idom premiering new seasons, and Michelle DeCourcy launching an entirely new line called La Vie. Saturday brings a bike-themed matinee in conjunction with Oregon Manifest, and that night, Jantzen's 100th anniversary collection. PFW's finale on Sunday includes the debut of the Imperial Collection by beloved eco-friendly Portland designer Anna Cohen. That's a must-see! Stay tuned for next-day recaps of it all...

Portland Fashion Week
October 7–11, 2009
Vigor Industrial Shipyard, Bldg. 10
5555 N. Channel Ave.
Portland, OR 97217
www.portlandfashionweek.net

Doors open at 6 p.m., seating for shows at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door (other packages available)

Full schedule here!

Related Links
Portland Fashion Week: Day 2
Portland Fashion Week: Day 3

View the slideshow for more Portland Fashion Week images or visit our Flickr gallery: