Perhaps it was the live band Broken Soviet , dressed head-to-toe in the Collier line. Or the fact that I finally spotted Oregonian fashion reporter Vivian McInerny (like looking for Waldo in a candy cane box…). Or how fashion photographer Marie Saturn was playful with the photographers in the photo pit. Maybe it was the presence of Mayor Tom Potter and his short speech at the beginning of the show (nah…).
Either way, there was a lot more chatter and energy from the guests on day four of Portland Fashion Week compared to day three . Guests were sporting everything from red-carpet-worthy gowns to plaid mustard-colored bow ties and one woman who wore the largest hat I’ve ever seen in my entire life.
Last night’s show (fashionably late again, but this time, by one hour) got standing ovations and cheers.
Saffrona Classics presented prom-perfect dresses in bright colors and circled in ruffles. And, don’t forget, the entire line is organic! So organic, in fact, it’s made with fungi. (I wonder if the models knew that…) Her dresses are made with a seaweed-based fabric that also holds antibacterial properties.
Collier’s designs were expertly tailored and came in a variety of bold colors and patterns. But some outfits looked like any other suit in a department store window. As one guest told me last night, “It’s hard to do suits.” That said, Collier did play up the typical format of a suit and tie–mixing and matching plaid shorts with silky ties and somehow making it work.
Lizzie Parker’s collection was playful and elegant –tapping into a few decades of style such as a 1960s-looking baby blue dress with a ruffled bottom. A very classy, long, black dress, with a bejeweled front, ended her collection on a high note.
The dresses and skirts in Lucia’s line were by far a personal favorite. They were ‘out there’ enough to generate a few oohs and ahhs, but realistic enough for a few audience members to say, “I’d wear that!” Designer Sarah Wallace utilizes adventurous patterns in tasteful cuts, without giving the impression of being wrapped in old wallpaper. Her final dress was divine–an ankle-length black and yellow halter dress that flowed delicately on the model.
The finale, Christopher Bevans , brought bubblegum-colored pants and bright green sweaters together–and it just seemed to fit. As well as bow ties with skin-tight polos and Harry Potter-glasses. It all flowed nicely–especially at the end when four models in black and white pattern hoodies piled onto the runway to frame the last model in a James Bond-like tuxedo.
Stay tuned for the last night of Portland Fashion Week featuring Amai Unmei and swimwear from Sofada by Alice Dobson .
