Why Nau

In the current economic climate, people are hesitant to spend a lot of money on clothes. As sales for fast-fashion, at retailers like Forever 21 and Target, soar consumers increasingly must be persuaded to spend any money on high-end pieces. There is one label, Nau, that produces produces garments definitely worth investing in if you have the disposable income.

Founded in right here in Portland, Nau makes outer/urban-wear that is not only fashion forward and very high quality, it is produced with environmental sustainability and social responsibility in mind. In fact, those two considerations, along with economic responsibility, make up the triple-bottom-line mentality that is cornerstone to Nau's philosophy. 

As previously mentioned, the product isn't cheap--the price of a jacket ranges from about$200-$425. Still, because their clothing is made to last forever, purchasing a few well selected pieces from the label may actually save you money in the long run. This is because Nau's dedication to environmental sustainability goes beyond the production process, into actually reshaping the way people consume. While most apparel companies, regardless of price-point, strive to get consumers to buy as much as possible each season, Nau's goal is to reduce the number of products the consumer must buy, therefore reducing the overall waste produced by the company.

This mission is even incorporated into the design process. While their designs are innovative and fresh, Nau's overall aesthetic leans toward neutral color palates and classic silhouettes. As a result, garments by Nau tend to stay in style season after season, and go with just about Everything.

In Portland, Nau's clothes can be found at Lizard Lounge (www.lizardloungepdx.com). In addition their collection is sold on their website-www.nau.com, which features not only the online store, but a lot of additional information on how the company is run with their ethical code in mind, and what they are doing to give back to the community.

So if you have a little extra money in your clothing budget, and want to spend it on something that's worth it's price, go check out Nau. You won't regret it!

Fashion forecasting: “It just has to feel right”

In order to succeed at running your own clothing company, you need to know how current trends can affect a business. And that’s exactly what Katy Hadad did. She used her knowledge to her own advantage. She ran her own clothing company for five years and instinctively came up with her own ways on how to stay current. Katy Hadad has been an instructor at the Art Institute for several years and had always taken a liking to fashion forecasting. “I’m really interested in knowing the reasons behind fashion,” states Katy. She took classes such as psychology and anthropology and this further fueled her interest in fashion forecasting.
Fashion forecasting has been such a major part of the fashion industry for so long, but why has it been so crucial? Fashion is defined by a group of people of what is accepted at a certain time. Consequently, forecasting agencies were formed to chase innovation and to capture the “essence” of trends at any given time. This “essence” is then translated into every company by price range, demographic, and category. Katy adds, “Competition is stiff. We’re exposed to so much. It’s important to know what’s going on.”
When I asked Katy which factors need to come together in order for something to be a trend, she responded, “The Zeitgeist. Capturing the essence of people’s wants and needs. Brands are answering questions for people, capturing the essence of times, and having customers respond.” While in her fashion forecasting class, she explained the meaning of “Zeitgeist.” It means “spirit of the times” and what influences it are dominating events, such as war and the emergence of new art, and dominating ideals like beauty, patriotism and gender issues. Dominating social groups, such as celebrities and designers, attitudes and technology are also what influence the Zeitgeist. Fashion is a reflection of popular culture and is all about change.
As far as what trends are emerging, Katy lists hand crafted goods, clothing with detail, moving back to classics, vintage, and especially cross-shopping. “As consumers we’re making adjustments to the economy. [Portland] responds in a different way individually. It has to answer our needs and make sense to our lifestyle.” By cross-shopping, women today are buying from low end to high end merchandise. They’ll buy cheap trends at Forever 21 but also buy an investment piece at Ann Taylor.
No matter what the Zeitgeist is and how it affects fashion and our culture, Katy summed up fashion forecasting the best, “It just has to feel right.”

By Michelle Batol

I Got's No Money Honey

Hold up on the macaroni and glitter self-portrait your about to make for your grandma! There is no denying the financial predicament we face during this Holiday season, but there is no need to disappoint loved one’s or shatter the piggy bank. Our local, independent designers are also feeling the monetary constraints we are all facing, so why not help each other during these times of over withdrawing our accounts. If your looking to support your independent fashion design community, win some free goodies, and buy local hidden treasures that meet your budget, there are some exciting events approaching.

The nonprofit organization Portland Fashion Synergy launched a boutique pop-up shop on SW 4th and Morrison. The organization that was responsible for the FUSE runway show--which showcased an international runway event and mutually beneficial relationship with Portland independent designers and Chinese apparel designers. Prior to this event, Portland Fashion Synergy sent local fashion designers to the Chinese providence of Henan for their fashion week--is now bringing the Portland community a 6 week pop-up shop featuring 15 local independent designers in 1 showroom. The one-of-a kind fashion goods provide an intriguing alternative to the cookie-cutter strip mall. Rather than purchasing the typical mundane items, Flurry offers a new retail experience to support our creative and innovative fashion designers. Check it out at

http://www.pdxfashionsynergy.com/

If you just want some free stuff, CRAVE Portland is launching a 12 days of giveaway promotion ending on December 8th . CRAVE Portland connects urban women to inspiring members of our business and design environment. Contact CRAVE Portland on Twitter or Facebook and you can win photography sessions, facials, clothes, and much more. Included in each giveaway package are tickets to the Holiday Cravings event. This event takes place December 9th and is a holiday shopping party where sample-sale-priced items are offered from numerous local vendors. Exclusive deals will be offered on clothing, jewelry, handbags, and home accessories. Advanced ticket prices are $8 for students, so make your reservations and get a sneak peek on the participating vendors at http://thecravecompany.com/portland/events/holiday-shopping-party/

-Adriane Alvarado

It's the Final Countdown!!!!

Hello all...

As you know today's date is Tuesday the 24th. Coming in 3...2...1....

BLACK FRIDAY!!!

You guys have a great Thanksgiving and make sure to keep your wallets full because the sales will be major. Keep your eye on Urban Outfitters. They will be having an additional 50% off sale
on Men's Wear, Women's Wear, and House Wear sale items. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Sincerely,

Ijeoma O!

Sustainable Clothes at the Saturday Market!

Portland Saturday Market helps make Portland one of the “greenest” cities in America or so I have heard from PDXposed. Sustainable clothing is a great idea and something that Portland designers are focused on. While attending the Saturday Market recently I discovered Flood Clothing. Nicole Flood creates amazing hats out of clothes she finds in second hand shops. She also sells re-vamped clothes, headbands, bags; all sorts of gorgeous things.

Her artistic eye helps her create new looks for old things. I remember taking a class her husband taught at the Art Institute. He told us about her business and how they were Art Institute graduates. It had slipped my mind until I discovered her at the saturday market! It is really exciting to see graduates from A.I., creating new and innovating ideas that are environmentally friendly. I have posted a link to her site. If you are ever at the Portland Saturday Market make sure and check out her creative wears. Warning though if you try on her hats you will most likely fall in love and go home with it!

-Alicia Jelinek

http://www.floodclothing.com/

Does Portland need a Fashion Week

Since being launched in 2003, Portland Fashion Week has faced a bumpy road getting where it is today. In 2004, Incubator Fashion, the organization that was producing PFW, discontinued staging the event. In 2005, SEMPER Fashion stepped in to revive PFW's production. Since then, PFW has had its share of contoversy and setbacks, as well as reasonable success in promoting sustainable fashion and emerging local designers.

Much of the tension that surrounds PFW stems from the required participation fee that designers must pay. Portland's fashion scene is made up of small, independent fashion labels, most of whom don't have a lot of extra money to throw around. Critics complain that the event generates income for the production team, but does not guarantee sales for the designers.

The PFW producers counter these complaints by pointing out that the participation fee does not go toward generating profit, but is necessary in order to be able to put on the desperately under-funded event. As Tito Chowdhurry, PFW's executive producer points out, this is a one-half-million dollar production and (it's) growing.

Given the number of local fashion events, not to mention shows put on by individual designers, that take place in Portland, it is easy to overlook the service that PFW provides to many emerging local designers. Part of one night of the weel is devoted to showcasing the work of recent AI graduates, who participate for free. This provides new designers who have no zero budget a great platform for promoting their work. It should also be mentioned that the cost of participation is a great deal less than it would cost an individual designer to produce their own show, which involves paying models, hair and makeup, etc.

It is difficult to come up with a solution that would satisfy all the diverse personalities that exist within the local fashion community. The solution would have to be cost effective for everyone involved, while providing designers with a strong platform to help them connect with buyers and press. Whether Portland Fashion Week is the answer or not, the local fashion community should strive to reach an agreement on how to effectively nurture all the local talent that Portland has to offer.

Toby Robboy

A Nice Breath of Fresh Air from the Mundane

Experiencing Independent Fashion in a refreshingly unorthodox, Portland manner

Unlike any other Sunday, which consists of sporting stretchy pants, gorging oneself with overly, processed cuisine purchased at the local Plaid Pantry, and stressing on homework that has been consciously stored away in the back of one’s mind for two days, my typical AI Sunday was greeted with a well received disturbance.

As stated in an earlier post, Content 09 sponsored an exploration of Portland independent fashion and design in an unorthodox, visual experience at the Ace Hotel, October 18, 2009. Serving as a platform for the essence of Portland fashion, Content 09 did way with the traditional runway show to exemplify an exciting shift in Portland fashion unity. In my opinion, it was very reminiscent of the Milepost 5 unique layout—Located on SE 82nd, which usually constitutes a guarantee to see prostitutes and fast food chains, Milepost 5 houses young, creative talent in renovated units (once were the homes of Portland’s elderly) and exhibits monthly art showings in the vacant units. In the same fashion, Content 09 featured many of Portland’s innovative, independent apparel and accessory designers in the vacant rooms of Ace Hotel.

Unlike any other fashion event that I have attended as of late, Content 09 exemplified an inimitable harmony where both event production and designer vision seemed one. Satisfaction of both the sponsors of such a marketing event and the participating designers involved seems to be a challenging balance. Dayna Pinkham and Dutchess Room

Incidentally, Portland Fashion Week has been under criticism for executing a fashion event that is not always representative of regional designers. It seems that Portland Fashion Week, although a platform for local fashion to receive national and international exposure as it has never been able to before, has received some heat from the local community. Portland Fashion Week was non-existent until 2003 when Tod Foulk began orchestrating the runway events around the metropolitan area. Portland Fashion Week has grown from its early roots of bringing together local apparel and accessory designers in one roof in effort to solidify Portland’s mark as a viable market of innovative fashion. It is now the first and only sustainable fashion week and some have insinuated (local blogs and periodicals) that it is more focused on this promotional edge than the essence of Portland fashion. Complaints have circulated that Portland Fashion Week’s commercial success is distorting its service to the independent designers in the vicinity. Thus, two of the main complaints are that it fails to serve as a sufficient expression of what Portland fashion means and it’s too expensive (i.e. designers have to pay an entry fee and tickets for local constituents are $20 and up). Whether these complaints warrant validity or not is not the issue, the remains that there is a disconnection in Portland fashion and a viable platform is needed to serve the independent designers in the premises.

From my tenure spent waiting in line at Content 09, I learned from eavesdropping that the Ace Hotel event was in fact a revolt against Portland Fashion Week. Some independent designers felt as if a crucial service for Portland fashion was lacking in the area—a service that seeks to voice the message and essence of Portland fashion that, like with anything in Portland, goes against the grain. This service is in demand on both supplier and consumer level, and in true Portland execution, Content 09 delivered a distinctive and unforgettable fashion experience (just not an event).

As stated previously, Content 09 explored an unorthodox approach to a runway show that truly identified with the Portland, anti-cookie cutter approach. Our urban environment houses the creative youth (either in age or spirit) of Portland design—an environment that is responsive to deliverables that challenge the norm. Bridge and Burn room

The vision behind Content 09 stems from the How We Develop Team (which is the first event of the popularized Portland blog) that includes the designer voices of Mothlove’s Gretchen Jones, AK Vintage’s Anna Korte, and Im:mortal’s Ada Mayer and Anna Korte. 38 of Portland’s visionary independent designers were showcased in 28 rooms that spoke of each designer’s passion and innovation. Each room was visually merchandised according to that brand’s lifestyle. Whether utilizing live musical performances, creatively merchandising displays, providing a mock up of everyday life, exhibiting a nostalgic look to inspirational eras, etc., each room gave a sense of what that particular brand represented. The unique layout committed to an intimate experience for participating attendees. For instance, by mirroring one’s desire to live in another time period or by projecting an image associative to the values one lives by, designers were able to translate their message directly to the viewer, as if it were an intimate conversation. Although each room was specifically merchandised for the varying designers, cohesiveness was achieved in the ideals and community pride of the event.

Stand-out designers not only had beautiful, well-constructed garments, but their branding was impeccable. It became a lifestyle experience that invoked all senses, not some lame marketing ploy. The 1920’s whore house visual sensation of Dayna Pinkham and Dutchess kicked off the event. The beautiful elegance of Liza Rietz communicated romantic, femininity. Bridge and Burns unique display of a mock tree with branches served as hangers for the quality of materials and construction that are utilized in there thoughtful design. The end of the hall featured Heather Treadway’s functional designs with remarkable details mirroring the visual aesthetic of woven baskets. In following the staircase back to the lobby, the event came full circle as the featured looks of AI alumni Joshua Buck and Jennifer Holcomb represented the emerging talent sprouting from The Art Institute of Portland. All 28 rooms brought a range of indie brands with unique identities. The spread of character embodied the aesthetic standard that should and is evolving from the regional area. Liza Rietz room

Stay tuned for more from the ladies of How We Develop. Here is a link to their blog and Content 09’s site. Enjoy.

http://http//howwedevelop.com/category/portland/

http://http//www.content-portland.com/

Adriane Alvarado