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!

Rain=Winter

As I look outside and see the leaves clogging up the sewers and the heavy rain coming down I realize fall is over and winter is here. Puddles started to flood the streets and winter fashion came out of the woodworks and back on to the streets. Walking around Portland changed rapidly from people in their jeans and tee shirts to bundled up in their coats, scarfs and umbrellas.

Rain boots are my favorite part of winter in this city. Walking to the Art Institute in Portland I am always noticing peoples new cute rain-boots. If you are going to have to wear rubber boots why not make a statement with them.

As I am standing on the streetcar trying to keep out of the rain on my travels to and from school, I look down and see the cutest rain boots in my opinion this year. I was nervous, my heart beating. Do I ask where she got them or would she think I was a total freak. I had to. I really wanted a pair and had to know. Pink and black my two favorite colors, it would be worth the strange look I would get just to get a pair of my own. So I asked. “Hey I love your rain boots where did you get them?” She told me of this site online with extremely cute rain books that aren’t that expensive! I was so excited, came home and immediately went to look them up!

-Alicia Jelinek

Here are a picture of them. If any of you are looking for cute new winter rain boots a great site is: http://piperlime.gap.com/browse/division.do?cid=15957

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

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/

Junk to Funk is Back!

Portland, Oregon - The Junk to Funk made its return last Saturday! As one of the nation's greenest cities, it is fitting that Portland designers take ordinary junk and turn it into creations of fashion. The 4th annual Junk to Funk event was held at the Crystal Ballroom and hosted by Mayor Sam Adams and Portland Mercury's managing editor Marjorie Skinner. Doors opened at 7:00 PM to a bizarre-type environment and fun "before-the-show" crafts provided by SCRAP (The School and Community Reuse Action Project). Early-goers had a chance to create their own corsages out of recycled materials.

The entries were judged on the amount of recycled materials utilized, creativity, innovation, and craftmanship. The night's "trashion" walked the runway under the critcal eye of the Junk Jury, which includes local designer Adam Arnold and Prasenjit Tito Chowdhury from Portland Fashion Week among others. The atmosphere was busy with energy and the musical stylings of Junkquestra, Portland's premier orchestra comprised of junk instruments.

Visit Junk to Funk's website at www.junktofunk.org to check out more details!

-Justine

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

Radish Underground One Year Anniversary

Blairware…
Keith McQueen…
Dust…
SkPDX…
Preloved…

This Tuesday, October 20th, Radish Underground celebrated their One Year Anniversary since the store opened. Thank you to Sharon Blair, a teacher at The Art Institute of Portland, and also the one that invited me along with my whole Principles of Fit class to come see her designs, and countless other designers!

The one designer that stopped me in my tracks, I must say, was Keith McQueen with his lovely corset (pictured). A must have for anyone who would love to cinch their waist while also staying one-of-a-kind. This garment was rightfully displayed in the window.

Besides fabulous clothing, there was hard apple cider, mini muffins, a plate of radishes and other vegetables, and Pin The Radish (that if you were to play the game, blindfolds were a MUST.) And there was a Tarot card reader. So everybody walking into this store loved all the fun exhibits, eats, and fashion pieces. Sharon Blair had Blairwear, an elegant line of clothing that definitely sang her name, and SkPDX, a more casual line. There was also Preloved, whom I really enjoyed viewing due to its wonderful piecing together of different knits and making elaborate shirts out of different fabrics. Another garment I exceptionally liked was a skirt made by Dust that gave off the look of a pleated skirt, but was merely sewn with vertical strips along the skirt that were all stitched down the center and buttoned at the end with a metal snap. This gave the skirt a distressed and pleated look. It was very clever and took my breath away. There were lovely small hats and that were beautifully accessorized.

Needless to say, I was deeply satisfied in the garments, and found some new designers that spoke to my style and I.

By Ijeoma O!