On Saturday evening, I had the honor to attend the fifth annual Portland Sewing: Fashion Forward Show, which is a capstone runway preview of the students who are graduating the Portland Fashion Institute program led by owner/director, Sharon Blair and other venerable instructors. The program is a multi-disciplinary curriculum which includes production sewing and finishing, marketing, sourcing, photographing, branding, and just about every other facet of the apparel industry that any would-be designer needs to know if they plan on taking their apparel career seriously. Past graduates include such established designers as Alicia Wood, Tiffany Bean, Joshua Buck, Bryce Black, and Claire Doody.
For many of us designer-manufacturers in Portland, it is clear that Sharon Blair’s vision for the Portland Fashion Institute is colored with true activism and a desire to bring manufacturing to our city. Teaching crucial skill sets that are integral to growing an apparel company as taught by professionals who have walked miles in the shoes of larger companies, smaller start ups, and production careers is an invaluable asset to our city. We must absolutely tip our hats to the work that Sharon Blair is doing; she is a real-life badass.
This year’s graduates brought a full-spectrum of designer-manufacturing focus including sportswear, professional wear, dancewear, eco-wear, and ready to wear. The venue was divided into smaller showrooms in which designers could meet-and-greet boutique owners, hand out line sheets, and walk us through their inspirations and concepts. Each room was decorated in a sort of lookbook-esque shorthand for the aesthetic ranges we were about to see in the runway show.
Designers brought a set of focuses that I have yet to see in the Portland design scene, such as the first designer I visited, Amy Dotts, who employed hand beading and hand embroidery into her silk textiles. Sewing with silk in any capacity can be daunting, adding to it these types of finishing techniques and my head was spinning! My favorite looks from this company were a layered strapless sundress, and a set of blazers that had free-stitched quilting techniques.
Designer, Eva Boryer for EVA, had a formal wear focus with a jewel-toned color story that was tactfully executed. Most who know me would say that I am not so fond of jewel tones, but somehow this company brought out a brilliant level of natural and tasteful overlays, I nearly changed my mind! The darting and tailoring on these pieces looked extremely careful, and the big bows were totally precious. Favorite look: this (would-be-perfect bridesmaid) green dress with chiffon belted feature. The picture may not show how well-crafted the neckline was. Super pretty.
One of my favorite companies of the night was designer, Stephanie Mendes’ line, Love, Stephanie Apparel. Mendes is no-new comer to the fashion scene in Portland and has been known to release collections each year that leave us wondering what she will do next. Taste level is on-point, wearability is stellar, and color story is memorable. The solid black retro-fit romper was TDF and had a gorgeous attention to pleats and gathers. The green woven tie-neck blouse was also unforgettable: that color!
Clio Rebillion’s company, Kade, actually really impressed me. I’m not much of a sportswear aficionado, but I can definitely recognize when smart design and aesthetics bridge the gap between comfort and foxiness. Styling components during the runway show (primarily the footwear) really helped me conceptualize how thoughtful this collection was. It had a ready-to-wear vibe that felt stylish and current instead of techy. Also, kudos on using the correct linings for each garment as well as flat-seam sewing techniques that are essential to the garment’s durability. Definitely a well-finished collection.
Alright, full disclosure: designer Becca Price of Lostwood Lane, used to sew for my company and has been a beloved mentor in a myriad of ways. I was anticipating her collection and I tell you: it delivered. The simplicity and wearability of the garments is deceptively familiar. They look like pieces you would already add into your normal wardrobe and you could trust them for their careful silhouette, beautiful drape, and easy-fit fabric. But you would have actually picked them because the poetry is in the details. Gathers and seams where the body needs a little form flattering. Another kudos to this company for being focused so heavily on sustainable sourcing. The natural color ways are a perfect embodiment of the eco-driven focus of Lostwood Lane.
Candy Lagoon was a line by Jessy Burris that featured some very polished bomber jackets (that I loved) and some interesting leather accessory elements that blended a traveler vibe with some primal elements. At moments, the vision seemed really strong and at some others, it may have seemed slightly discordant in terms of overall vision. There were a lot of ideas in this collection which I think will be really strong when they hone in on production, which I am hoping they will do because I. Need. The. Bomber. Jacket.
My favorite look of the night goes to Melanie Bowman Clark of Storyline Apparel, whose apparel was largely influenced by flamenco. The continuity of color story was not only well executed, the textiles seemed to blend wovens with knits, floral motifs with brocades, and textures with basics. The clothing had movement and silhouette. It also showcased a strong grasp of construction. And let’s be clear, the high-waisted brocade pant with blouse/cardigan stole the show. Had a sort of bull-fighting bend that communicated feminine strength, and made me think this company’s name was very fitting.
Overall, the show conveyed great promise for each of these companies. Over the next year, be sure to watch how they fill out their collections and which stores pick them up as it will likely be a new league of companies to keep track of. As for Sharon Blair and The Portland Fashion Institute, if you have interest in apparel manufacturing, this is a full-service show-you-the-ropes education that is an invaluable asset to Portland. Our city is placing a distinctive amount of attention on independent apparel companies which schools like Blair’s are single handedly fostering. Check out the full range of classes available to any level of skill at portlandfashioninstitute.com.
