LAST YEAR'S first-ever Portland Fashion and Style Awards was one of those odd outgrowths that Portland's industry is unfortunately prone to. A fair amount of smoke blew out my ears over its debut, which featured nominees that were entirely crowdsourced—rather than ask prominent people in the various fields represented for their input, a list was generated by whoever happened to trip over the PFSAs on social media. The people who have drawn national attention to the local scene didn't even know what it was, and didn't care. Why would they? The roster of nominees, with few exceptions, was so wildly unfamiliar that it was easy to dismiss as an out-of-touch excuse to play dress up and throw a fancy party at the Schnitz. So be it.
This year, it's under new management (just like Portland Fashion Week is under new management... the former management of the PFSAs—oh, the musical chairs), with Executive Producer Ann Akre and Producer Jaileene Eubanks taking over. Those aren't the most recognizable names on the scene, either, but they recognized the flaws and have certainly made some improvements to the original method.
There is just one "people's choice" finalist in each category this year, with the other three selected by a panel of judges that includes Nancy Hales (yay!), David Bentley of About Face magazine, Sharon Blair of Portland Sewing and Studio SKB, Kathi O'Neil of Portland Picks, photographer and model trainer Marie Saturn, Jewel Mignon of Fashion News Live, photographer Quavondo, a variety of reps from Salon Services, and designer Alyson Clair. That's a mix of people entrenched in the local industry, or at least in relevant fields, another improvement over last year's more bizarre assortment. The same judges will also be making the final decisions on the winners, and they've posted a borderline-TMI manifesto of their judging criteria to their website.
As for the resultant nominees, there are still some categories that seem wonky, but it's a vast improvement over last year's list of mystery names. (Oh hi, me.) Portland Fashion and Style Awards, Ainsworth Event Center, 1512 SW Morrison, Sat Oct 26, 8 pm, $25-98.
This show covers a lot of ground, from models to hair stylists to show producers, and beyond. Below is an edited list of some of the more intriguing categories; see portlandfashionandstyleawards.com for a comprehensive list.
Best Boutique in Southeast
Mag-Big (People's Choice); Mink; Rhapsody Boutique; Branch Birdie
Best Boutique in Northeast
Shop Adorn (People's Choice); SoHo Boutique; Tumbleweed; Frock
Best Boutique in Southwest
Anne Bocci Boutique (People's Choice); Radish Underground; Frances May; Living Threads Vintage
Best Boutique in Northwest
Folly (People's Choice); Mabel & Zora; Sloan; EcoVibe Apparel
Best Fashion Publisher
DAMchic (People's Choice); Portland Monthly;Portland Mercury; Examiner
Best Fashion Blogger
Ari Stevens (People's Choice); Marjorie Skinner; Lavenda Memory; Jen McCabe
Best Fashion Show Producer
Grace Holland (People's Choice); Jillian Rabe; Eden Dawn; Nicola Lewis
Best Salon in Southeast
Vanity Junkie (People's Choice); MAGDolls; Fancy! Salon; Propaganda
Best Salon in Northeast
Green Hair PDX (People's Choice); Arabella Salon; Spank! Hair Studio; Halo Salon
Best Salon in Southwest
Aimee J'Adore Salon (People's Choice); The National Beauty; Oranj Studio; Matthew's Salon
Best Salon in Northwest
Royal Hair Designs (People's Choice); Magnum Opus; 77 Salon; Dezi Salon
Best TV/Film Hairstylist
M'chel Bauxal Gleason (People's Choice); Aimee J'Adore; Madeline Roosevelt; Donn Eaton-Quist
Best TV/Film Wardrobe Stylist
Lis Bothwell (People's Choice); Kami Gray; Stephanie Tice; Amanda Needham
Most Fashionable Female TV Personality
Stephanie Stricklen (People's Choice); Tracy Barry; Anna Canzano; Shauna Parsons
Best Female Model
Raquel Romans (People's Choice); Clarke Flowers; Caitlin Green-Healy; Favour Kibali
Best Emerging Menswear Designer
Bryce Black (People's Choice); Seth Noles; Joshua Buck; Craig Smith
Best Emerging Women's Wear Designer
Frills n Frippery (People's Choice); Sunjin Lee; Briana Jacobs; Caitlin McCall
Best Accessory Designer
Jennifer Campbell Design (People's Choice); Betsy & Iya;VK Designs; Mandalena
Best Menswear Designer
Seth Aaron (People's Choice); Duchess; Brent Collier; Este's
Best Women's Wear Designer
Carolyn Hart (People's Choice); Michelle Lesniak; Tiffany Bean; Kate Towers