IT'S OFFICIALLY SUMMER, and with the (almost) nonstop sunshine comes a flurry of activity from the Portland fashion scene, including lots of fashion shows and fashion road trips! Here’s what’s happening so far this month:


Queen Bee Creations will celebrate 20 years (!) of being in business with a party and sale. Customers will receive 25 percent off all house-line goods including Queen Bee and Rebecca Pearcy Textiles, as well as 15 percent off everything else in the store including indie-designer jewelry, clothing, and housewares. There will also be DIY tea towel printing workshops with Queen Bee designer and founder Rebecca Pearcy held throughout the day ($5), and snacks and raffles.
Queen Bee Creations, 3961 N Williams, Sat July 9, 10 am-7 pm


Native Fashion Now Thosh Collins

The Portland Art Museum will host another event this month in conjunction with their exhibit Native Fashion Now. More Than Just a Trend: Rethinking the “Native” in Fashion will be a lecture hosted by Jessica Metcalfe, Ph.D., the author of Beyond Buckskin. In this lecture, Metcalfe will share highlights on the history of Native American adornment, contemporary Native American designers, and appropriation in the mainstream fashion industry. Just a reminder, the exhibit is on view through September 4 and I suggest seeing it a couple of times. There are so many amazing items on view it’s hard to take it all in with one visit.
Portland Art Museum, 1219 SW Park, Sun July 10, 2-3 pm, $16.99-19.99 (includes museum admission)


Shwood Eyewear will host a Summer Block Party with Pendleton, Danner, Bridge & Burn, and Tanner Goods, where each brand will offer up to 70 percent off of their wares. Food from Tight Tacos and Churros Locos and booze from Widmer Brothers Brewing and Union Wine Co. will also be on hand as well as music and games.
SE 7th & Grant, Fri July 15, 4-9 pm, free, all ages, 21+ for beer tent


Carolyn Hart Upswept Creative

The Alley 33 Fashion Event, an annual runway show in the heart of the historic SE Hawthorne District that literally takes place in an alley, will feature 18 ready-to-wear designers, many of whom own boutiques and have houselines. The independent-manufacturer-heavy lineup includes Sarah Bibb of Folly, Make It Good, Carla Mink of Mink boutique, Moore, Altar Houseline, Amelia, Carolyn Hart, Chubby Cartwheels, Lizz Basinger, and more. Women’s, men’s, and plus-size looks will be shown and most of what will be seen on the runway will be available for immediate purchase through the designers’ websites and shops. (Full disclosure: I co-produce this event with fellow Portland Mercury contributor Cassie Ridgway.)
SE 33rd & Hawthorne, Sun July 17, 6 pm, $10 suggested donation, all ages


World of WearableArt World of WearableArt Ltd.

I can’t think of a better reason to trek up to Seattle than this: World of WearableArt, New Zealand’s largest art show, made its North American premiere at the EMP Museum on July 2. World of WearableArt is an annual design competition and award show that has occurred in Wellington, New Zealand, for the past 28 years. The competition attracts hundreds of entries worldwide from fashion designers, artists, sculptors, architects, blacksmiths, illustrators, and costume-makers tasked with the mission to take “art off the wall and adorn onto the human form.”

The exhibit will feature 32 garments from the permanent World of WearableArt collection, including “Gothic Habit,” a three-dimensional replica of a Gothic cathedral; “Persephone’s Descent,” a suit of armor made by a New Zealand blacksmith and weapons maker for The Lord of the Rings; “Born to Die,” a dress made of cable ties woven into a “vertebrae”; and “Lady of the Wood,” a replica of a 17th century ball gown made entirely of wood by an Alaskan carpenter. The exhibit will also let visitors create their own piece of wearable art.
EMP Museum, 325 5th N., Seattle, July 2, 2016-Jan 2, 2017


These are only a few of the events for this month and tons more will be popping up, so as always be sure to visit portlandmercury.com for complete weekly style event updates. Got a fashion event? Drop us a line at fashion@portlandmercury.com.