When a couple of friends from Wieden+Kennedy came to me looking for models for an International Women’s Day passion project called “Inner Feminine,” naturally I jumped at the opportunity. They were looking for seven different archetypes of women—but from a non-fixed, non-heteronormative, non-western perspective—to explore women power in all shapes, sizes, colors, and gender expressions. […]
Marissa Sullivan
Marissa Sullivan is a fashion writer at the Mercury and master of her domain at Portland's Pretty. She is still waiting for someone to take her on a first date to Taco Bell.
Posted inFashion
Portland’s Pretty: Monuments: The Earth Expedition of Sun Ra at PAM
Was I familiar with jazz musician/poet/Afrofuturist Sun Ra before the Portland Art Museum’s recent exhibition? I’m embarrassed to say no, but man, what an exhibit it was! And the closing night was absolutely beautiful. Co-curated by Libby Werbel (founder of Portland Museum of Modern Art) and open-mic collective Deep Underground (DUG), the closing night ceremony […]
Posted inFashion
Bigfoot: A Skate Mag for Women
Bigfoot is a lady-run online skateboard mag for women. It was started by two friends who’ve been skateboarding for as long as Gen Z’ers have been alive, and named for the mythical creature always lurking on the outskirts—which is exactly what women in the ’90s had to do if they were interested in skateboarding. Last […]
Posted inFashion
Portland’s Pretty: Sitting Down and Dressing Up with Chanti Darling
If you haven’t made it to the new Hoxton Hotel in Chinatown, you’re straight-up missing out! #Newyearnewyou, right? Don’t you want to hang out in beautiful spaces with beautiful people? I know I do! But even if you’re not interested in a staycation, there’s plenty to do, day or night. I found myself there for […]
Posted inPortland’s Pretty
Portland’s Pretty: The Best Looks of 2018
Welllll, what’s there to say about this year that hasn’t already been said? It seemed like there were a ton of celebrity deaths in 2017, so people were really wanting 2018 to be better, but… it wasn’t! So let’s all cross our fingers for 2019, shall we? (Oh, and check out my picks below for […]
Posted inFashion
Portland’s Pretty: Satan Had a House Show
House shows: A necessity for music lovers under the age of 21. And it turns out they’re just as fun in your 30s—but I mean, duh, right? However, no matter how old you are, there’s one thing about house shows that never changes: annoying frat bros who show up reeking of cologne and almost ruining everything… […]
Posted inFashion
Skate Shop Memories
When I was in the seventh grade, I made my mom drive to a skate shop in a neighboring town. The year: probably 1994. The perfume I wore: definitely Sunflowers. The tape I put in my mom’s car stereo: Luscious Jackson’s Natural Ingredients. So when I saw the yellow-and-navy Shawn Mandoli REAL deck with a […]
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Portland’s Pretty: Just Us Punk Rock People
I wasn’t even a high school freshman when the Dead Milkmen broke up, but that didn’t stop me from loving them. And by the looks of the very intimate crowd at High Water Mark on a recent autumn night, we were dealing with super fans only. The Joe Jack Talcum show (starring Joe Genaro of […]
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Lose Yr Mind Fest: Portland’s Pretty Punk?
In its five years of pairing local and national indie music, the Lose Yr Mind festival has never had a bad lineup. Liz Elder, who handles the show bookings for the Liquor Store, has her finger on the pulse of the Portland music scene. Among the heavy hitters of this year’s fest included MELT (one […]
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Haunts: House of Vintage
When I moved here (almost 10 years ago) I’d often compare things in Portland to the city I once called home, San Francisco. So when my friend took me to Hawthorne and said, “It’s kinda like Haight Street,” I agreed. Haight Street, a once-mighty symbol of free love (and home to the Grateful Dead and […]
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Portland’s Pretty: What? Another Skate Event?
Don’t worry, guys—I’ve finally realized that it’s officially time to mix things up. But while my last couple of articles have been surf- and skate-themed, the seasons are about to change, and so will the vibe of Portland’s Pretty. Fall’s the time for fashion shows and indoor events… maybe you’ll even see a scarf? I’m […]
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Pickathon 2018
Pics from Summer’s Most Magical Festival
Pics from summer’s most magical festival.