It’s finally spring, and that means it’s time to shed those bulky layers and brighten up your wardrobe! Luckily, there’s a plethora of amazing pop-ups and shopping events this month to help you do just that.
Few things warm my heart like a great collaboration, and this one brings three talented designers together in an unexpected way. While Liza Rietz takes a seven-month sabbatical, she’s handing her eponymous brick-and-mortar store over to a rotating roster of local artists in a “temporary pop-up shop experiment.” First up: clothing designer Rachel Ancliffe of ANCLIFFE and jewelry designer Lauren Main of REVERE.

Ancliffe has been on the Portland design scene for almost two decades, working for big companies like Nike and Adidas and heading up two independent design companies, Institute of Dress and Charles & Victoria. (I often wear a beloved tuxedo jacket from the latter.) In 2014, she started ANCLIFFE, an affordable luxury women’s wear line aimed at empowering women through refined and reinvented classics. In seasonless styles made in limited quantities and often hand-dyed, ANCLIFFE pieces are always unique.
REVERE’s Main began her love affair with jewelry at her mother’s custom jewelry store outside of Chicago. “There is something so magical about melting down raw metal and transforming it into a piece that will become part of someone’s identity and a future family heirloom,” she says. REVERE’s pieces are hand-made in Portland, and often incorporate recycled silver and gold and ethically mined stones.
With the pop-up slated to run through the end of June, Ancliffe and Main have plans to participate in First Fridays and bring in perfumers, designers, and artists to round out their temporary vision for the space. Liza Rietz, 811 E Burnside, Suite 111, through June 30

For a three-day weekend pop-up, local stylist Scarlet Chamberlin’s studio will host Meghan Kinney’s NYC women’s wear label, Meg. Kinney’s design philosophy is to build collections based on women’s real-life needs and bodies, feature women-owned accessory lines, and support local communities through give-back programs and collaborations. Meg has six locations encompassing Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Toronto, and Kinney regularly tours the country with pop-up events. Meg’s Portland event will include a “No Pressure, Try-On” cocktail party on Thursday, April 5, and custom fits and private styling all day Friday and Saturday, April 6-7. Scarlet Chamberlin Styling Co., 431 NW Flanders, Suite 203, Cocktail Party: Thurs April 5, 4 pm; Open House: Fri April 6 and Sat April 7, 11 am-7 pm
This month, five of Portland’s top online vintage dealers—Living Threads Vintage, Fab Gabs, Garb-Oh, Jumblelaya, and Wanderlust—come together for a pop-up of curated clothing from the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s. Usually, these pieces are only available in the sellers’ online Etsy shops, but pop-up customers will be able to view and try them on. Simply Vintage Co., 1100 SE Division, Suite 102, Sat April 7, 11 am-4 pm
Boutique Tours are a fun and easy way to experience Portland’s vibrant retail scene, and Sharon Blair of Portland Fashion Institute is leading a rather ambitious one, with stops at more than 20 different locally owned shops to kick-start your spring shopping. Peruse wares in the West End, Pearl District, Hawthorne District, and on East Burnside, all from the comfort of a chauffeured bus offering lunch, snacks, and surprises along the way. The tour also includes a free copy of Boutique Guide to Portland to commemorate your journey and aid in future shopping excursions. Sun April 22, 11 am-5 pm, $75 early registration special, register at portlandfashioninstitute.com
Conflict of interest alert: Shop the Runway Fashion Show is an event I’m producing. In a departure from common group shows, MOORE will present this showcase of its Spring/Summer 2018 collection, featuring 45 women’s wear, men’s wear, and gender-neutral looks. To promote accessibility, this show has one ticket price, and front-row seats that usually go to those who pay the most will be offered on a first come, first served basis. The show will also celebrate community giving, with 50 percent of the proceeds donated to the ACLU. The evening will also include performances by NW Dance Project, a live music set by local R&B group Talk Modern, and ’90s hits spun by DJ Gregarious. The North Warehouse, 723 N Tillamook, Fri April 27, doors at 7:30 pm, show at 8:30 pm, $20, tickets only available at the door
Be sure to visit portlandmercury.com for a complete guide to style events. Got a fashion event? Drop us a line at fashion@portlandmercury.com.