[EDITOR’S NOTE! Each year since forever, I’ve polled an annual selection of Portland’s fashion-related industry insiders to get their takes on the best and worst of the past year, from trends to cultural moments, local and well beyond. I’ll be spotlighting some of those responses on the blog, and in the new issue of the Merc. Next up: FashioNXT‘s Tito Chowdhury!!]

Best: FashioNXT launching the cityโ€™s first fashion accelerator, with cash grant and business-loan program for the winner with the support of financial development entities Wells Fargo Bank and Mercy Corps. Seth Aaronโ€™s collection showing the world the breadth of his superb skills like never before, and one of the most skillful designers of the time, Mondo Guerra, premiering his collection for the first time in Portland at FashioNXT.

Backstage in Seth Aaron

  • FashioNXT via Instagram
  • Backstage in Seth Aaron

Worst: Some misguided efforts to be seen as โ€˜supporting the fashion industryโ€™ continue to mock the intelligence, and more importantly the trade, thatโ€™s the livelihood of many of us.

Marjorie Skinner is the Portland Mercury's Managing Editor, author of the weekly Sold Out column chronicling the area's independent fashion and retail industry, and a frequent contributor to the film and...