The sixth annual Mercury-produced fashion show is upon us! This Friday at the Bossanova, 12 Portland designers will show new work on the runway. Liza Rietz, Julia Blackburn (Dust), Heather Treadway, Rio Wrenn (R.A.W.), Adam Arnold, Janeane Marie, RUKI by Melanie Parr, Andy Lifschutz, Dawn Sharp, Barbara Seipp (Isaac Hers), Lindsey Reif, and Chelsea Erhart make up a terrific, diverse representation of what’s happening here. There are seasoned artists who’ve shown work in Portland many times as well as new talent, and there’s everything from lingerie to jewelry to streetwear.
The designers participating this year also represent myriad ways in which people might approach having an apparel business here, a city far from fashion’s capitals, yet a destination for those seeking to build their careers on their own terms. Many of these designers’ roots are in visual arts; some are taking wholesale orders and some produce only one of a kind; some of them show spring in spring and some of them operate along the conventional one-season-ahead fashion calendar. Some of them disregard the convention of seasonal collections altogether. Rather than try to manufacture a forced unifying theme, Open Season has become a celebration of this diversity, and the freedom that these artists represent.
In honor of the event we’ve put together these photos styled with clothing from many of the designers who will be presenting at the show, all of which are currently available—some of my favorite picks for spring and summer, with a few added touches. Like guns. Lots and lots of guns. We’re declaring open season on Portland fashion. Let’s go nuts.
It’s sad the word retarded has been yanked from our popular vernacular.
It captures this piece perfectly.
@Gerblis.
I think it’s okay to use the word when you are the word.
Agreed with Wm. Gerblis is the typical anonymous troll making weak attempts at humor to “stir” people up
I don’t know. I tend to agree with Gerbils, though I’d probably pick BORED over retarded. And if you’re going to use guns as props as a trite route towards edgy, you could at least get the models to hold the guns properly.
@Willem, I see you’re up to date on your Family Guy, nice observation.
The ‘concept’ of having people posing with guns is weak at best and nowhere near the level of snarky journalism that the Mercury generally produces.
Seriously – in one photo if the model were to actually fire the gun, she would have a bloody ring around her eye.
If you’re going to have a fashion show, have some creativity – this feels like it was the idea of a high school glee club.
Sorry Kyle, go fish.
Those are all squirt guns. And hot models. Rawr pew pew pew rawr!
Fashion is rather silly. Just sayin’.
If we’re using other words to describe people with mental disabilities, why should we let a perfectly good word like retarded go to waste? Moron & cretin were once medical terms, but long ago morphed into ordinary insults – not to mention a great Ramones song.
I don’t undetstand why people who would never use retarded as a medical term or to describe an actual mentally disabled person want all of us to refrain from using retarded in a different context. Language is alive, it should not be unnessarily constricted.
As for Portland fashion, why in a dreary climate would people all dress like it’s a race to the bottom of the Goodwill bins?
Sorry to run long, but this has been bothering me for a while.
you win gerbils. you always do
“Rather than try to manufacture a forced unifying theme, Open Season has become a celebration of this diversity, and the freedom that these artists represent.”
For a definition of “Forced unifying theme” see the guns in these photos.
Nothing celebrates diversity and freedom like a gat in the hand of a pretty dipshit.
So a girl on a bridge, with a .22LR and Sniper scope is now fashion?
Keep Portland weird!
keep beatin the dead horse (we sniped it from the bridge) Gerbils.
Good points Trish. I don’t find this anything other than dorky and out of synch, but whatever. That blue jacket is atrocious, where did that designer garner inspiration,Capt EO?I should point out that in all the images, she has her finger outside the trigger guard, so there must have been some safety training or a least common sense. Good job.
That dude STILL looks creepy though……..
While the guns look awkward and misplaced, and scream “trying to look cool,” I will absolutely commend most of the posers for at LEAST not putting their fucking fingers on the trigger, (think Lindsay Lohan). This is one of the first times I’ve ever seen a fashion photo shoot involving guns where the models weren’t mindlessly placing their fingers where they shouldn’t be.
Oh, and since when was the shit they’re wearing photo-worthy fashion? Only in Portland could some nasty old cotton t-shirt become a nasty new necklace. It looks like they bought most of their clothes at the mall, and their guns off the rack at Dick’s Sporting Goods. Nice…
I’m pro-firearms and I will concede; these models could have been holding zucchinis for all it did these photos. I’m a little embarrassed for Portland that firearms were used as trite “shock-value” in this context. Leave the clothes well enough alone, already.
Not to break up the hate fest, but…
I CAN’T WAIT ‘TIL TOMORROW NIGHT! W00t!!!
This is going to be an absolute blast.
You should have called it Pull My trigger Finger.
another classic witty remark from gerbils. portlands funniest
Symbols of Portland Fashion: limp, pasty, White hipsters in funny clothes holding guns. Keep Portland cliché?
You couldn’t find a hipster who has actually held a weapon before?
Me from Paris and me speak many time french. Me think Portland fashion just O.K. Paris fashion many time more bien. Also me not like boom gun.
In Paris, where me from. Me not shoot gun. Me just give nasty look. That hurt more.
Ah come on !!! Shoot a fucking toe off or something.
Kyle loves Gerblis,Kyle loves Gerblis….na na na na naa na.
Man, I havn’t even left portland yet and I already miss the world of know it alls.
Gun jerks offended at the way people hold guns
Fashion jerks insulting fashion.
Haters hating on a photo shoot.
It all makes me want to quit my rad graphic design job to open up a food cart and make electro pop.
again.