Last year's Architecture and Design Festival featured a runway event with some of Portland's most architecturally influenced apparel designers (Liza Rietz, Adam Arnold, etc). This year fashion is still incorporated into the fold, but things are a little more abstract. Body Building is an exhibit curated by photographer Christine Taylor that aims to show "an intertwining union between materials, as a single complex organism that embodies how fashion and architecture shape our world and the spaces we inhabit." Tasked with this are artists Emily Ryan, Hans Lindauer, Jennifer Jacobs, Laurence Sarrazine, Lisa Radon, Opulent Project, Brendan Coughlin, and Taylor herself, the most obviously linked to fashion being longtime apparel designer Emily Ryan, who's been rather quiet of late. Other contributors are responding to the challenge with sculpture, video, LED lighting, a "bulletproof" necklace, and even an essay installation.

Located in the center west space at 525 E Burnside of the bSIDE6 building, the exhibit is meant to be viewed from outside, although guests will be allowed indoor for the launch party taking place on Saturday Oct 8 from 7-10 pm w/DJ DJ Armatronix, interactive LED and video, and booze from House Spirits (21+). The installation itself will be up Oct 1-Nov 5.

A peek at whats to come from Laurence Sarrazine
  • A peek at what's to come from Laurence Sarrazine

The festival runs for an extraordinarily long time, kicking off with an opening night party tomorrow at the Center for Architecture and culminating in an Oct 27 "Party of the Century Gala," in reference to the 100th Anniversary of AIA in Oregon. In between are more exhibits, tours, award ceremonies, lectures, films, and parties than you can shake a stick at. Check out the full event schedule here.