Rock music and fashion are like the peanut butter and chocolate of
pop culture, even though the combination has been done to death. In
Portland, the predominant stereotypes about fleece and hiking boots are
being given chase by newer stereotypes about hipsters, indie rock, and
all the fashion and haircuts that that implies, so it seems like as
good a place as any to sustain a long-running rock ‘n’ roll fashion
show. And that’s just what Doom Town has accomplished. Although
its name has changed (this year it’s going by DT5) as well as
the location (from the Crystal Ballroom to the Fez), its producers,
Elizabeth Mollo and Erin Cry, are keeping the same torch
alight for the fifth year, showcasing up and coming designers and bands
in a high-energy party atmosphere.
The DT5 scene is a nice counterpoint to increasingly serious and
(for lack of a better term) legitimate local fashion events, most
notably Portland Fashion Week. It’s looser, less concerned with
season-driven design, and most of the models aren’t the typical model
breed in terms of body type. Plus, naturally, they tend to have some
variation on the rocker look, ensuring more tattoos, piercings, and
unnatural hairdos than the fashion flock is generally accustomed to.
Despite its relative casualness, the event has been inevitably getting
better with age, as its designers and producers develop and become more
polished.
Many of the lines involved are annual participants in the event, and
nearly all of them are based in Portland: Revolver Revolver
Clothing (Cry’s own line), Disorder Clothing (Mollo’s line),
Flood Clothing, Carolyn Hart, Clair, Diana
Pingul, and Cano are all alumni, while Band of
Purple, Amy Elizabeth Couture, Erhart, Dress to
Kill (Eugene), and Detox Designs (California) are all making
their DT premiere.
And then of course, there’s the music. The Soda Pop Kids and
the Family Gun (featuring Michael Maker of the
Makers) will be performing, and DJ Gregarious will provide
the runway music as well as his signature “Shut Up and Dance”
’80s music after-party. There will also be a hefty number of visual
artists representing: Spring Break, Francis Magpie,
Crack La Rock, Michael J. Demeo, and Gabe
Gregg.
With the event gaining prominence at the same time that it’s
shifting to a smaller location, selling out is probable, so get your
tickets early. And, maybe some earplugs. (Fez Ballroom, 316 SW 11th,
Fri Feb 29, 8 pm, $10)