There’s been rain, sun, and hail today—and all before
lunchtime. As April rages on with its disorienting mash-up of drenching
showers and sneak previews of summer, a new line inspired by the
Portland rain emerges to fill a gap in the market. N°20
Rainwear is the inaugural collaboration between New York-based
designer Mary Ping of Slow and Steady Wins the Race and
the co-owners of Portland’s Stand Up Comedy boutique, Rachel
Silberstein and Diana Kim.
“It was a matter of not being able to find really nice-looking
rainwear,” Silberstein explains of the impetus. “We need it so badly
here!” It’s true that if you are amenable to rocking a sporty or
fisher/hunter brand of chic then the options of rainwear are
vast—but N°20 brings a new alternative to the table for women
and men with its collection of ponchos, jackets, polyurethane-coated
linen basics, and water-resistant shoes, one with an edgy credibility
and conceptually modern eye.
Silberstein and Kim have carried Slow and Steady since they first
opened shop, and the project also involves another favorite at the
store, jeweler Arielle de Pinto, whose signature delicate
strands of crocheted metals will be incorporated as drawstrings on some
of N°20’s limited-edition ponchos. (Adorable aside: Each of the
line’s ponchos is named for a waterfall in the Columbia Gorge.) With
considerable cultural cachet on both coasts, N°20’s initial run
(produced in New York for starters, but there are plots afoot to
continue production in Portland) will be available not only at Stand Up
Comedy (where local shoppers will also be able to score store
exclusives) but also at Opening Ceremony (New York and LA),
Creatures of Comfort (LA), and 10 Corso Como (Seoul).
Thursday marks the official launch. In addition to the ponchos and
shoes that will be available for purchase (every piece comes in three
colors: red, black, and khaki), partygoers can also place pre-orders on
pieces that will be worn by models milling in the crowd, and enjoy the
piano playing of Luke Wyland from the gorgeously experimental Portland
band Au. Suddenly the prospect of a little more rain seems much less of
a bummer…. (Fourteen30 Contemporary, 1430 SE 3rd, Thurs April
16, 8-10 pm, RSVP 233-3382 or info@shopstandingup.us)
More local fashion to be found at mod.portlandmercury.com!