Seven-hundred-and-fifty people filled four floors of the
Armory to capacity on Sunday, April 26, for Forecast—the
fifth annual Mercury-sponsored fashion show. An enormous
endeavor that showcased over 20 apparel and accessory designers from
Portland, the show represented a huge range of looks for both men and
women. With models traversing through a gauntlet of two choreographed
elevators, three floors, and a long staircase just to complete one turn
on the runway, it’s a success in itself that not one model took a spill
or missed their mark.
If any trends emerged from longtime fixtures (Elizabeth Dye,
Emily Ryan, Adam Arnold, Holly Stalder, Kate
Towers, Liza Rietz, Frocky Jack Morgan, Emily
Katz) and the relatively new names in design (Dust,
MothLove, John Blasioli, Gatsby, Smith and
Bybee, La Merde, Hunt & Gather) it was an
affection for muted, dusty colors and stripes (see photos at
right).
The show also served to introduce some up-and-coming designers who
had been selected by the Forecast jury from an open submission process:
Adam Andreas‘ innovative menswear; Reif‘s scout-themed
looks for men and women; Muntedkowhai‘s statement-making
crocheted jewelry; Isaac Hers‘ tailored, ladylike womenswear;
and textile designer Dana Bruington‘s bright, inventive
prints—which were also employed by Adam Arnold for his
portion of the show.
Speaking of which, Arnold—as usual—took the cake for the
most bizarre presentation of the evening. How to explain: He sent out a
single model in a papier-mâché egg-shaped car decorated
with shards of mirrors. When she emerged, she was wearing an
astonishing three-piece suit in one of Bruington’s psychedelic prints,
her eyes blacked out with creepy contact lenses and raccoon eye makeup,
and a white wig. Then she sat cross-legged on the runway’s platform
eating a hardboiled egg with a spoon. “It just popped into my head,”
Arnold offered by way of explanation. Which explains a lot,
actually.
In the gallery downstairs, accessories by Emily Baker, AK
Vintage, Better Late Than Never, Rush Accessories,
Tanner Goods, Cloud Society, and Pauper Voile hung
decoratively from floor-to-ceiling ladders as partygoers bopped in
between them and stopped in for free photo-booth snaps from Portland
photographer (and Adam Arnold studio-mate) Christy Klep‘s
Original Photo Booth.
As a co-producer of the event along with the inimitable Connie
Wohn, Pamela Baker-Miller, and Brett Glass, I’d like
to thank everyone from the Art Institute who volunteered to help us
backstage, as well as the models and stylists whose poise and attention
to detail was invaluable to the success of this production, emcee
Wm. Steven Humphrey, DJ Beyonda, and video projectionist
Travis Huntington. I hope it opened some eyes to the quality and
quantity of amazing work being produced right here in our backyard.
Let’s do it again next year!
See more coverage of the event on mod.portlandmercury.com.