#portland fashion week
PFW’s ties to “Project Runway” are evident; in the last few years we’ve shown collections from Seth Aaron and Jay Nicolas Sario and this year added Becky Ross and Bryce Black to the lineup. It’s no wonder we’ve had our eye on “Project Runway All Stars”, which, if you’re keeping track, PFW designer Michael Costello has been killin’ it with two wins under his belt. Take a look at the past two weeks winning and losing designs before tuning in this week.
Episode #3 challenged designers to create a cocktail dress for Miss Piggy. This prompted such burning questions as “Can I sex up Miss Piggy?” and “How does a pig feel about wearing giraffe print?”.
Episode 3 Winner: Michael Costello 
OUT: Gordana Gelhausen (labeled an “unhappy pink” and a “nightgown vibe”)
Episode 4 most notably included Diane Von Furstenberg as judge and asked designers to create a gelato-inspired frock in under six hours
Episode 4 Winner: Michael Costello and his grapefruit dream
OUT: April Johnston and her blueberry nightmare 
Tune in to Lifetime Thursday @9pm to watch the all-stars search for muses on the streets of NYC.
-Sarah Kiley
Intel designed an in-store shopping experience that enabled shoppers to access thousands of items, combine them into outfits, share them with friends, purchase and even call for assistance.
Click here to read the story by Brian Rhodes at Intel’s site
Project Runway Sason 7 winner Seth Aaron tries “Retail Interactive Fashion Experience” at Intel booth, accompanied by Joe English from Intel Marketing, and Tito Chowdhury of Portland Fashion Week
– Prasenjit Tito Chowdhury
Whether you went to the shows or checked out the looks at portlandfashionweek.net, you saw the unique necklaces adorning both adidas and Helen Sharp models. Based in Portland, Malicious Glee debuted their line on the Portland Fashion Week runway. Paired with adidas’ skateboard collection, models wore Malicious Glee’s Brave Bullet Whistle – unused rifle shells handcrafted into fully functioning whistles. Not only are these pieces sustainable, they take bullets out of production and render them useless as a weapon.
Helen Sharp’s knitwear was accented with Malicious Glee’s Porcelain Collection; handmade porcelain teeth and claws cast from the real thing. In doing so, Malicious Glee offer a sustainable alternative to real endangered species parts. Because many of their products were inspired by animals from Brazil, Malicious Glee has aligned themselves with the Brazilian Ecological Institute, whom a portion of the proceeds from their items are given.
The unique aspect about both collections is that all items are handmade and handcrafted, so each piece is one of a kind. To snag one of the necklaces you saw on the runway and to browse the rest of Malicious Glee’s Collection, head to www.maliciousglee.com
-Sarah Kiley
Bryce Black
Cardiwrap
Helen Sharp
Jay Nicolas Sario
Michael Costello
-Sarah Kiley
Amai Unmei
Collier
Ms Wood
Seth Aaron
Stephanie D Couture
-Sarah Kiley
Leaders in Athletic Wear / Sustainability
adidas
Anna Cohen
Avni
Earthtec
Ethos Paris
Grenade
Imperial Yarn
Lenzanita
RYU
-Sarah Kiley
Portland Fashion Week’s Catapult; The Emerging Designer Competition Winner ::
Amanda Grisham’s “Grishley”
Congratulations Grishley!!
Here’s a sneak peek at the other competitors looks from Wednesday night::
Studio SKB Chicago Harper
Becky Ross for Wicked Quick
Silkwood
Lizz Basinger
House of Summer
Michelle Is Well
AM Renegade
Moontess
-Sarah Kiley
Grenade is a lifestyle brand for the expressive, rebellious and confident youth culture. Founded by two-time Olympic silver medalist Danny Kass, Grenade designs have been turning heads and stirring emotions since 2001. Based in Portland, Oregon, Grenade’s iconic logo can be found in parking lots, at skate parks, mountain tops, or on their full product line of signature gloves, outerwear, street gear, footwear and accessories. Its products are available online, or through retailers in all 50 states and 30 countries internationally.
G.A.S. (Grenade Artist Series)
Each season Grenade works in collaboration with some of the best designers, bands, illustrators and shredders in the industry to create the Grenade Artist Series, simply known as G.A.S.
Grenade will launch a collection at Portland Fashion Week TONIGHT, Thursday, October 6th.
Click here to purchase tickets
Doors @ 6pm / Show seating @ 8pm
5555 N. Channel Ave., Swan Island
Portland, OR 97217
Seth Aaron is the winner of the seventh season of Project Runway, Lifetime’s Emmy-winning fashion design show. Seth was also the head casting judge, filling in for Tim Gunn, for the show’s 9th season. He was voted MY T.V. 2010′s “Best male reality star”. In 2011 he successfully launched a collection of iPad accessory cases, in partner with Maroo. Currently, he is working on his new fall/ winter 2012 collection and is also doing commentary for Lifetime, E network and Style.
Seth Aaron will be launching a fall/winter 2012 collection of sustainable apparel powered by Earthtec, a sustainable lifestyle apparel company, on Friday, October 7. The line will feature stunning, sustainable fabrics made from recycled plastic bottles and will celebrate Oregon’s history as the first state in the nation with a bottle recycling law. The collection will present fashionable and sustainable designer apparel that is price, fashion and lifestyle conscious.
Seth Aaron will launch his collection at Portland Fashion Week on Friday, October 7.
Click here to purchase tickets
Doors @ 6pm / Show seating @ 8pm
5555 N. Channel Ave., Swan Island
Portland, OR 97217
Jay Nicolas Sario is returning to Portland Fashion Week with a collection of androgynous, edgy and sexy clothes. This season, he drew inspiration from military using twill, and interesting washes of unauthentic denim. The collection shows his discipline in terms of craft, but his Spring 2012 line is a juxtaposition of tailored and raw edged.
Jay Nicolas Sario will debut his Spring 2012 collection at Portland Fashion Week on Saturday, October 8 alongside fellow Project Runway alum, Michael Costello and Bryce Black.
Click here to purchase tickets
Doors @ 6pm / Show seating @ 8pm
5555 N. Channel Ave., Swan Island
Portland, OR 97217
Inspired by his love of wearable art and avant-garde fashion, Bryce Black creates clothing that melds high art and street wear into garments that are also easy to wear.
His garments have appeared on the covers of magazines. Originally from Twin Falls, Idaho, he graduated from Art Institute of Portland and was the first winner of Portland Sewing’s Fashion Forward Program. As the winner, he designed the Fall 2010 line for StudioSKB.
Bryce Black will debut “An Avant Garde Introduction” at Portland Fashion Week on Saturday, October 8 alongside fellow Project Runway alum, Jay Sario and Michael Costello.
Click here to purchase tickets
Doors @ 6pm / Show seating @ 8pm
5555 N. Channel Ave., Swan Island
Portland, OR 97217
Designer Michael Costello may be best known for being a finalist on Project Runway’s eighth season, but his path to Portland Fashion Week started long before that. Costello opened his own boutique at a mere fifteen years old and went on to intern for the legendary Bob Mackie. Having outfitted the likes of Toni Braxton, Mary J. Blidge and Selma Hayek, his next gig will be returning to Project Runway for their All-Star competition– a distinction he rightfully owns.
Before admiring his couture through your flatscreen, you can check out Michael Costello’s designs in person at Portland Fashion Week’s October 8th runway show. Costello will be debuting his highly anticipated resort wear collection described as “effortlessly chic”– exactly what resort wear should be.
Michael Costello will launch his resort 2012 collection at Portland Fashion Week on Saturday, October 8 alongside fellow Project Runway alum, Jay Sario and Portland’s own Bryce Black.
Click here to purchase tickets
Doors @ 6pm / Show seating @ 8pm
5555 N. Channel Ave., Swan Island
Portland, OR 97217
-Sarah Kiley
At PFW 2011 Lenzanita designer, Anita Kealey is presenting, S/S 2012 “Urban Geometrix” sustainable couture collection of bold, colorful patterns in sportswear, dresses and special occasion pieces featuring:
- PET
- Sonic fabric (recycled media tape)
- natural fibers: bamboo, hemp, linen, silk, wool and organic cotton
- Indigenous materials: discarded deer antlers and abandoned SD pheasant feathers
- hand loomed wool woven from SD grown sheep w/ dyed with natural dye (sage, onion skins).
Ms. Kealey is the designer behind the sustainable clothing lines as well as the Evenings by Design couture label seen on the “red carpet” and special event evening wear. The Anita Kathryn pageant footwear and Evenings by Design evening wear has graced the Miss America runway for over two decades and was one of the first to introduce green fashion and sustainability to the pageant runway. She is president and founder of The Design Studio, Inc., an award winning and innovative designer in both fashion and contract design. She is also Creative Director for the Institute of Design & Technology – SD She has received recognition over the past twenty-five years for her achievements and creative design solutions. Her work has been seen in many publications along with her historic loft and studio as featured on HGTV.
She proudly advocates that her garments are “Crafted with pride, made in the USA” as well as Dakota Made. She adds, “We all need to make a conscience effort to recycle, redesign and discontinue outsourcing the domestic jobs that supports of our own country’s economy.”
Lenzanita will be launching “Urban Geometrix” at Portland Fashion Week on Thursday, October 6th along with other leading sustainable designers from around the world.
Click here to purchase tickets
Doors @ 6pm / Show seating @ 8pm
5555 N. Channel Ave., Swan Island
Portland, OR 97217
Known for simplicity, clean lines, and rich eclectic colors, amai unmei updates traditional classics with modern fit and impeccable style.
amai unmei can be found in the Nob Hill District of Portland, 2275 NW Johnson St, online at amaiunmei.com, as well as throughout the US in high end boutiques and specialty shops.
Amai Unmei will be launching a Spring/Summer 2012 Collection at Portland Fashion Week on Friday, October 7th
Doors @ 6pm / Show seating @ 8pm
5555 N. Channel Ave., Swan Island
Portland, OR 97217
Becky Ross, an alum of the current season of Project Runway, is one of nine Catapult; The Emerging Designer Award Comepetitors, debuting at Portland Fashion Week on Weds., October 5th. Audience members in attendance will vote for the top designer who will win an exclusive prize package. Head to http://portlandfashionweek.net/tickets/ to purchase tickets. Doors @ 6pm / Show seating @ 8pm
Becky Ross for Wicked Quick is a collection where alternative casual meets ladylike. The custom-dyed knits are a staple at Wicked Quick whose hallmarks are Speed, Attitude & Rebellion. This collaboration is for the woman who rocks casual edgy clothes in a ladylike tailored way.
5555 N. Channel Ave., Swan Island
Portland, OR 97217
