The first night of Portland Fashion Week started off with a bang! With high hopes, the fashion elite filed into an industrial warehouse turned posh club to pack the house for the opening night shows. After a few hours of mixing and checking out the booths, the crowd made their stiletto-clad way to the runway. The shows started off with the incredible designs of Nature vs. Future, who honestly, stole the show right from the beginning. The collection showed the diversity and ease of wear that has made this brand such a favorite of the uber-hip green crowd. Certain standouts included a duo of red dresses that will have everyone at ‘hello’, and a stunning skirt suit that takes ‘power dressing’ to a whole new level. Nature vs. Future is for the woman we all want to be; intelligent, sophisticated, subtly sexy, and incredibly chic! Next to show was Amai Unmei with a collection of hemp/silk jackets and shift dresses that wouldn’t look out of place on Jackie O. Olivia Luca followed, showing a bridal inspired collection of streamlined gowns in hemp/silk blends that would make any woman feel like a princess. Saffrona went for a more Grecian-inspired look with frothy wrap details. MEWV, a new endeavor of the Saffrona Co., self- styled as “a pure take on the sustainable market”, whose pieces are made sans zippers, hooks and buttons, showed some of the most original work in bamboo jersey we have seen in a while. Particularly stunning was a cobalt blue mini dress with a super low back. After an intermission, Sofada by Alice Dobson, showed a collection that was somewhere between 1955 malt shop and California Dreamin‘. If this first night is any indication of what we can look forward to this spring, we have a very sexy season coming up! Stay tuned for more news, designer interviews and runway photos! The week has only begun!

Photography Credit: Nina Sage - Click here to see the whole show