The Sameunderneath crowd came out on Saturday night showing support for the brand by wearing their favorite bamboo hoodies and colorful graphic prints. The tone was a little more hip and urban than the previous night, with slightly mellower numbers. Before the show Ryan Christenson, head honcho at Sameunderneath, was seen chilling out and socializing with friends and strangers alike, betraying no notion of the chaos that was going on backstage. The shows got under way about 45 minutes late (pretty good actually), and the night opened with Seattle’s Lizzie Parker. Continuing with the bamboo jersey trend, she showcased a very north-west sensibility, but in fun punchy colors. Layers over layers of leggings, tanks, and hoodies in coral, butter yellow, and white were punctuated with darling cropped jackets in a big butterfly print. The showstopper at the end was a coral tee layered under a white tube dress decked out in frothy feathers.
Up next was Duchess, a custom suit company for the gentlemen in our lives. A parade of handsome male models dressed in perfectly constructed suits ranging in inspiration from 40’s gangsters to 70’s James Bond films left us all wishing for something a little more dapper in our day to day lives.
Nike Considered opened their show with bike-friendly looks in various shades of taupe, black, blue and surprisingly enough deep purple. Simple clean lines were the focus, and details were kept low key and functional. Harlequin-style stitching was seen on several jackets, but the most interesting detail was a detachable drawstring hood that opens in the back for ventilation.
Next up was Seattle-based brand Alula, showing paper bag waist trousers and lots of pleats. The color palate was similar to Lizzie Parker with shades of coral, yellow, and white along with blush pink and a light sky blue.
After the intermission the real show began. Now everyone loves a good gimmick, and Sameunderneath had the best. Lining up five models sitting in school desks, Ryan Christenson was the professor of Sameunderneath 101. When asked the question “What is Sameunderneath?” the models each shot up their hand and were called on one at a time to proceed down the runway. The usual elements were all there, with bamboo tees and hoodies in great colors and graphics. But something was different this season; a greater knowledge of fit and function that only comes with experience. The collection was generally more polished but still retained that certain urban vibe that makes it a favorite of so many. The show was finished off by celebrity guest Stana Katic (from the new film, Feast of Love) sashaying down the runway in a custom blue, ‘red-carpet’ dress winking for the cameras as if to say, “Are there any more questions?”

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

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

Let Greenloop Take You Behind the Scenes At the Nation’s Most Comprehensive “Green” Fashion Week Ever

What
This October, Portland Fashion Week (PFW) once again takes to the runway for a 4th year of spotlighting ethical fashion, staging independent designers and drawing national attention to Portland’s unique intersection of art, commerce, and sustainability. A PFW patron and leading eco-style boutique, Portland-based Greenloop will bring interactive readers the inside scoop with daily blog postings at www.thegreenloop.com. Co-written by Greenloop owner and founder, Aysia Wright, and the creatively versatile and widely known eco-powerhouse, Victoria E., postings will include designer interviews, show reviews, updates on the back stage vibe, pictures and video, Spring ‘08 trends and interviews with noteworthy attendees.

Where
PFW @ Cascade Shipyard, 5555 Channel Drive on Swan Island, Portland, Oregon
Blog @ http://www.thegreenloop.com/

When
PFW – Pre-Show Party @ 6pm Daily and Fashion Show @ 8pm Daily (October 19th through 24th)
Blog – Updated Daily (October 19th – 24th)

Who
Aysia Wright – As the founder and owner of Portland’s nationally recognized eco-fashion boutique, Aysia has been on the forefront of the sustainable fashion movement for several years. Wright will draw on her relationships with many of the designers being showcased, considerable expertise in sustainable fashion and fierce personal style.

Victoria E. – As a freelance writer and blogger (www.victoria-e.com), life-long model, on-camera personality and sustainable living authority, Victoria E. will draw on her passion for (and impressive knowledge of) all things green.

Why
Portland Fashion Week is the premier US Fashion Week for sustainable fashion designers. Aysia Wright, Victoria E. and PFW are working to show the world that today’s eco-fashion is high fashion and that living responsibly only ups the ante on personal style and expression.

For more information on Greenloop, to borrow products or set up an interview with Aysia Wright, please contact Joseph Martorano at Chartreuse PR, 503-841-5179 or joseph [at] chartreusepr [dot] com.

New York, London, Paris, Milan - when most people think of high fashion and runway shows, these are the cities that come to mind. For the average person, couture fashion doesn’t mean much, except possibly fodder for a one-night fantasy. Destinations like Chicago, Toronto, Seattle, and Los Angeles are emerging with their own take on “fashion week,” often featuring independent, local, and more wearable designers.

Often referred to as the City of Roses (and the less appealing title of “Stumptown”), Portland, Oregon is developing into an incomparable outlet for cutting-edge fashion, especially brands based around sustainability. This year, Portland Fashion Week is being billed as the greenest fashion week ever - quite a title to apply to a 6-day series of events, especially with so many other cities vying for that title.

What did celebrities at New York Fashion Week have to say about Portland? Allison Janney from “West Wing”said, “Raincoats and a good pair of walking shoes; bluejeans and rain boots. Portland is having a fashion week? I love it!” Singer Maya made a great point that I can relate to: “Portland is so far removed from the entertainment world I would think the designers there would relate well to everyday people. Sometimes when I buy clothes in L.A. or New York, I can only wear them in L.A. or New York.”

What makes an event green? How is Portland stepping up its efforts to hold on to the title of Greenest City in the United States (according to SustainLane.com)? My curiosity was piqued, so what a joy it was to chat recently with Tito Chowdhry, Executive Producer of Portland Fashion Week. He was very excited to tell me all about what PFW Productions was doing to create the greenest fashion week they could, including the largest collection of sustainable designers on any runway.

Read on to find out more about the importance of green fashion, support from local businesses and media, the cost of dressing sustainable, and more.

STAY TUNED for a special PFW announcement from Victoria Everman and Greenloop later this week!

READ THE GREAT INTERVIEW AND SEE PREVIEWS OF LOCAL GREEN DESIGNERS!

It’s time once again to tear apart those trash bins in hopes of finding the perfect materials to create your submission for the 2nd annual Junk to Funk Recycled Fashion Show Contest, produced by Elysium Events. This year’s show is scheduled for Saturday November 17th, 2007 at the Wonder Ballroom in Portland, Oregon. Deadline for submissions is October 17th. Last year, I was one of the judges at the show and it was incredible! Click here to see a picture of the judges panel. I am on the far right in the tallest recycled Styrofoam peanut wig that I thought just might permanently dent my head it was so tight. Some of the highlights of the show were gown made from recycled vinyl mini blinds, a coffee cup wedding gown, the aluminum tab flapper dress and faux fir jacket made from cassette tape, and the Crown Royal bag gown. Truly inspired creations all pulled together from trash.

Professional artists, apparel designers, along with the creative and crafty public will not want to miss this truly unique opportunity to flash your trash on the runway while competing for cash prizes up to $500.

Pieces of wearable art and fashion that are being sought should be made out of found objects, recycled materials and things you might normally find in the trash. Submissions will be judged on:

1) percent of recycled material

2) creativity

3) craftsmanship

The deadline for submissions is October 17, 2007. Rules and Application can be downloaded by visiting the website www.junktofunk.org.
Elysium Events is pleased to once again be working in collaboration with Orlo for the Junk to Funk Recycled Fashion Show Contest. Orlo is a non-profit organization that uses the creative arts to explore and bring awareness to environmental issues. Proceeds from the show will be contributed to Orlo’s ongoing efforts.

On April 19, 2007, EGBNY will present, “Project Earth Day, an eco-friendly fashion even celebrating Earth Day. The runway show will feature a stunning display of the latest apparel and textile designs in organic or recycled fibers, and found materials by up and coming designers. “Project Earth Day” is a showcase of hot, emerging designers on the green scene, the future of fashion. Eco-conscious men and women can preview clothing from upcoming collections, and learn more about the advances in eco-friendly fashion…” To learn more, click here . One of our favorite bag designers, Allison Teich of AgainNYC is one of the event producers and will be strutting her bags down the runway, along with other very cool company.

As you may recall, we ran a contest from Sept. 1 through Oct. 31 in which we would award a $500 Greenloop gift certificate to one lucky shopper who spent at least $100 during this time at Greenloop. Well…..we have a winner!

Who’s the winner? Tahlia Harrison

What did she say? “WOW! I never win anything! This is so wonderful, Thank you! I truly respect what you’re doing and what you offer for the eco-concerned community out there… and the community who thinks that being green means you have to wear homely clothing. It’s because of people like you that the stereotype can be proven wrong. As a conscious consumer, it’s difficult to find clothing with style that is light on the environment, your store is one of the few places I know of that achieves both! Thank you so much!”

What did she get? Oh the green goods she got! With her $500 gift certificate, she ordered a Stewart+Brown Pucker Hoody, a Loomstate Desert Grass Zip front Hoody, a Ciel Baby Alpaca Scarf (not literally from a baby Alpaca mind you), a pair ot Stewart+Brown Tweed Cropped Pants, and some Inara Milk Bath! She is going to be sporting some seriously sustainable style in those threads. As a subscriber to our newlsetter, In The Loop, Tahlia stretched that $500 even further by using her 20% off coupon to squeeze an extra $125 out if her gift certificate too. Now that’s what I call being in the loop!