Oct 20, 2008 | Fashion
Designer Alice Dobson of Sofada drew her inspiration from the 60’s and 80’s in designing her S/S ’09 Collection. Up until now, she said, she mostly had produced 40’s-style pieces, but this season she mixed in a variety of colors -like metallics, and bold, bright pinks and reds – as well as different silhouettes to evoke a different era. The styles were retro, glamorous, and ultimately flattering – a size 2 or a size 20 would look equally fabulous in her drapey pieces. The clothes are manufactured (in-house) with significant attention paid to creating a flattering silhouette on a variety of sizes – and the designer stresses ease of wear and washability for her garments, since her customers are often young career women, travelers, and moms who need functional as well as beautiful clothes. Sofada’s pricepoints are also quite reasonable – around $160 for a dress –
and after 6 years here in Portland, the line is already sold around the country. The designer says sofada is about “being girly, glamorous, feminine…and flattering…yet being easy to wear and easy to wash. [It’s about being] able to look sexy and glamorous without it being too difficult.” Check out their website at sofada.com or drop by their new location at 2937 E Burnside
Portland, OR 97214.
-Carly J. Cais
Oct 20, 2008 | Fashion
Designer Modi Soondaratok’s inspiration came from lace; the history of lace and the femininity of it; the structure of lace itself, and the dedication of the many generations of women who wove it in her native village in Thailand. Utilizing mostly hand-woven cottons and silks from Thailand, she both supports the villagers there and supports cottage inductry here in the U.S. by only employing home-based sewers to create the line. Using pleating, tiers, draping, and tying to construct her sophisticated pieces, she appeals to the fashion-forward, well-traveled, modern woman, who likes to purchase clothing that has a story behind it. She believes that the world is a global community and that we have to create a more in-depth perception of where things come from, which she aims to elaborate through her clothing. Visit the website at IdomDesigns.com, or visit the Portland-based boutique at 1600 NE Alberta Street, Portland Oregon 97211.
-Carly J. Cais
Oct 20, 2008 | Fashion
Read more about SalvationWare on their website.
Oct 20, 2008 | Fashion
Designer Kari Ann Peniche is already somewhat of a celebrity; she is a former Miss Teen USA who was stripped of her title in 2003 after posing in Playboy. Her brother Tony Dmitri also has a clothing line called Dmitri Apparel that presented its S/S ’09 line on Day 3 of Portland Fashion Week. He was the inspiration to Kari Ann to start her own clothing line after the ups and downs of fame – she called it “Strung Out” – and founded a line of swimwear that is sexy and L.A.-chic. She worked to ensure that the swimwear was cut correctly – both low in the front and the back so it would not sag while wet -and that her beach wraps could double as hot clubwear for later on. She took “all the good stuff from the 80’s mixed in with stuff from today,” creating a rock-and-roll-themed collection with studs and detailing, metallics, sexy cuts, and sparkles. See more at StrungOutGirl.com
-Carly J. Cais
Oct 20, 2008 | Fashion
Amai Unmei revealed a collection awash in blues, greens, and silvers, very reminiscent of the ocean. All created in silk (with many of the coats in an animal-friendly silk where the silkworms are not killed by steaming prior to emerging from the cocoons), the collection was girly and fun. Standouts were the gorgeous shades of periwinkle near the end, draped into lights and floaty dresses. Amai Unmei is all manufactured in Portland, and has recently opened a new retail store at 2275 NW Johnson, though pieces are available for purchase on their website. Designer Allison Covington loves working with individual customers and often spends time in the stores that sell her pieces to interact with the women who enjoy her clothes. She says the message of Amai Unmei is to “Have fun!” and you can really see it in the flirty, light creations she sent down the runway.
-Carly J. Cais
Oct 20, 2008 | Fashion
Designer Lizzie Parker’s line was inspired by French film, with a little 80’s bohemian twist to it. She wanted to create something flattering for a variety of different body types, above all creating a well-crafted garment that anyone could wear. She always wears her pieces first to work out all the kinks in them before sending them out to be produced, creating each piece herself. Using only sustainable fabrics such as organic cotton, and organic bamboo jersey (one of the first to be certified organic (Sept. 2008), she created a line of fluid, drapey pieces in blacks, creams, and hot pinks. All of her manufacturing she conducts in Seattle (where she is based) in order to reduce her carbon footprint. She currently has a mini-boutique inside Tweed (a Seattle ladeis’ clothing boutique), and often works in the store in order to interact with her customers directly and keep the dialogue open between consumer and designer. Her clothing appeals to the confidant, fashion-forward consumer, who enjoys funky, but comfortable pieces. For more information on Lizzie Parker, visit the website here.
-Carly J. Cais
