Oct 20, 2008 | Fashion
Designer Leanne McElroy sought her inspiration for her S/S ’09 collection from the tides and waterways of the beach. From the way water breathed in and out, she fashioned carefree, flowing pieces in an oceanic palette from 100% organic cotton, organic hempcel (hemp and tencel), soy, and modal (beechwood fiber). The Vancouver-based line reaches the 25-40-year old professional who cares for the environment but retains an urban mindset when it comes to her clothes. The line is more about being “classic and timeless,” the designer says. “We want people who buy our clothes to feel good about what they’re doing for the environment and for themselves.” She showcased tans and browns on loosely-structured shapes, with deep aquas, surprising cutouts, pleating, and ribbon details. Check out the photos below and read more about Elroy Apparel here.
-Carly J. Cais
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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
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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
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Oct 20, 2008 | Fashion
Read more about SalvationWare on their website.
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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
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