Mercury’s Open Season Show

The Mercury’s 7^th Annual Open Season fashion show brought out both emerging talents and established names in Portland’s fashion scene Friday night at the Bossanova Ballroom, creating a platform for Portlanders to take notice of the creative forces this city has to offer. With a smattering of looks shown by each of the 15 local designers, the venue allowed for patrons to get a glimpse of what the full lines have to offer, including everything from ready-to-wear pieces to collections bordering on haute couture, structured tweeds to gauzy silhouettes, and eclectic looks to more mainstream designs.

Ms. Wood lent an air of demureness and easy elegance, focusing on classic silhouettes, defined waists, and structured, dolman-style sleeves. Utilizing heavy fabrics – wools and tweeds – paired with kid gloves and wooden accent jewelry, the FW2011 line expressed a European style with pieces that could easily be integrated into any wardrobe, from the simple stylishness of a one-shouldered gray sweater-dress to the sophistication of a statement piece like a ebony-colored, floor-length wool trench sporting both purple-satin-lined structured sleeves and a short train.

Fluidity came to mind as the models in Too Naughts walked down the runway. A men’s-wear line, Too Naughts emphasized cinched waists with rope belts, softness in a pair of patchwork, crocheted pants, and red satin lining the above-belt pleats of heavy woolen pants. And in what I’m calling a modern surfer look, Too Naughts showed a long-sleeved, finely meshed hoodie in bright coral, matched with innovative, soft cotton board shorts.

Reif, by designer Lindsey Reif, went quickly from a Miami art-deco vibe – leather hot pants, midriff-baring tops in vibrant patterns, chunky wooden accessories – to subdued neutrals in 1970s silhouettes – a beige, chiffon halter keyhole dress and a white jumpsuit in coruscating, cascading layers of light fabric.

Ruki’s women’s-wear line juxtaposed soft fabrics with structured lines, creating a very easy-to-wear palette. With a focus on heavily textured separates and a lack of accessories, one could easily be either stylishly casual or effortlessly refined in these pieces. The opening design, a black, white, and spearmint cocktail dress that followed the classic line of the female body, drew cheers from the crowd.

Texture, structure, and a hint of industrial elements combined to create dimension in the designs of Isaac Hers. Easily adaptable into a wardrobe, the line showed a modern side to classic work wear, as evidenced by a black-and-white checked skirt paired with a flowing, eggplant-colored, short-sleeve top. Fluidity seen in a crimson evening gown with a sheen overlay was contradicted by a long exposed zipper up the back. If Debbie Harry had an office job, she’d wear this line (and that is meant as a giant compliment).

Dawn Sharp showed for Spring/Summer 2012, and poetic elegance seemed to be one of the muses to the line. Softly colored chiffons breezed down the runway, and mismatched, yet boldly combined flower patterns created a thoroughly romantic look. The room was hot and stuffy at this point of the show, and yet as these pieces came down the catwalk, a cooling, halcyon sentiment seemed to waft through the air.

If Emily Post needed a snippet of danger to upend her normally proper world, Seth Aaron provided it with his latest line, combining smart hints of danger to seemingly proper silhouettes. A crisp A-line houndstooth dress nipped at the waist with a thick, black, double-buckled belt; unfinished edges at the arms of a sleeveless, candy-apple-red sweater dress; and skulls-and-crossbones hanging from a chain-belt on the 1970s look of high-waisted, pleated, vermillion trousers that moved easily with each stride.

Leanne Marshall managed to create myriad ways to modernly pleat elements onto her designs, giving the illusion of flowers with layered dimensionality while providing geometric components in the patterns of the fabric lining the pleats. Not unlike an architectural model, with the layers piled atop one another to generate topographical nuances, Marshall’s skirts and dresses seemed to come alive on the runway, especially when topped with prim cardigans. While the majority of the line was painted in basic colors, the final pieces were bathed in aquamarine and yellow, including a deep V-necked evening gown complemented by cascading layers that seemed positively Botticelli-esque.

Other lines that showed were Midge, Sara Bergman, Boet, Heather Treadwell with jewelry by Akin, Bridge & Burn, and Gretchen Jones. And while the lines individually demonstrated the talents of these local artists, together they created a cohesive that is helping to define Portland as an emerging tour-de-force in the world of fashion.

Written By: Kara McManus
Photography By: Michael Zaugg

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