With the final day of Portland Fashion Week almost two weeks behind me and many days in bed resting I think I am finally recovered from the all the madness. Obviously working PFW can be super exhausting and stressful, but add into the mix a sudden head cold that decides to arrive on the first day of it all and it can take a little longer to get things back on track.
The first day of PFW is always a little more stressful than the others, even for people like me who have done it once or twice (or more) before. There are lots of new volunteers who are unsure of what is about to happen, new designers and models who have never been part of a fashion show before, and new strategies and protocol that have been implemented to try to bring a little more order to the chaos.
The opening night featured the Catapult Emerging Designer Competition. Nine designers made it as finalists to compete for the grand prize and all were eager to showcase their collections on the runway, certain that even if they did not win this would still prove to be a great platform to expose their burgeoning lines to Portland and beyond.
Once the show started (having been held up for a little while because of a faulty projector) things went fairly smoothly. There were some insanely quick changes but the backstage team and the models pulled through and did an amazing job.
I was at the venue until 11:30PM (over an hour after the show ended) counting the audience votes and listening to the judges deliberate on who should win from this very talented and diverse group of designers. Finally the decision was made and Grishley was named the winner, with Chicago Harper by Studio SKB receiving honorable mention in innovation. Enjoy the following images by Steve Kemper from the opening day of Portland Fashion Week. Images from Day 2 will be posted soon!!!!
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| A view of the entrance. |
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| The venue before the show. |
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| The production risers. |
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| VIP Lounge |
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| Make-up artist Nicollette Gonzalez with model Malene Jensen. |
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| Designer Becky Ross. |
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| Designer Abbie Miller of AM Renegade. |
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| Designer Lizz Basinger. |
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| Make-up artists Abibat Durosimi and Nicolette Gonzalez. |
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| Models Ron Clemens and Valentino Lucas. |
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| Models Irina Dmitrieva, Arti Danes, and Malene Jensen. |
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| Ifanyi Bell of OPB and Eden Dawn of Portland Monthly. |
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| Kayla Rekofke. |
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| Model Kristina Plummer. |
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| Models David Anderson and Thatcher Shultz. |
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| Make-up artist Sunny Fire with model Aimee Gerot. |
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| Make-up artist Abibat with model Patience Haug. |
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| Model Diana King. |
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| Designer Joshua Buck of Chicago Harper by Studio SKB (left.) |
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| Designer Abbie Miller of AM Renegade (center.) |
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| Model Tiffany Luckcuck. |
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| Kaili Kasparek with off-duty model Mandi Kremer. |
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| Model Kristi Kawauchi in a look from House of Summer. |
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| Model Kristina Plummer. |
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| Model Lauren Luiz in a look from Silkwood. |
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| Make-up artist Kimmie Nguyen with model Tiffany Luckcuck. |
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| Sunny Fire with model Laura Kiechle. |
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| Model Megan Keller in a look from House of Summer (right.) |
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| Hair stylist Kira Pinski with model Arti Danes. |
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| Model Irina Dmitrieva. |
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| Models Hadley Leatherman, Samantha Bondurant, Laura Kiechle, and Diana King. |
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| Model Malene Jensen in House of Summer with the designer Summer Gunter. |
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| The fabulous Portland Fashion Week make-up team. |
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| Models in looks from House of Summer with the designer. |
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| Models Thatcher Shultz and Garrison Scmidt in looks by Chicago Harper and model Nicole Schrock in a look by Grishley. |
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| Portland Mayor Sam Adams preparing to open Portland Fashion Week. |
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| Models in looks by House of Summer ready to open the show. |
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| Model Tiffany Luckcuck in a look from Silkwood with the designer. |
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| Models Laura Kiechle, Cora Benesh, and Lauren Luiz in looks by Silkwood. |
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| Silkwood designer Sandy Varzsarschi (right.) |
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| Model Dayna Wilks in a look by Michelle is Well. |
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| Models in looks by Michelle is Well. |
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| Models in looks by Michelle is Well. |
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| Models in looks by Michelle is Well. |
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| Models in looks by Grishley. |
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| Models in looks by Grishley. |
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| Models in looks by Chicago Harper by Studio SKB. |
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| Models in looks by Chicago Harper by Studio SKB. |
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| Models in looks by Chicago Harper by Studio SKB. |
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| A model in a look by Chicago Harper by Studio SKB with the designer Joshua Buck. |
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| Models in looks by Chicago Harper by Studio SKB. |
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| A look by Chicago Harper by Studio SKB. |
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| Models in looks by AM Renegade. |
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| Models in looks by AM Renegade. |
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| A look by AM Renegade with the designer Abbie Miller. |
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| Models in looks by Moontess. |
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| Models in looks by Moontess. |
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| Models in looks by Moontess. |
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| Models in looks by Moontess. |
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| Models in looks by Moontess. |
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| A look by Mootess with the designer Mihaela Muteanu |
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| Models in looks by Lizz Basinger. |
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| Models in looks by Lizz Basinger. |
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| Models in looks by Lizz Basinger with the designer. |
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| A look by Lizz Basinger. |
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| Models in looks by Becky Ross for Wicked Quick. |
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| Models in looks by Becky Ross for Wicked Quick. |
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| Models in looks by Becky Ross for Wicked Quick. |
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| A look by Becky Ross for Wicked Quick. |
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| Show is done, time to clean up!!! |
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| PFW music supervisor DJ Evan Alexander with Portland Mayor Sam Adams. |
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| The Catapult judges deliberating on who will be the winner. (I am sitting in the corner counting audience votes.) |
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| The empty venue after Day 1. |
All images by Steve Kemper.
