Saturday, December 31, 2011

We Don't Need Another Hero

Okay, so my previous post was all about being introspective and all that jazz, but it's NYE, I just want to let loose and party!!! So...

The theme this year is Mad Max/post-apocalyptic/end of the world (cheery right?) Not sure if many people will dress up, but I am!!! I going for a more glam version though. In case you might be going to this party, which is at the East End in Portland, (you should come if you can it will be totally fun!!!) I put together some inspiration that I am using.

Happy New Year!!!










Via Fashion Gone Rogue

Resolutions


 I am usually not the type of person to make New Year's resolutions. I guess I have never really needed to change myself in any drastic way, or if I did need to make a change, why wait until January 1st to start implementing that change into my life? This year is different for me though, as the year brought me some great highs and some terrible lows, and I feel like I am in a transitional period and need to make some major changes in my life.

I know I have been MIA on this blog (the last post was about the first day of PFW, and I promise I will post about the other 3 days within the coming weeks.) One resolution I have (one that is honestly a little further down my list) is to post to this blog more regularly, as it helps to keep my creative juices flowing.

My other resolutions include the regular eat right and exercise stuff (and I am including dancing at a club as part of exercise, as long as it means I don't get rip roaring drunk in the process.) I also want nurture positive relationships and cut out negative ones, and most importantly, get in touch with myself and ask myself what I want and need out of my life. I have been spending a lot of time alone lately trying to figure this out and will continue to do so in the coming year. I think it is something everyone should do at one time or another in their lives, and it might take a whole lifetime to figure it out.

As all of these things are going through my head, it's kind of hard for me to get into any sort of party spirit for NYE. Then again, I can't be serious and contemplative all the time. Sometimes it's good to just let loose and drown my troubles in a bottle of champagne instead of being so hard on myself. With that, my ultimate resolution for the coming year is to do what is best for me in my life; what will bring the most happiness, the most success, and the most overall well-being, and if I fuck up, then that's okay too, because everyone gets to once in a while.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Portland Fashion Week: Day 1

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!!!!

A view of the entrance.

The venue before the show.

The production risers.


VIP Lounge

Make-up artist Nicollette Gonzalez with model Malene Jensen.


Designer Becky Ross.

Designer Abbie Miller of AM Renegade.

Designer Lizz Basinger.


Make-up artists Abibat Durosimi and Nicolette Gonzalez.

Models Ron Clemens and Valentino Lucas.


Models Irina Dmitrieva, Arti Danes, and Malene Jensen.


Ifanyi Bell of OPB and Eden Dawn of Portland Monthly.

Kayla Rekofke.

Model Kristina Plummer.


Models David Anderson and Thatcher Shultz.


Make-up artist Sunny Fire with model Aimee Gerot.

Make-up artist Abibat with model Patience Haug.

Model Diana King.



Designer Joshua Buck of Chicago Harper by Studio SKB (left.)

Designer Abbie Miller of AM Renegade (center.)



Model Tiffany Luckcuck.

Kaili Kasparek with off-duty model Mandi Kremer.

Model Kristi Kawauchi in a look from House of Summer.

Model Kristina Plummer.

Model Lauren Luiz in a look from Silkwood.

Make-up artist Kimmie Nguyen with model Tiffany Luckcuck.

Sunny Fire with model Laura Kiechle.

Model Megan Keller in a look from House of Summer (right.)



Hair stylist Kira Pinski with model Arti Danes.


Model Irina Dmitrieva.

Models Hadley Leatherman, Samantha Bondurant, Laura Kiechle, and Diana King.

Model Malene Jensen in House of Summer with the designer Summer Gunter.

The fabulous Portland Fashion Week make-up team.

Models in looks from House of Summer with the designer.

Models Thatcher Shultz and Garrison Scmidt in looks by Chicago Harper and model Nicole Schrock in a look by Grishley.

Portland Mayor Sam Adams preparing to open Portland Fashion Week.

Models in looks by House of Summer ready to open the show.



Model Tiffany Luckcuck in a look from Silkwood with the designer.


Models Laura Kiechle, Cora Benesh, and Lauren Luiz in looks by Silkwood.

Silkwood designer Sandy Varzsarschi (right.)

Model Dayna Wilks in a look by Michelle is Well.

Models in looks by Michelle is Well.

Models in looks by Michelle is Well.

Models in looks by Michelle is Well.

Models in looks by Grishley.

Models in looks by Grishley.

Models in looks by Chicago Harper by Studio SKB.

Models in looks by Chicago Harper by Studio SKB.

Models in looks by Chicago Harper by Studio SKB.

A model in a look by Chicago Harper by Studio SKB with the designer Joshua Buck.

Models in looks by Chicago Harper by Studio SKB.

A look by Chicago Harper by Studio SKB.

Models in looks by AM Renegade.

Models in looks by AM Renegade.

A look by AM Renegade with the designer Abbie Miller.

Models in looks by Moontess.

Models in looks by Moontess.

Models in looks by Moontess.

Models in looks by Moontess.

Models in looks by Moontess.


A look by Mootess with the designer Mihaela Muteanu

Models in looks by Lizz Basinger.

Models in looks by Lizz Basinger.

Models in looks by Lizz Basinger with the designer.

A look by Lizz Basinger.

Models in looks by Becky Ross for Wicked Quick.

Models in looks by Becky Ross for Wicked Quick.

Models in looks by Becky Ross for Wicked Quick.

A look by Becky Ross for Wicked Quick.

Show is done, time to clean up!!!




PFW music supervisor DJ Evan Alexander with Portland Mayor Sam Adams.

The Catapult judges deliberating on who will be the winner. (I am sitting in the corner counting audience votes.)

The empty venue after Day 1.
All images by Steve Kemper.