Archive for May, 2007
The action in the evolving Chinatown is focused on the corner of NW 5th and Couch. For maximum people-watching fun, hit it on a First Thursday when the evening crowds are drawn by opening receptions for exhibitions at the Portland Art Center, Jenn Armbrust’s cutting edge motel gallery, and Compound (as well as the nearby Everett Station Lofts).
photo: Bryan Haggerty
If there is just one very good reason to head to the corner of 5th and Couch its Just Be Complex (107 NW 5th), Katsu Tanaka’s massive corner space with one foot in contemporary Japan and one foot in urban US. It’s an emporium of apparel and objects of limited distribution, vinyl figures and Japanese toys, limited edition sneakers (Nike, adidas, Vans), cool Japanese and design magazines. The mezzanine houses art gallery Compound, with monthly shows that often feature illustration-based or graff or skate-influenced artists and some great exhibitions of Japanese artists. Just Be also sells prints by many of the artists the gallery has shown, oh and rents anime DVDs! Find The Hundreds, Triumvir, Green Apple Tree, plus Bwana Spoons’ “I heart Steven” hoodies. We eat Japanese treats, buy sunglasses, Totoro plush toys, and TinPos.
Upper Playground (23 NW 5th) is the Portland outpost of the San Francisco-based urbanwear mega-brand/shop. It’s wall-to-wall with screened t’s, hoodies, bags, and more.
Stop in at motel gallery (19 NW 5th) where Jenn Armbrust’s serious dedication to emerging artists from across the US and Canada make for great, fresh exhibitions.
And no trip to 5th & C would be complete without a game of Tron (or Dr. Who pinball) at Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade (511 NW Couch).
Posted on May 31, 2007 | Filed under destinations | Permalink
Dorothy Parker said, “Take care of the luxuries and the necessities will take care of themselves.” With that in mind, the new Stand Up Comedy is prepared to be Portland’s avant-General Store where everything you need (besides necessities like food and shelter) and everything you never knew you wanted (custom distortion pedal) is conveniently found in one Eastside shop.
The new boutique Stand Up Comedy (811 E Burnside, Suite 119) is poised to be Portland’s answer to Paris’ Colette, with directional fashion (many designers you’ll find nowhere else in Portland) by Rachel Comey, Rhus Ovata, Patrik Rzepski, Staerk, Slow and Steady Wins the Race (makers of the the brilliant canvas reimaginings of designer handbags), plus Anna Corinna bags, Cerre Shoes, and if our eyes don’t deceive us, Dittos. Colette has Lladro, Stand Up Comedy has Stephanie DeArmond ceramics. Plus, you’ll find magazines like Purple Fashion and Slash, mix tapes, video rentals, and umbrellas.
This curatorial view of the shop is a natural next act for Diana Kim who did time at the Walker Art Center, Midwestern hotbed of contemporary art and performance. Tomorrow night, First Friday, June 1, you can meet Diana Kim and Rachel Silberstein at SUC’s opening party 6-9 PM. At 8, Death Songs (members of Shaky Hands) entertains.
Labels aside, we knew they were our kind of people when we read, “every item you’ll find at Stand Up Comedy has in common an unorthodox history, a complex present, and a curious future.” They promise future collaborations with Holland’s Werkplaats Typografie and Slow and Steady Wins the Race and we can’t wait.
See you there.
Posted on May 31, 2007 | Filed under event, shop | Permalink
Portland-based Lucina Jewelry has been on our radar for a while as a company that tries to do right while it does well, producing jewelry by a number of US designers (like Portland’s Scarlet Chamberlin) crafted from fair-trade and handcrafted materials sourced in the developing world. Tomorrow (Wednesday) Shauna Mohr’s Lucina Jewelry and other members of Portland Young Women Social Entrepreneurs host a trunk show at 6 PM at souk (322 NW 6th Suite 200). A number of styles will be 20-50% off, and part of the proceeds of the event benefit Portland nonprofit Hands to Hearts International (which works with women and children in developing countries). Every dollar raised tomorrow for HHI will be matched by a grant from the James R. Greenbaum, Jr. Family Foundation. The bracelet above, one of their best sellers, is made from choclo beads from Colombia.
Posted on May 29, 2007 | Filed under event | Permalink
NW 23rd is block-for-block, the premier shopping street in Portland, with a number of excellent independent boutiques (from accessories specialties and shoe shops to lingerie and the city’s top boutique for local independent designers), top notch beauty boutiques in the locally-owned Blush Beauty Bar and Kiehl’s, as well as a few chain stores at the southern end of the row like Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, Urban Outfitters, and Cost Plus. The NW streets are in alphabetical order, and from Burnside and Couch down to Irving and Johnson, nearly every block has great shopping. Plus, you can enjoy terrific food from Thai to deli to chocolate desserts. [read more]
Posted on May 29, 2007 | Filed under destinations | Permalink
Wouldn’t it be great to hone in on just the shops that could deliver just the look, just the goods you’re looking for? To cut to the quick and find the perfect dress or wallet or shoe?
If you read Vogue + W you’ll find the goods at a couple of Portland shopping destinations with one or two side trips.
Start downtown for Portland-based luxe emporium, Mario’s (833 SW Broadway), which carries Prada, Dolce, Louboutin, and the like and Mercantile (735 SW Park), just blocks away. Department store, Nordstrom is just down SW Broadway from Mario’s and Pioneer Place (700 SW 5th Ave) is an indoor shopping center where you’ll find Tiffany & Co., Louis Vuitton, and Coach.
There is a short list of boutiques that will deliver the kinds of lovely, individual pieces from an international roster of designers you’ll want to hit, all in different parts of town. Odessa (410 SW 13th) carrying Mayle and Daryl K is in the West End. Elizabeth Street (635 NW 23rd) carrying Tory Burch and the attached Zelda’s Shoe Bar are on NW 23rd. Find Souchi (807 NW 23rd) for modern cashmere also on NW 23rd. And on the Eastside Mimi & Lina (1914 NE Broadway) carrying Diane Von Furstenberg on NE Broadway and the little treasure box of Una (2802 SE Ankeny) on NE 28th (Coven, Chan Lu) with a stop at Lille Boutique (1007 E Burnside) for lingerie on the way are worth the trip.
If you read Wallpaper + Dwell + Surface you have a few great choices for the designed object. In the Pearl District, you’ll find Trish Guido’s emporium of the perfect object, Relish (433 NW 10th), Design Within Reach (1200 NW Everett), and Hive Modern (820 NW Glisan). Canoe (1136 NW Alder) is in the West End/Downtown. And on NE Alberta, you’ll find OFFICE 92204 NE Alberta). It’s a little drive from downtown, but you’ll love owners Kelly Coller and Tony Secolo so much, you’ll want to check out their “products for the modern worker.”
If you read Nylon you’ll shop at Diesel (30 NW 12th) in the Pearl, Blake (2285 NW Johnson) and Seaplane (827 NW 23rd) on NW 23rd then head east to Denwave and Stand Up Comedy in the 811 Building on E Burnside and Local35 (3556 SE Hawthorne) on Hawthorne. Heading north, you’ll hit blue (3753 N Mississippi) and Sameunderneath (915 N Shaver) on N Mississippi and Foundation Garments (2712 NE Alberta) on NE Alberta. There are two locations of American Apparel for basics
and you’ll probably hit Red Light Clothing and Buffalo Exchange for late-model vintage.
If you read
Lucky you can’t go wrong on NW 23rd and the Pearl District. But let’s say there’s a Lucky money edition and a Lucky don’t-break-the-bank edition. If money’s no object, you’ll head straight to Le Train Bleu (748 NW 11th). This puts you in the Pearl District where you’ll also find Nolita with their fierce denim bar (923 NW 10th), Physical Element (one part activewear like Stella McCartney for adidas, and one part cool, modern street clothes) (1124 NW Lovejoy), and the latest edition, Moulé (1225 NW Everett). Don’t miss Olive Shoes (404 NW 10th) and Imelda’s and Louie’s shoes (935 NW Everett), and of course, you’ll check out Anthropologie (1125 NW Couch). On NW 23rd, you’ll check out Souchi, Elizabeth Street, The English Dept., and Seaplane.
Now lets say your expense account isn’t unlimited but you like Lucky looks. On NE Alberta you’ll find Mabel and Zora, Tumbleweed, and Foundation Garments, on E Burnside, try Moxie and don’t miss Una. And on SE Hawthorne, you’ll like Mink and Garment.
If you read GQ, you’ll head Downtown and to the the Pearl District. Your first stop will be Mario’s where you’ll find Prada, Loro Piana, and Kiton as well as Brioni, Brunello Cucinelli, Dolce & Gabbana, Ermenegildo Zegna, and John Varvatos. For fun, don’t miss John Helmer Haberdasher, just up Broadway from Mario’s, where every hat you’ve ever needed and all the hats you haven’t are there along with conservative menswear. Also downtown, Collier (340 SW Morrison) offers fine Italian menswear from Brioni, Zegna, Ferre, Corneliani, and Altea Milano while it’s cousin The Showroom (604 SW 9th) has discounted designer goods. Head to Finn (132 NW 12th) in the Pearl District for modern classic looks (Robert Talbott, Ike Behar, Mario Tomei) and check out dress|code (216 NW 13th) for J. Lindeberg and other cutting edge pieces.
If you’re reading Cookie/Parenting, you have several great choices for modern kids clothes. Even though it means driving to N Missisippi, Black Wagon has to be your main stop. The selection of hip kidswear is unbeatable. The stripey-tights Valhalla of Hanna Andersson (world HQ are here) and Henny Penny, the spoiled (but just enough) grandchild boutique are in the Pearl District. Portland’s greatest toy store, Finnegan’s, is downtown near the Central Library (and Nordstrom), while Red Bird on NE Alberta has some cute jersey screenprinted onesies and hats for little ones as does Ivy Studio on NE Glisan.
Posted on May 28, 2007 | Filed under Uncategorized | Permalink
It’s almost, but not quite, too early to call this a destination neighborhood. If it wasn’t for its proximity to the Pearl District (just across W Burnside) and Powell’s or the fact that the very of-the-moment Ace Hotel (1022 SW Stark) has just opened with its hub of a lobby, Clyde Commons restaurant, and Stumptown Cafe, we might hold on recommending a visit. But several of Portland’s most interesting shops have staked their claim here, along with restaurants like Masu and the new Living Room Theaters. [read more]
Posted on May 28, 2007 | Filed under destinations | Permalink
Of Portland’s many shopping streets, North Mississippi is unusual for a number of reasons. You’ll find apparel and gift shops, comics and antiques, great lunch spots, cafes, all within a very few blocks, and the whole street has developed only over a couple of years. It’s more casual than NW 23rd, more compact and edited than Hawthorne. It’s not far from adidas headquarters which might explain some of the high-style options on the street (like Phlox and the hippest children’s store in town: Black Wagon), and the fact that one of the street’s anchors is the Rebuilding Center with it’s cob bench and million-window facade of used windows and doors ensures the row isn’t too slick. Besides shopping there are breweries, bars, restaurants, cafes, and inexpensive lunch stops. [read more]
Posted on May 28, 2007 | Filed under destinations | Permalink
Ivy Studio has taken a trip east and refocused on pre-drivers license set. For a while now, in addition to running the Studio and producing their own lines (he of silkscreened Oxford Slut shirts, she of cool little Claret handbags), Luke and Erika Smalley have been silkscreening images created by their children onto kids t’s for the coolest (and most authentic) kidswear around. Formerly in the Jupiter Hotel, Ivy Studio now will be at 3059 NE Glisan. Look for a grand re-opening, June 2.
Posted on May 28, 2007 | Filed under shop | Permalink
Portland-based Lucy.com is having an online-only summer kickoff sale with prices up to 50% off. Their activewear is unbeatable, fresh styles from the in-house design team as well as labels like Splendid, Made, Royal Elastics and Merrell.
Posted on May 28, 2007 | Filed under sale | Permalink
Just in time for summer, Portland-based Pamela Levenson’s swimwear label, Poppi Swimwear, is now available not only at her shop, Poppi Swim & Sport (831 NE 48th) but also online at www.poppiswim.com. So you can peruse her designs of one-piece and two-piece suits, many in retro cuts with exuberant prints, online, then go in to try on your faves. Or if you’re far away and need that perfect boycut halter, you can now order online.
Posted on May 27, 2007 | Filed under designer, shop | Permalink
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