Archive for September, 2007

Long before Souchi (807 NW 23rd) was a boutique on 23rd, it was (and still is) Suzi Johnson’s cashmere knitwear line. Still hand-loomed and hand-finished in her Portland studio, Johnson’s cashmere pieces are sold in better boutiques across the country and soon in a second shop in San Francisco (where her entrepreneurial knitting odyssey began).
This Thursday, September 27, from 4-8 PM, celebrate ten years of Souchi at the Souchi store with champagne, cupcakes, gift bags, and 25% off the current Souchi collection during the party. You can enter a drawing for a Souchi sweater, and you’ll be able to preview the fall and winter collections (slub hoodie capes and cardi-capes). And keep your eye out for new accessories from PORTS
1961 and Martine Sitbon as well as heavy wool jumpers from Mel en Stel.
Posted on September 25, 2007 | Filed under event, shop | Permalink

The English Dept (1124 SW Alder) has just received its shipment from the hot London design team of Eley Kishimoto. Sweaters, little jackets, and be sure to ask to see the silk Galaxy print blouse.
Posted on September 23, 2007 | Filed under shop | Permalink

Sameunderneath cashmere cardigan, Fall 07
The Fall Fir Fest at The Doug Fir Lounge (800 E Burnside) this Saturday, September 22 in the courtyard of the Jupiter Hotel is music+fashion+crafty, and it’s all free. Not entirely sure what the order of events will be, hours are from 6-11 PM, but somewhere in between Boy Eats Drum Machine, Derby, The Sort Ofs, there will be a fashion show with goods from Portland-based label Sameunderneath and from downtown’s Johnny Sole. Throughout, the Crafty Wonderland ladies will have an art and craft row set up.
Posted on September 21, 2007 | Filed under event | Permalink

Tilde’s (7919 SE 13th) one-year anniversary sale is this weekend, September 22 from 10-6 PM with 15% off everything in the shop except artwork. Plus purchase $20 or more and receive commemorative spice bowl created by ceramic artist Leah Nobilette. Find ceramics from Nobilette, handbags from Seattle’s Crystalyn Kae, jewelry from Mel Stiles (Stubborn) and Cristina Aucone (Modica), and loads more from this gift shop for you, yourself, and you…and them too.
Posted on September 19, 2007 | Filed under sale, shop | Permalink

More than 10,000 pieces of never-worn vintage knitwear Made in America? After WWII, Cleveland’s Ohio Knitting Mills began putting aside a couple of copies of each design it produced for Saks, Pendleton, and even Jantzen. These plus deadstock (cancelled or returned orders) made up the treasure sculptor Steven Tatar happened on a few years back at Ohio Knitting Mills. He now is pulling from this wholly unique stock dating from 1947-74 (check out the OKM website for some mindbending examples of the one-time muscle of American knitwear manufacturing and midcentury design exuberance) for his Brooklyn OKM store.
Next Thursday, September 27 at 6:30 PM Design Within Reach (1200 NW Everett) hosts a preview sale of Ohio Knitting Mills knitwear (Tatar will be on hand) followed by a three-day trunk show.
Posted on September 17, 2007 | Filed under event, shop | Permalink

Flourish fashion show. photo: Pete Springer
In case you didn’t make it up to N Mississippi for the multi-boutique fashion show this past weekend, here are some notes on what you missed. The good news is you’ll be able to find these looks at the participating boutiques including Amalee, Pin Me Apparel, Phlox, Blue, Gypsy Chic, Black Wagon, and Sameunderneath.

from Amalee. photo: Pete Springer
A boutique fashion show (this one featured seven on N Mississippi) does two things. One, it gives you a sense of how the boutique is defining itself (if you have six looks to show, which will they be?) and it lets us get a bead on how fall is going to look in Portland. One never knows how the runway and nationwide trends will play out in Portland. But as many will be buying from the wealth of smaller boutiques we have, we caught a glimpse of the palette from which local women and men will be able to choose as they build fall looks.

from Phlox. photo: Pete Springer

from Amalee. photo: Pete Springer
The dominant look for women is the dress, most often the dress that hangs away from the body, an empire waist with fuller skirt or a trapeze shape. We’re still seeing the kimono influence though it’s just a tail of the comet phenomenon (a metaphor we’ve used half a dozen times in the last week). And while there will be plenty of greys mirroring the NY/Paris runways, there are also mustards and dirty blues and big, fabulous prints. Great looks included the white tie with plaid shirt combo on one of Blue’s male models, the pleated collar coat from Phlox, print dresses from Amalee, Phlox, and Gypsy Chic, a cream evening dress set off with a band of silver sequins, as well as a caution-light yellow swing cardigan from Pin Me.

from Blue. photo: Pete Springer

from Gypsy Chic. photo: Pete Springer
Oh, and the tiny models from Black Wagon killed us. The best look was the little girl in a pumpkin jumper over a black long-sleeve t with her stripey socks and smart black hat, but you’d have to have a cold, dead heart not to appreciate all of the tiny kids shyly hitting their marks at each of the three uplights (we called them “fright lights”…remember holding a flashlight to your chin to scare your sister?) on the stage.
For more on the boutiques including locations and websites, see our mini-guide to N Mississippi here.
Posted on September 17, 2007 | Filed under event | Permalink

a look from Amalee. see Amalee and 6 other boutiques at Flourish
“Flourish” is one of those delicious words that sound as good as they mean, with multiple meanings actually, from thriving to a showy end on a letterform.
Here, we’ll say that flourish has it both ways, a dramatic sleeve or ruffle and a city that supports its independent boutiques and designers (and provides fertile ground for them to support one another)…exemplified in tomorrow evening’s fashion show event featuring a streetful of boutiques’ wares: fall looks from the shops of N Mississippi.
Flourish is a collaborative fashion show with new looks from seven N Mississippi boutiques—Phlox, Gypsy Chic, Sameunderneath, Pin Me Apparel, Blue, Amalee and Black Wagon—as well as a silent auction and raffle to coincide with the street’s regular Mississippi Social (music, drink food) this Thursday, September 13 (that’s tomorrow). At the corner of N Mississippi and N Beech beside Amnesia Brewing, the fashion show’s at 7 PM, with auction and raffle beginning at 6 PM. There’s a $2 suggested donation all benefiting the Historic Mississippi Business Association and Albina Youth Opportunity School.
Posted on September 12, 2007 | Filed under event | Permalink

Making it all too easy, a number of Portland boutiques (and one import from Hood River) gang up for the PDX Collective Warehouse Sale that is not in a warehouse at all but at Apotheke (1314 NW Glisan). Shoefly, Nolita, Physical Element, Bubble Boutique, Pin Me Apparel, Phlox, Moxie, and Parts + Labour (from Hood River) are hauling the goods to Apotheke, marking goods from lines like Tibi, Three Dot, Seven for all Mankind, True Religion, Orla Kiely, Manoush, Prana, Stella McCartney for Adidas, Charles David,
Kors, Camper, and Free People down from 50-70%.
It goes down one day only, this Saturday, September 15 from 11-6PM. Cash preferred, but Visa, MC, and AmEx accepted.
Posted on September 11, 2007 | Filed under event | Permalink

Tomorrow, for one delightful day, get 20% off all handbags at The Bee and Thistle (120 NW 10th Avenue) in its excellent new Pearl District location (just back of the Gerding Theater at the Armory). That’s Tuesday, September 11.
This is alphabet sale month at the Bee, apparently, and their somehow up to H before we even figured that out. We’re not dead yet, though, and can pop in tomorrow and pick up not only a handbag, but also a schedule of the rest of September’s sale days.
Posted on September 10, 2007 | Filed under sale | Permalink

Just as you were thinking that we were heading into fall and that you might be able to wear those new boots, the mercury leaps back with heat forecasted for the rest of the week. Sick of your summer footwear? No problem. Moxie (2400 E Burnside) is putting all shoes (even sale shoes) on sale at 25% off through September. Wear ‘em now, then stow ‘em for next spring. Excellent.
While you’re there, check out vegan handbags by Matt & Nat.

Posted on September 10, 2007 | Filed under sale, shop | Permalink
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