A Sweet Rhyme

Lily + Jae at Frances May (1013 SW Washington). Tonight’s a trunk show at the fresh faced West End boutique with looks from the Vancouver B.C. line and sorbet cocktail floats from Saucebox. Hello spring.

Lily + Jae at Frances May (1013 SW Washington). Tonight’s a trunk show at the fresh faced West End boutique with looks from the Vancouver B.C. line and sorbet cocktail floats from Saucebox. Hello spring.

Today is the opening day of Mario’s Women’s Designer Sale. One of few shops in Portland carrying a raft of top-flight Euro and NY designers, Mario’s is doing 30-40% off apparel and accessories.

We often think that a good pair of sunglasses trumps every other accessory or clothing item, but sunglasses can’t go it alone. Visage Eyewear (1064 NW Johnson) hosts a fashion show/trunk show featuring looks from Mabel & Zora, Popina, and Olive shoes paired up with their Sama line. The fashion show on June 6 at 7:30 is followed the next day by a day-long trunk show.

The barometer swings to and fro, but it’s a grand day to plan for balmy days ahead. And too that end…may we introduce designer Sara Barner who recently moved to Portland from Brooklyn. Originally trained as a jeweler (go to her website to see her extraordinary jewelry line…organic, seed-pod like shapes executed in high craft style), the Parsons grad began working with a leathersmith in New York, learning traditional leather craft. That led to her line of richly beautiful leather bags and wallets made of Italian calfskin and English bridle leather.


This spring, Barner has introduced a line of beautifully low-key rustic sandals. Possibly the best thing about them is that she builds them to fit your foot at prices comparable to or less than off-the-rack sandals. See all of the styles here.
In Portland, find Barner’s bags and wallets at Halo (1425 NE Broadway) and Tumbleweed (1812 NE Alberta).
Through Memorial Day at moulé (1225 NW Everett), the Pearl’s most cosmopolitan design emporium, find a sale on object and apparel. This weekend, all clothing is buy one, get another at 30% off; add another one, get 50% off. And for giftware and accessories, if you spend more than $100, you’ll save $25.
Women’s Wear Daily did a little piece on Portland fashion and shopping this past week, (May 8, 2008) managing to avoid some of the usual cliches.
Among fun facts about the city’s economy (noting multiple times that Portlanders are willing to spend for apparel and accessories), weather (we all wear hooded jackets because it’s always misty here), and pinot-noir-Beast-Stumptown-breweries, the piece discusses Portland Fashion Week, which is scheduled this year for October 8-12, with emphasis on the event’s sustainability and longevity, mentioning designers Suzi Johnson of Souchi, Leanne Marshall, Anna Cohen, and Sameunderneath.
The article calls out Jeri Rice and Mario’s, as one might expect as they are the heavy lifters when it comes to European labels, Mercantile (in its new amazing space), Odessa, a pioneering boutique (years in the Pearl District before it was the Pearl and in the West End on the cusp of its becoming the West End), Twist (for jewelry), and Sameunderneath’s shops, the little brand that could! Sameunderneath has 100 wholesale accounts in four countries. Serious.

photo via Moxie
Moxie’s (2400 E Burnside) Spring Sale runs through May 16 with 15% off everything in store with the exception of visual art. Find Jordache and LTB jean, goods from master remixers PreLoved, Covet, and more. Handbags, dresses, jewelry, tops, every little thing they do is right on (and won’t break the bank).
Flutter(3948 N Mississippi) celebrates its anniversary with a soiree this Thursday, May 8 from 5-9 PM. Besides music, food, and drink, the party will be populated by models in Frocky Jack Morgan.

Are your ears ringing? Because Lucky’s talking about you. (Thanks Modi of IDOM for the scan.) Lucky Magazine, you know, the magazine about shopping, has shopped Portland, and writer Emily Hsieh calls out a heaping dose of our favorite independent boutiques. Among those included in the piece are Amalee, Canoe, Flutter, Hazel Grayslayer (jewelry designer Hazel Cox’s new studio shop in the 811 E Burnside building next door to the former Denwave space), Hermitage, Idom, Life + Limb, Lille Boutique, Liza Rietz and A Broken Spoke, Mario’s, Moule, Nolita, Odessa, Olio United, Seaplane, Stand Up Comedy, The English Dept., and Una. Whew!
via Amalee Boutique, photo: Joey Bloom
Cast off those slacks, the woolen stockings! That unfamiliar glow, that warmth, that’s the sun!
Listen, you need a new dress. And if we had anything to do about it, we’d want you to get a new dress on sale. Just your luck: N. Mississippi’s Amalee Boutique (909 N Beech, just off N Mississippi) celebrates their one-year anniversary this weekend, May 3 and 4, with a 15% off sale. It’s like a party favor, beautiful.