slides: Recap: Fade To Light 2015 A Multidimensional Fashion Event

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Friday, February 27, 2015

Kemea Smith, GoLocalPDX Contributor

The Crystal Ballroom transformed into an imaginative fashion show, highlighting emerging local talent, for the semi-annual Fade to Light event. 

Local fashion producer Elizabeth Mollo, yet again brought a creative and multilayered show to an audience of fellow designers, Portland fashion fans, and fashion design students.

A range of mostly womenswear collections inspired by tomboy comfort, female metamorphosis, and architectural silhouettes ruled the runway. I would hope in future Fade to Light events, more menswear designers as well as boutiques, will have a better representation. 

See Slides Below: Fade to Light 2015 Slideshow

The length of the show (starting 20 minutes late and ending at nearly 11 pm) should be edited to a more manageable and entertaining hour and a half, to keep the attention of smart phone carrying audience members.    

But overall I’m hoping for more impact and pizzazz in future shows. At the end of the day in order to build Portland’s fashion scene up, there needs to be more collaboration with local musicians, dancers, and performance artists (like in previous years). 

One’s We Loved at Fade To Light 

SKPDX

SKPDX opened with a video of a pale woman wearing dark red lipstick, heavy eyeliner, and her hair slicked back. The video continued to be focused on her face, before the word FIERCE in red popped up. The lighting was low as it started snowing bubbles (looking like dandruff in audience members hair) as models wearing thick dark veils and long winter coats came down the runway. The lights brightened as the same models came back out wearing what they had underneath the coats. The lighting and bubbles were a nice touch to the vampire cultish clothing. 

 

Veil & Valor 

Veil & Valor’s (formally Primal Hunt) video captured what looked like a ritual at Forest Park that involved flower petals and thin blindfolds. Next thing you know a interpretive dancer came out in a fun burnt orange skirt and turquoise and burnished gold puffy top. All the models were missing was the strong Frida Kahlo unibrow, as they strutted the runway wearing fabric floral crowns, animal and feathered patterned wide belts, and asymmetrical skirts.   

WWJJD

“Old school” creative lifestyle clothing collaboration WWJJD, had Portland band LEO play live and model some of the collection. The collection featured an assortment of bulky body covering utilitarian menswear dresses in solid colors like royal blue and silver. My favorite was a long sleek black cape that reminded me of a American Horror Story: Coven ensemble. The highlight of the collection for some women and men, was the shirtless model in nothing but transparent silver white tights, white underwear and sports sandals with black fluffy pompoms. 

Stafanie Says

A small but gorgeous hand dyed collection of active wear and playful futuristic dresses. A particularly exciting look, was a gray and deep turquoise marble patterned long sleeved top with matching high waisted deep turquoise pants. Stefanie Houlis and Stephanie Podasca are definitely ones to watch.

Rogue:Minx

Rogue:Minx had me sold once the playful stuffed animal purses came down the runway paired with chunky platform sandals and minimal collared tops. 
Their everyday edgy looks were updated and grown up versions of Wednesday Addams costumes. 

Michelle Lesniak

Lesniak’s “Falling Upwards” womenswear collection and video, translated into a  poetically whimsical story on the magic of hot air ballooning. I was very impressed by the unexpected theme and how it was represented into spring time colors and airy silhouettes. The sexy and playful hot air balloon patterned swimsuits with thick rope detail and the flowy bright outerwear were eye-catching to say the least. “Falling Upwards” turned out to exceed my expectations, after what I felt was just an ok FashionNXT collection of Great Depression-era inspired clothing.     

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Related Slideshow: Fade To Light 2015: A Multidimensional Fashion Event

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