The Dress Code: Good, Bad and Ugly Visits the Rose City

Welcome to the Dress Code, where we celebrate, critique, commend and (on occasion) condemn fashion trends, shows, designers, boutiques, events and everything in between. From the couturiers and costumers to the retail clothiers and quirky DIY crafters, fashion--good and bad--is everywhere. The Dress Code is where we wear our hearts on our sleeves and write about it all.

This week the Dress Code ventures to the Rose City, interviewing two women shaping Portland's fashion scene.

The Good: Portland fashion designer and Project Runway winner, Leanne Marshall

How is living in New York? How does a soft-spoken, quirky and self-proclaimed "underdog" west coast transplant fit in with the NYC fashion scene? Any fun clients and/or developments with the change in location?

I'm really loving living in NY now. I just got a new place in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It was a really tough transition from Portland and it took me a good year and a half to finally adjust and start to get the flow and rhythm of that nonstop city. There were a lot of times that I thought I'd move back to Portland at first, but now I'm starting to feel like a New Yorker. Portland is certainly my second home and I love to go visit every chance I get. That's the key to maintaining my sanity, escaping that crazy go-go-go city at least every two months and going somewhere quieter and nice and calming.

According to your Etsy site, you’re working mainly on bridal collections? What inspired that transition?

Yeah, ever since Project Runway and especially in the past year I've been getting a lot of bridal requests. It's something that I never really thought about doing before much, but I really enjoy working one on one with clients and it's a lot of fun designing and making beautiful gowns that women are going to wear on their special day. I'm currently working on a small Ready to wear bridal collection.

Any hopes (for us) of you moving back to Portland?

It's actually my dream and goal to have a place in Portland and a place in NY that I can bounce back and forth from. :)

Where can we find your garments? Are any boutiques carrying your line?

Leanne: I have various dresses and things online, and on my Etsy page and I'm currently developing Fall 2011. This last season I took a break from a spring ready to wear collection, to further develop a stronger business plan and I've been very focused on the bridal market in the meanwhile.

How has the Pacific Northwest influenced your perspective on fashion—from your personal wardrobe to what you create?

I'm very inspired by nature. My Project Runway collection was inspired by the waves in the Willamette River, and I'm always taking shapes and colors inspired by nature. Also, it was only after I lived in Portland that I began to start using a lot of eco-friendly textiles in my collections, which is very much in tune with the lifestyle of people in the Pacific Northwest.

What inspired you to feature a small collection named after the Golden Girls actresses?

Oh, haha! I don't know honestly. They were just names that I gave to two of my bridal ready to wear styles. I'm a big Golden Girls fan, of course. And the first dress kind of reminded me of Betty White's hair, and then Bea Arthur had recently passed so I thought she deserved a dress in her name as well. I still have yet to do the Estelle Getty and Rue McClanahan.

Any styling tips or words of wisdom you can share with our Seattlest readers?

Just to have fun with your personal style, and never follow trends head to toe. Play with prints and don't be afraid to mix different prints colors textures and daywear with looks that are more dressy.

What do you think is the biggest, or at least, most common fashion mistake people make in the Pacific Northwest? What is your “BAD”?

Hmm, the sweatpants in public look is never good. Also, I don't ever want to see another pair of the classic frumpy Ugg boots or Crocs for as long as I live! And men, if you're still popping your collars: un-pop them promptly!

More of "The Good": Portland Fashion Week

We also got a chance to interview emerging Seattle designer, Jesica Milton, 2009 Seamless in Seattle winner, featured in Audrey and Lucky magazines and most recently Portland Fashion Week. Here’s the scoop on PFW’s “goods”, “bads” and an update on fellow Pacific Northwest Project Runway winner, Seth Aaron.

You just got back from featuring your collection in Portland Fashion Week… How was it, really?

Their whole theme was sustainability so this year one of their sponsors was a solar panel company and the runway was made of solar panels... pretty cool. They also did a wholesale market and a public shopping event for the designers in the show so that was awesome. I'm not sure how many buyers came to the shows but buyers definitely came to the wholesale market. From what I heard this year was their best ticket sales ever.

Who were the other designers?

The other Seattle designers were Lizzie Parker, Wyatt Orr & Suzabelle. The big buzz-worthy shows were Project Runway winner of last season, Seth Aaron, and the Pendelton x Opening Ceremony show.

Can you show us what you featured at PFW?


What did you think of Seth Aaron’s new collection? Is he really as nice and lovable as he was on the show?

I didn't actually meet him at PFW, though I was sitting in the waiting room with him for the Project Runway try-outs the year he made it on the show and won. I thought his line was fitting for his inspiration (which was sponsored by the solar panel company), and it was a nicely dramatic runway collection... but I was honestly hoping to see some work that was more representative of the pieces he actually sells and I wanted to see more jackets.

Sounds like a fabulously diverse and interesting show! I love the local and green emphasis, but also cutting edge, fashion forward designers. Go PDX! Any new designers we should know about?

On the night that I showed there was also a contest that they started doing last year to discover and support emerging designers. They select 4 people and then vote after the show... the winner gets a photo shoot and a full set in next year's show. The girl that won this year is awesome! Her etsy site is: http://www.etsy.com/shop/mswood. I'm buying one of the bags that she featured in her line up (she also made her own shoes!).

Same question we asked Leanne Marshall: what do you think is the biggest fashion mistake people make in the Pacific Northwest? What is your "BAD"?

Oh that one is easy I don't even need to think about that: North Face fleece jackets worn with dressy outfits to dinner! When you go out to have a nice dinner to celebrate a special occasion, there always seem to be people seated around you looking like it’s casual Friday at work-- it just kind of ruins the atmosphere, in my opinion. I think that a lot of people in the northwest are dismissive of dressing up, like they are shy or embarrassed of "trying too hard".