The Who’s Who at Portland Fashion Week

September 21, 2010 in Designers - Leave a reply

AMAI UNMEI

Amai Unmei is a contemporary interpretation of classic apparel for the savvy style maven. Known for simplicity, clean lines, and rich eclectic colors, Amai Unmei updates traditional silhouettes with modern fit and impeccable style.

Designer Allison Covington took steps to launch the high-end women’s apparel line under the name Amai Unmei (ah-mah’-ee oon’-may) – Japanese for ‘sweet destiny’.  She was inspired by the Japanese high art of tsutsumi, or wrapping – and, in this case, the wrapping of the body.  Amai Unmei launched its first collection in the Fall of 2006 with a modern twist on the classic fitted coat and bias cut dress.

Amai Unmei has been featured in national and international publications and websites.

ETHOS PARIS

In 2002, Ann Leroux and her daughter Leslie Leroux, came up with the idea of using fashion to change the way business was being done on the global marketplace.  Inspired by the “Trade Not Aid” slogan adopted by developing countries, the pair decided to build a fashion house that embodied Fair Trade practices from the ground up.  They would pay a fair price for raw materials and for the processing and manufacture of clothing that met international standards of fashion and quality.  They would transmit skills and business know-how to their working partners in developing countries and contribute to local communities.  And their garments would be created from organic materials cultivated without harm to the environment or the health of its inhabitants.

LIZA RIETZ

Liza Rietz began designing and sewing custom and retail pieces in 2001. She has been a part of Portland’s artistic clothing community from the beginning of her career, participating in multiple group and independent fashion shows in the area. Her designs have been available nationally in high-end boutiques in Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles and Washington DC. Liza Rietz designs are currently available for both custom and retail at her studio/store “liza rietz” in Portland, Oregon.

Rietz’s modern designs are structured yet feminine, detailed yet wearable, and are created individually, not mass-produced. Rietz designs two small lines annually, producing small batches of each individual design. Though her collections adhere to the seasons, her lines are not season-specific. Instead, Rietz focuses on designing clothes that are versatile and that easily translate to any time of year.

Rietz’s designs are made out of all natural fabrics including cottons, linens, silks, and bamboos. With a small production run of each line, the individuality of each piece exemplifies how clothing can be artistic and expressionistic as well as functional.