PDX Family Prom: A Family That Comes Together Stays Together

Here's a formula for living a life you love: Have great friends, plan cool adventures with them, work hard on projects that make you happy, only work on things that make you tick (or make you money), dress up, don't take yourself too seriously, listen to music, eat yummy food, drink Dry Fly vodka, stay up all night playing with your friends every once in a while (or every weekend or so), meet new great friends and let people you love know it!
Oh, and next year, don't miss the PDX Family Prom! Saturday night at Mt. Tabor Theater Just People threw the best prom Portland has ever experienced! (That is a scientific fact, I checked Wikipedia.) Just Peeps, Marv Ellis and the Platform, DJ Wu and DJ DV8 threw it down all night, and Phil and I MCed between sets, playing co-class presidents announcing superlatives, reminding prom goers to pledge their virginities* and get their prom photos taken by Moon Rok. I finally found a dress (mini gun-metal gray from Sloan boutique on 23rd) after my typical outfitting procrastination; everyone came looking so fly and fresh and steezy in their prom-wear!
(*Just kidding about the virginity pledge.) 56 hot Portland (and Eugene) old friends and new friends met at Bliss Cupcakes and boarded the trusty NW Navigator (aka Jillian Rabe's bus) (Jillian above with photog Shaun Mendiola) for the drive to Mt. Tabor. (We with the Just People/Jillian Rabe bus crew only take safe rides!!) Gorgeous Dry Fly Distillery rep Courtney Olsen Clarke and her hubby Jimmy Clark (from 94.7) miraculously showed up with millions* of tiny bottles of Dry Fly, and Just People manager Colby Hayden stocked the bus with PBR, so don't worry, no one was thirsty. Then we rode the bus and danced and sang and played music and watched music and took pictures and eventually made it back to the Cheerio estate in the woods to stay up all night long! (*Not really millions.) Ah, to be young again.

Top top, May 15th marquee. Above, sexiest couple Leah Haas and Just People drummer Alex Greene. Below, Alex and buddy ball Kevin Blackmore on the bus, Tory looking fly in his glasses and gear, Jillian and Tony "pinning" each other, Erica and Ryan in Bliss, Tim Shroyer and Tony sharing a quick celebratory prom smoke and fabulous Reem and Ari walking the red carpet.Thank you Shaun for all these great photos!! Two photos up, he and his beautiful girlfriend Jillian share a moment of love :) Above, Phil and I onstage, getting into character. (Me: preppy prom queen, Phil: goofy class clown. Oh wait, we didn't really have to do much to get into character.) (I swear I don't know what's going on with the whole prom queen thing.) Below, Just People: Scott leading the assembly line, Ian singing backup vocals and on his electric, and Peter on guitar and Todd kicking ass on bass. Above, Brook and Miss Alison Grise enjoying the micro brews and "de-virginize" prom punch from the bar. Below, Megan, Jillian and Ani looking gorge, and Kerri looking spicy and sexy! Great night is an understatement.

Mercury Show: Don't Miss It (Next Year)

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Well, a week and a half too late to encourage you to come out for the Portland Mercury Open Season fashion show, but I'll give you a little re-cap on it! Huge loving shout out to sponsors of the show--Dry Fly Distillery, Ninkasi Brewery and Art Institute of Portland! All are so supportive of local happenings.
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I had the privilege of helping Andy Lifshutz backstage assisting makeup artist Jeffrey Kyle and WATCHING AND LEARNING AND SOAKING UP ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING JEFFREY SAID AND DID. You see, to learn about makeup, I just did it. I worked hard, threw myself into crazy situations where I had to create under pressure. Create my ability on the spot. I ditched the idea of going to the Jemma Kidd Makeup School in London (for the moment) and just worked. Thank god my hand always seemed to know what it was doing even when I personally had no idea. I'm so grateful I had to work for it and didn't have my hand held through my learning process, but any time I do get the opportunity to watch a pro in action, I do not blink an eye for the entire application. Everything technical I have learned about makeup artistry has been from watching a pro just work.

I had the good luck of meeting Lisa Bass (of LBASS Cosmetics) in Eugene, and I apprenticed as her assistant to get me started--there I similarly absorbed EVERYTHING SHE SAID and trotted along behind her sweeping fabulousness asking question after question after question. I met top Portland makeup artist Kymm Ernst a couple years back on a Portland Monthly Magazine fashion shoot and nannied her beautiful children for a couple summers, constantly grilling her about her experience with photo shoots, magazines, models and makeup. When Andy mentioned he had this great makeup artist for the Mercury show who worked for years with Pat McGrath on the Paris and New York and London shows, and who just happened to mention he needed an assistant, I nearly fell off my bar stool and spilled my tequila sunrise! Hell yes I am free that night! And absolutely I will assist him!

Pat McGrath is my makeup idol. I've been reading about her and studying her work since I opened my first Vogue in middle school. Jeffrey was fantastic, hilarious and endlessly patient with all my questions. Andy's models and I grilled him about all our favorite style.com models he's worked on, and he gave us merry renditions of the crazy high fashion backstage drama. I learned so much new technical, and he was so empowering--he didn't hover or correct anything I did.

Andy's jewelry and armor stood out with the simple but beautiful metal makeup and those hot little body suits. In my opinion, he stole the show. (But then again, I was backstage the whole time.) Mr. Lifshutz is a talented young man. Do not underestimate the power of leather, mixed metals and found objects. ("My materials for this collection were gathered in Berlin, NYC, Mexico and Portland.") He is going to rock your world, so watch him closely. And be proud that he is from Portland and helping lead and represent our movement of fashion design. I brought his work with me to China and it got a lot of attention. Thanks to Lisa Warninger for these great photos.

Awesome job to the models: Dique Scott, Amelia Pape, model Adazoe and ballerina Mia Leimkuhler. I can't say it enough--I love fashion, and I LOVE Portland fashion. There's some good shit happening here.

Beautiful (If Not Entirely Graceful) Life

Join us Saturday night at Mt. Tabor Theater for the PDX Family Prom featuring Just People, Marv Ellis and The Platforms! Why do I always wait till the last minute to find a dress? I'm having flash-backs to all my high school homecomings and proms. Shoes, jewels, even the MAC eyelashes.... all lined up. But dress? Should have rented a dress from Rent the Runway. Or if I had looked in time, ordered this hatchy back dress from Bona Drag. I have to look at least semi-fly--I'm MCing the thing! And whatever I find, it's got to stand up to the bus.

What Is It You Are Setting Out To Find?

Gorgeous Hannah in another teaser from last weekend's Sahlia Michelle Jewelry shoot.

Look For Something, Find Something Even Better

 Our pretty badass crew last Saturday, all working to create a beautiful masterpiece of a campaign for Sahlia Michelle Jewelry Design: Shot by Ben Pigao, makeup by me, hair by Kim Namanny, clothes from Lizard Lounge, jewelry by Sahliah (duh). Everything about this shoot was so perf and gorge. Amazing day shooting down in the rubble in South East waterfront... The sun was right, the girls were hot... it was all the best! (And as usual when I am working with the most wonderful people in the world, I am doubled over laughing pretty much the whole day.) Models were the so best Hannah Gale (Option), Natalie Morris (Muse) Erin Dierking (Option).

Models were the so good: Hannah Gale, Natalie Morris and Erin Dierking. (Hannah is an animal lover too--adopted momma pit bull for the day.) Shaun Mendiola came to hang out and assist Ben. Stay tuned for muuuucch more.

Earth As A Place Of Enjoyment

Today we begin the journey with the smell of spring and the taste of fruit and coffee. Also, a Chanel tattoo, Balenciaga jacket, Alexander Wang dress, and Acne boots, worn by fashion editor and blogger Carolina Blumst in the light of the Stockholm sun.

Below we have a pretty sequined look from Naught Mess Vintage's dreary blog. A couple good finds on the etsy site. Has my impatience for junk really reduced me to shopping for vintage online?? Sigh, I guess one has to sift through piles of useless crap even in the virtual world. All the more reason to shout and holler when I come across something cool!

Sahlia Michelle Jewelry Shoot Inspiration

Here's what Sahlia is thinking for the model styling and makeup for the upcoming shoot for her jewelry collection. Check out her blog to get an idea of the range of different looks she has: everything from hammered metals to stones to leather and mixed metals. I love her work because it is delicate but tough at the same time--a feat that is often attempted but seldom carried off with this level of grace. I brought a case full of her jewlery to China and paired it with May Tee's designs in our fashion show. May wouldn't let me use any other jewelry, and I totally understood.

Manhattan Milieu

Still writing, on draft 15ish. To give myself a brief moment of reprieve, let me share with you my dear friend Lydia's jewelry and headband collection, Manhattan Milieu. After graduation we had a one week intensive art philosophy course together, then she was off to NYC to study fashion merchandising at Parsons and internships at Burberry and Marchesa. Obviously a busy girl. Recently caught up with her on a brief trip into town for some drinks at Portland City Grill. Lydia on her budding accessory collection: "One of the best pieces of advice I've been given since moving to NYC is that the most successful people have things they do on the side. Top executives golf, Marc Jacobs paints, Ina Garten passed her free moments during a career in politics cooking...all inspirational! I've decided to approach this the other way around, so while I'm interviewing, calling and emailing, I'm getting into my 'on the side' project of making headbands and accessories."

Hey DJ, Turn That Sheet Up

I'm sitting with my computer in Bridgetown Pizza on the water (top 40 blaring at top volume), attempting to fend of free shots (failing) and TRYING to write a first draft for a story about our China adventure (again failing), due TOMORROW MORNING. Oh how I love a tight deadline. It's the only way to work, right? At least with writing. Part of my desire to work in makeup was the immediacy of the thing. Do it, it's here, now and over with one round of Clean n' Clear. But writing? Whole other beast. I love it though, and it is making me feel sane again for the first time since I left PDX airport last Friday evening, saying goodbye to my new family of beautiful, inspiring Portland fashion people. It is them I am anticipating tonight (texting them every few minutes, confessing my love and inquiring about ETA), but really I know once they get here, all bets are off (as they say). No more writing, just talking and discussing, dreaming, etc. So despite appearances, I am actually grateful for a moment to begin processing what we've been through, the growth I've experienced.

When One Deals With Words, One Deals With The Mind

This morning... on the last 300 pages of Atlas Shrugged. Feeling inspired by Juliett K, this adorable Polish fashion blogger. Photo from lookbook.nu, my favorite way to start the day.

Starry Eyed Travelers

Here are some of the photos by Shaun from Claire's senior project. The makeup is so dreamy and pretty--Nadia and I had a great time doing it. 

Quick post before I leave for China! I'll take lots of pictures, I swear (I hope). I have so much to talk to you about already! Beijing Fashion Week, watch out!

Fashion Pie

I'm leaving for China in 8 days!! Wow I feel like I have a million things to do. Especially because I am leaving for Las Vegas tomorrow for the whole weekend. Here are photos from the group's trip last year. Top, pre-show rehersal with a beautiful red Sarah Seven dress, then the crowd, all there to see what Portland fashion is all about, then two Sarah Seven looks from the runway. (All the photos are by Leah Nash.) We will be having a show again this year, all thanks to the good fashion people at Beijing Fashion Week and of course the Portland Fashion Synergy board. More about the trip I promise...

Alice And Her Impossible Journey

Mid-high school I gave up trying to be cool and began to crave the light, imaginative weirdness that was so natural to me in childhood. I came to my senses and worked to discover escapes from the daily convention that threatened to deplete my imagination and creativity. In a moment in December 2003 that pulled together all I loved from the past and from the future, I discovered the bright, creative, weird, wonderful Alice in Wonderland shoot by Annie Leibovitz in Vogue.

I had always loved clothes--my mom says the outfits I dressed myself in when I was little were quite... impressive in their originality, and I worked all through high school to support my obsession with beautiful dresses and shoes. I was also forever obsessed with fashion journalism, declaring from 8th grade on that I'd be the next Anna Wintour. When I saw this Alice in Wonderland spread, the possibilities started clicking into place--and since that moment, every time I flip back through the spread something new pulls and inspires me. My favorite model, Natalia Vodianova is a perfect moody, lovely Alice, and designers Marc Jacobs, Karl Lagerfeld and John Galliano are several of the designers who take shape as the Caterpillar, the Mad Hatter and the Red Queen. When we re-read Alice in Wonderland in English class later that year, I brought in the issue to show the class, and I didn't even care that most the class didn't really get it or care. Because frankly, fashion just isn't for everyone.

This post is to celebrate all versions of Alice, and as a thank you for the artists who engage in a dialog with the impossible! Thank you Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, Annie Leibovitz and Grace Coddington. The challenge this week--every day think up six impossible things before breakfast! It's a lovely practice!