It’s not a fashion show, it’s not a Happening, it’s not a souk, it’s a…science fair? The 06 version of the Mercury fashion show (a group show of PDX designers) sold out the Wonder Ballroom. So how do you follow-up that kind of success? By…not doing a fashion show!
Marjorie Skinner, who in addition to being the managing editor of the Mercury, has been producing the Merc fashion show for a couple years now (because she’s crazy and doesn’t have enough on her plate) has been irked by the fact that during a runway show, the goods march by at such velocity a girl can’t See for seeing. So the Merc crew hatched the idea of doing more of a static exhibition that one could wander through, cocktail in hand, taking one’s time to look things over. (They were specific about the cocktail, if vague on other details.) Marjorie mentioned the analogy of the “old school science fair,” which made us think of papier-mache models of volcanoes, but we’re picturing installation art meets massive multiplayer trunk show.
Theirs is a comendable idea: that the non-runway format will mean that emerging designers and those without enough production muscle to put on a full-collection fashion show can get their work seen and that jewelry and accessory designers will get their due. The show will be juried by designers Adam Arnold, Holly Stalder, and Lisa Hough (of the retail arm of Souchi), in addition to Marjorie, herself, and others TBA.
This all goes down in April. For now, they’re putting out a call for submissions. Email to inquire.
updated Thursday January 11 2007 5:50
WHAT TO DO NOW?