If one Swedish budget design giant has come to Portland, can another be far behind? Cross your fingers because H&M (Hennes & Mauritz) is opening in Seattle in University Village in fall 08, and we just know that Portland will be next on the list since they’re slated to open some startling number of stores in the not so distant future. Just as IKEA is the savior of every budget-crunched design lover, so has H&M come to the rescue of many a “very stylish girl.” H&M is the mass shop for which both Stella McCartney and Karl Lagerfeld have done capsule collections, you’ll recall. And we don’t fear for the boutiques because they’ll always have the corner on the piece unique, the extraordinary, the sensational, as well as the editorial eye that puts the look together while H&M will serve to fill in the wardrobe cracks. It will also, with any luck, have the added benefit of being the rising tide that lifts all boats…if there are enough options for interesting fashion at rock-bottom prices, we should see an overall aesthetic uptick in the apparel choices of the general populace, right? Keep Portland Beautiful.
And to file under “keep my house beautiful,” above are the new Havtorn earthenware vases that are something like $12(!) at IKEA. Now if we could only get ourselves to brave the zoo that no doubt IKEA still is, a month after opening out at the airport, we’d be all set. Might this same thought prevent us from driving several hours to Seattle for a cheap dress? Yes.
WHAT TO DO NOW?