Who was missing from the fashion landscape this fall when Portland Fashion Week for once addressed very close to the full spectrum of fashion design talent in Portland? Church & State is Nathaniel Crissman and Rachel Turk who have been quietly making some big moves for 2008. Together Crissman and Turk have been creating understated, fashion forward looks with innovative details and impeccable construction for some years now. Their work has long been a staple at Seaplane (since the days when they were anther.pistil), and in 2006 they were GenArt Styles 2006 International Design Competition finalists (chosen from among something like 152 international designers). They are also among the Portland designers who (in spite of their youth) have reached a level of design maturity that makes Church & State garments recognizably theirs, with a sense of knowing and elegant innocence and incorporating signature elements that they’ve developed in recent years including piping, and more recently, side-cowls on dress and skirt.
We ran into Rachel just before the holiday and she gave us a tiny preview of the Church & State spring line in a gorgeous lookbook she says has just been sent out to select buyers. Their most ambitious collection to date, it includes updates of some familiar (and popular) church & state looks like their button leggings and paper-bag waist skirt as well as a raft of new pieces. What’s new? We were surprised to see a floral print among the pages, until Rachel reminded us that they’ve always incorporated one print into the collection. Can’t wait to see the full line.
Exciting, too, that the duo is finally on the web, if only with a placeholder website at lovechurchandstate.com. Expect more soon.
Meanwhile, read this interview with the couple on Papierdoll and this profile on ULTRA by Patricia No.
WHAT TO DO NOW?