Opening night makes us dread winter even more

White stretch limos, purple spotlights, recycled material and a shipyard warehouse pulsing with up-tempo beats could only mean one thing: Portland Fashion Week is finally here! Wednesday night marked the debut for designers to showcase their 2011 spring and summer lines at the Vigor Industrial Shipyard on Swan Island. The atmosphere was thick with excitement, broken only by the flashes of light as photographers captured the moment.

The warehouse was divided into two sections by a long, black curtain. The first contained an art exhibition put on by Project Ethos, an organization that focuses on merging art, music and fashion to promote new talent and connect them with prospective buyers. The show included displays by local artists, including Amy Stoner, an encaustic painter who burns images into colorful wax, and Jesse Reno, who uses oil pastels, acrylics and pencil to create thought-provoking works with a tribal and urban flair, among others who put on a good show.

Further in was the “Junk to Funk” collection which promoted being “fashion forward” by creating eco-fashion out of recycled materials. Signs in front of the models compared the processes of “fashion as usual” which can use sweatshop labor, create pollution and ruin habitats, versus the idea of being “fashion forward” which is locally made, uses existing materials and has a low impact on the environment. After all, it couldn’t be PFW without recycled garments! Designers Traci Price, Taylor Stevenson, Jen Lamastra and Ruth Waddy used innovative materials such as window treatments, disposable airline pillowcases, baseball caps and used men’s dress shirts to create unique and stunning gowns.

On the other side of the curtain was where the real fun began. The first thing I noticed was the long black solar panel runway stretching down the middle of the room. To the left, designer Dawn Sharp’s models were holding signs that read things like “Winter is Over! (If You Want It)” which was a little depressing, considering we haven’t even started it yet, and her bright floral dresses that make you wish summer never ended didn’t help either. Her show consisted of a model “spring,” standing up on a pedestal literally chained in the bondage of winter. The models around her held signs to “Free Spring 2011.” Over the course of the night, she relinquished her chains and spring was.

Emily Christensen, designer for Filly, showcased a beautifully simple collection of cream- and taupe-colored dresses that would be a perfect outfit for any hot summer’s day. She found her inspiration when she saw a collage of a woman in Morocco in the ’30s wearing a beautiful, simple white dress with a belt.

“I design for women who are comfortable in their own skin, and enhance that beauty,” she said. Christensen keeps all her designs very streamlined and only uses ties instead of fasteners or clasps, which add bulk and draw attention, making the beautiful, confident woman showcasing the dresses the main focus. The seven models looked very comfortable and fresh in her designs as they relaxed on wooden chairs and played with Christensen’s dog Bello, who stole the attention and hearts of those passing by.

Menswear designer Adam Andreas uses black and teal as the color story for his take on sportswear. He utilized knitted skinny ties, stripes and metallic detailing to add a hip and urban twist to take sportswear to the next level.

He started with basics such as a tan button-up shirt paired with a black short-sleeved sweater and black shorts. Add a striped knitted tie complete with a trendy clip, and there you have Andreas’ take on sportswear for men looking to mix up their everyday wardrobe. Every piece was practical and good-looking—guys can’t go wrong with this line.

The installation show launched fashion week off to a great start that gave fans a little taste—enough to leave them hungry for more. The designers showcased high-end fashion while keeping in mind an aesthetic that is relevant to the Portland style and way of life. Surely everyone who attended is ready to just skip winter and head straight into spring. ?