IDOM’s room at Content 09

The Content 09 installation show at the Ace hotel was more fun than I anticipated.  I think that an installation suit me much better than a fashion show.  It allows me to be a bit more calm and creative with how I want to present the work.  Plus I get to do both being a window dresser and a clothing designer.  I wanted to do something a bit creepy for this show.  I took an inspiration from Hitchcock’s film, The Birds.  Beka and I went to the flower market trying to find fake crows and scary looking birds.  Eventually we found owls too.  The concept of yarn came from our fashion shoot from Autumn 09.  My talented friend Marc came up with the idea of wrapping yarns around trees.  I also wanted to just use black and white to echo my pieces.  The black and white yarns went quite well with the clothing details for this Spring/Summer 10 brand new work.  I could not find fake blood that won’t ruin the clothes or the room.  The installation turned out to be more serene and pretty than my original intention.  It is why I love doing windows so much.  You never know how it is going to turn out.  The installation always takes shape on its own term.

My friend Heather helped with for the full 4 hours of installation.  Thanks, Heather!  We had fun.

It was such a pleasure seeing all 35 designers and their rooms.  They were incredible and very creative.  Many thanks to How We Develop, The Ace Hotel, The Portland Mercury, and to everyone who came out and supported our design community.  Can’t wait until next year.  Enjoy your Monday.

Incredible Sami Bracelets

Our buyer Salwa has the best sensibility.  She found these beautiful Sami Bracelets for our shop recently.  They are works of art.  The pieces do take my breath away.  They are quite exquisite.

Aboriginal Sami artisans reside near the Arctic Circle in northern Sweden. Sami People with a 10,000 year old history live in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula in Russia and lived on the land before the rest of the Scandinavians arrived. There are 17,000 Sami (formerly called Laplanders) in Sweden today. Approximately 3,000 own herds, sometimes with thousands of domesticated reindeer (caribou), and reindeer husbandry is their livelihood. Only Sami can own reindeer in Sweden so we support the small indigenous Sami People by buying products made of traditional Sami materials like reindeer leather and reindeer antler. Their unique craft items are admired and sought after worldwide.

Sami embroidery with pewter wire on reindeer leather and fabric has been done for hundreds of years in the Sami culture, and Sami actually invented the spun pewter wire. In the old days, they melted tin to make the wire and then spun it around reindeer sinew entirely by hand. Today, the wires are spun on a small machine.

The beautiful Sami bracelets have been handmade of soft reindeer leather with tanned vegetable dyed. The buttons are handmade of shed reindeer antler.  These bracelets are truly amazing.

Thank you to Marjorie and Minh from Portland Mercury!

Marjorie Skinner from Portland Mercury has been so supportive of IDOM since day one.  I truly appreciated her kindness and her insight.  I also had a pleasure of working with Minh Tran for my first collection here in Portland.  He shot all the pieces beautifully.  I often get some sweet texts from him saying congratulations on all the work.  He is one of the nicest and talented photographer that you will ever meet.  I was so excited that Minh was shooting Portland Mercury cover for Content 09.  I was also very delighted that Marjorie pulled several samples for this shoot.  Many thanks to Marjorie, Minh, and the Portland Mercury team.

The green dress to the right is an IDOM 2010 Spring/Summer piece.  The gold dress to the left toward the back with black belt is another IDOM dress from the same collection.  My mother is taking many copies with her to Bangkok.  Please check out Minh’s beautiful work on his blog here.  I love the concept of the cover and the colours are fantastic.

The Content show was a great success.  Promise to post some photos soon.  It was a pleasure meeting Portland design community.  Thank you to the Ace Hotel and How We Develop team.  You are amazing!

I always look forward to the “Sold Out” Column from Marjorie.  She gave our Fashion Collective Show a very wonderful review.  Please read more of the article here.  You should check out here blog about fashion here. You can also view the slide show from our Fashion Collective with Liza, Fuchsia, Emily and I on her blog as well here.  All photos by Minh Tran.     Many thanks again to Marjorie, Minh and Portland Mercury.

The Nicole Dress (posted by Salwa -IDOM buyer)

We’ve blogged about the Nicole Dress before, but I couldn’t resist doing it again when I recently tried it on for the first time. Although the dress looks intricate (which it is with all its beautiful smocking and draping!), it has to be one of the most comfortable dresses I have ever worn – I didn’t want to take it off! There’s nothing like a dress that both fits well AND makes you feel like a million bucks! I can’t wait to pair it with opaque tights and a blazer!

Off to Content 09 at the Ace

Thank goodness that my friend Lance was so lovely to loan me his car.  I have got loads of things for the installation.  Thank you, Lance!  My friend Beka also took me to the flower market for some props too.  It was a treat to see where Beka spends a lot of her time.  It was a delight hanging out with her in an early morning.  I’m off to pick up my friend Heather from Ziba.  She will be doing the project with me today.  Thanks, Heather!!

We will be in room #216.  This is going to be such a great show.  Please join us in supporting an amazing design community here in Portland.  The show will be on 2nd floor of the Ace Hotel.  Starting from 5 pm until 10 pm today.

www.content-portland.com

Content 09 An Installation show at The Ace Hotel Sunday Oct. 18th

I promise to post some pics from fashion collective show and Portland Fashion Week.  I feel that I have been running around and working like a mad person.  This is the last show for the season.  I need a mini-holiday soon.  Although, I am very excited to be a part of this presentation.  There will be so many amazing designers participating at the Ace hotel this Sunday Oct. 18th.

The inaugural CONTENT event is a uniquely curated exhibit slated to highlight the individuality stemming from Portland’s independent fashion community. IDOM is one of 35 independent clothing and accessory designers who will inhabit 28 rooms on the 2nd floor of the Ace Hotel. Attendees will explore the rooms at their leisure while enjoying live music, libations, art installations and more.  IDOM will be in room number 216.  Please come by and say hello.

When: Sunday, October 18th, 2009

5pm -10pm

Where: The Ace Hotel

1022 SW Stark Street

Tickets: $10 pre-sale / $12 door

www.brownpapertickets.com/event/79208

www.content-portland.com

You might be seeing me running around town for some props tomorrow.  Hope to see you at Content.  Enjoy your weekend.

New Sulu-Design Jewelry are in the shop now!

We are so delighted to have Susan Lutjen’s work from Sulu-Design in our shop.  She is so talented and such a wonderful person.  Her pieces are beautiful and whimsical.  Please come by and see them in person.  They would be perfect for your Autumn accessory.  Here is Susan’s bio.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio
Dabbled in the arts in lots of forms: painting, drawing, photography, ceramics, theater…
Moved to New York City to attend Fordham University, majored in Philosophy and Art History
Taught elementary school in the NYC public school system in the Bronx for 8 years
Began designing jewelry in 2005 in order to have a hands-on, creative outlet and to make beautiful things that a gal on a public school salary could afford
Moved to Portland to save my sanity in 2007 – made lots of changes in my life but continued the jewelry design

“I make each piece by hand, and most pieces are one-of-a-kind.”
sulu-design jewelry is found in special shops in Portland, New York City, and Sweden

Exquisite Brass Composite Round Necklace, $38.

Gray and Orange earrings, $28.

I love this pair of earrings.  My mother is a big fan of Sulu.  She bought 3 pair of earrings and a necklace.  Yes, they are all for herself.  Before they even made it to the shop.  Enjoy your week, everyone.

Off to Portland Fashion Week

So sorry I have been MIA for few days.  Crazy busy with Spring/Summer 2010 Samples.  I’m off to pick up my friends Caitlin and Salwa.  They are kind enough to help me out with the back stage prepping and last minute details.  My mum will be attending my first Portland show tonight.  I’m delighted to have her be a part of this adventure.  After all she was always the one who encourages me to do what I love.  Thanks mum you are the best!

A little sneak peak of a new piece.  Hope you can join us tonight at Portland Fashion Week.  Please visit their site and buy tickets here.  Thank you everyone for wishing me a good luck tonight.  See you soon!

IDOM at Portland Fashion Week Friday Oct. 9th

It is going to be busy month at IDOM.  We will be showing our Spring/Summer 2010 Collection at Portland Fashion Week on Friday Oct 9th.  Then Fashion Collective with Liza, Fuchsia, and Emily for Autumn Winter o9/10 will be on Monday Oct. 12th.  Content Installation at the Ace with take place of Sunday Oct. 18th.  Lots more information to come.

Here are some fabric samples from Spring/Summer Collection.  This inspiration for the season came from the work of Martha Graham’s contemporary dance.  The fabric in this collection represents the motion of the dances and its movement from the bodies.  There are lots of softness and warmth into this spring summer palette such as gold, silvery green, and gray.  Of course there are still some prominent of black.  Techniques of draping and fabric manipulation are employed to achieved the fluidity of movement.

Friday, October 10—Portland Fashion Week

IDOM will preview pieces from its spring/summer 2010 collection.
Shows begin at 8 pm. at Vigor Industrial Shipyard

For more information and to buy tickets, please visit: http://www.portlandfashionweek.net/

Every Grain of Sand Blouse

I fell in love with this fuchsia silk fabric back in New York.  The colour and the softness will bright up the day in the long gray autumn winter months.  There are some folding details with cobalt silk fabric along the hem and end of the sleeves.  It was like folding paper airplanes.

Every Grain of Sand Blouse 100% Silk, $126.  Enjoy your weekend, everyone!