FashioNXT: Where China, Technology, and Project Runway Meet
FashioNXT is… well, next in the succession of busy fall runways. By far the most polished of the lot, this edition moves from its longtime home in the shipyards to the Pearl, a setting FashioNXT Executive Producer Tito Chowdhury tells me is “exponentially more beautiful… real big boy production,” and I’m inclined to believe him.
The lineup is typically a bit soup-to-nuts, but resolutely forward-thinking. Notably, the shows kick off with night called “China Moments,” showcasing visiting designers from Shenzhen: Lu Yu, Nganlok, and Song Hong. Says Chowdhury, “Shenzhen fashion has been showing (at Mercedez Benz) Fashion Week’s ‘Fashion Shenzhen’ since 2013. Choosing Portland as the only city in the US outside of New York for a runway show affirms the regard FashioNXT has earned internationally. They are testing this market to see whether Portland is aware and worldly enough for them to stay engaged.” (No pressure, guys.) It’s far from the first time the production has dipped its toes in international waters, and while it sometimes feels out of context, these moments are typically some of the most breathtaking.
The crux of FashioNXT’s identity is an exploration of the dual advance of technology and fashion, and to that end we have the Digital Trends Wearable Technology Fashion Competition, featuring such items as a bracelet that charges your phone and a purse with ambient LED lighting—to be judged by designers and editors, along with representatives from Samsung, Nike, Intel, and more.
It’s also well known that FashioNXT has become a West Coast haven for the collections of Project Runway veterans, including some of our Portland’s many past winners. Champs like Seth Aaron and Michelle Lesniak will show, as well as Goga by Gordana, Irina Shabayeva, and habitual showstopper Michael Costello. Representing the region are the contestants in the Up/NXT Emerging Designers Competition (of which I am one of the judges), last year’s winner Amy Sim, and Portland designers Sonia Kasparian and Stephanie D Couture, along with Seattle’s Atiz, South Dakota’s Lenzanita, and LA’s Walter Collection.
FashioNXT, Station Place, NW 9th & Northrup, Wed Oct 8-Sat Oct 11, 6 pm reception, 8 pm runway nightly, fashionxt.net for complete info, including after parties
