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Charis Michelsen covered Mercedes-Benz of Wilsonville Portland Fashion Week like none other.
Author Charis Michelsen posing in front of The Nines Hotel wearing “On 3th Street” by Macy’s.
Portland Fashion Week, the Most Eco-Fabulous and Inclusive Fashion Week of All, Is Leading the Fashion Industry in Making a Positive Impact
By Charis Michelsen for EGW GLOBAL MAGAZINE
New York, Paris, and Milan all come to mind when one thinks of fashion week, yet one city harbors the most progressive and inclusive fashion week of all – Portland, Oregon. Portland Fashion Week, the Sundance™ of all fashion weeks and third oldest fashion week in the US, has been lauded by Vogue for being the first fashion week in the world to uplift sustainable and plus-sized apparel and has been hailed as “The best indie fashion week in the USA.” by Time, “The world’s most sustainable fashion week.” by Book Moda, and “The world’s only carbon negative fashion week.” by Huffington Post.
Through annual events, Portland Fashion Week brings national and international fashion lovers together, such as designers, stylists, models, and the media, to uplift its “slow fashion” philosophy which is founded on non-impulsive buying, respecting the quality and value of clothes, as well as their origin, and sustainable practices including reducing, reusing, and recycling.
Emmy award-winning Portland Fashion Week Executive Producer Tod Hunter Faulk, who’s produced fashion shows for Lady Gaga and Ecopolooza, the world’s first 100% sustainable and solar-powered fashion show, and created and produced the Portland Fashion and Style Awards, leads the fashion world in making a positive impact, along with his amazing team, which includes Tod’s extraordinary right-hand man, Portland Fashion Week co-producer, and Portland city champion, Kirt Elliot. Portland Fashion Week’s ethical and transparent business practices have redefined the CFDA’s fashion week business model, and its beautiful philanthropic efforts have supported new and expecting mothers, the hungry, the homeless, an annual clothing drive in honor of veterans, emerging entrepreneurs through being charter member mentors of the US State Department’s Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative, a foundation where 100% of profits are donated to various charities, and up-and-coming fashion designers via a scholarship fund.
Dedicated to being cruelty-free, plastic-free, and cutting edge in actively making a change for the positive, Portland Fashion Week is a signatory on the Paris Climate Accords, a Solve ambassador, a Green Street Steward, has planted a fifteen thousand tree forest, making Portland Fashion Week the only carbon negative fashion week on the planet, and has even saved a critically endangered salmon. Portland Fashion Week has also uniquely employed a handmade, sustainable bamboo runway and a custom solar panel runway for its shows.
Being the leader of “green fashion,” Portland Fashion Week has been approached by renowned brand Anthropologie to create “The Portland Collection” featuring Portland apparel designers, and has been tapped by Hollywood to promote its films via Hollywood-based partner Allied Global, a full-service integrated marketing agency working with the world’s largest entertainment, consumer, and lifestyle brands. Portland Fashion Week can also boast that more of its alumni than any other city have gone on to win Project Runway, such as Leanne Marshall, Seth Aaron, Gretchen Jones, and Michelle Lesniak.
Portland Fashion Week’s sponsors are top leaders in fashion, beauty, and style, such as Macy’s, which employs a sustainability program that’s anchored in managing its environmental impact and caring for the people making its products. Macy’s sustainable label On 34th, which strikes a beautiful balance between classic and contemporary, with enduring, uplifting, functional, and beautiful fabrics, was one of the stars of Portland fashion Week 2023. Macy’s On 34th clothing and accessories are proudly featured in the images for this article, and are worn with Jimmy Choo’s Love 100 heels.
Another of Portland Fashion Week’s conscious sponsors is MAC Cosmetics, one of the best cosmetic brands in the world. MAC is dedicated to inclusivity and protecting the planet by continuing to improve the sustainability of its packaging, along with protecting its customers by using only safe, good-for-skin ingredients. MAC has raised more than $500M in support of people and communities in need through its fabulous MAC VIVA GLAM campaign, where 100% of the selling price of its MAC VIVA GLAM Lipstick goes to organizations and programs aimed at creating healthy futures and equal rights for all. MAC cosmetics are proudly featured in the images for this article that showcase some of fall 2023’s hottest beauty trends such as glowing skin, latte, minimal, and grunge-meets-glam makeup, and burgundy goth-glam nails.
TIPS TO GET RUNWAY-READY GLOWING SKIN:
* To create a subtle healthy glow for the skin, mix a drop of a luminizer, such as MAC Strobe Cream, into your facial moisturizer or foundation and apply as usual. As an alternative, or if you have an oily skin type, try applying the mixture strategically where you would apply a highlighter.
* To create a natural highlight effect, don’t powder areas of the skin you might want a glow such as your cheek area. You’ll create a fresher-looking appearance for the skin by leaving certain areas of the skin dewy.
* To create a glow for dry skin:
STEP 1: Warm a little facial moisturizer, such as MAC Hyper Real Skin Canvas Balm™ Moisturizing Cream, facial oil, or shea butter in the palms of your hands by rubbing them together.
STEP 2: Press your palms onto the cheeks, eyelids, or other areas of the skin where you desire to add a dewy glow.
* To create a glow if you have an oily skin type, apply a powder highlighter, such as MAC Mineralize Skinfinish, only to those areas where you want to add a sheen. Don’t apply highlighter products on your T-zone because doing so may make your skin appear more oily.
* To control shine while maintaining a healthy glow, apply powder:
STEP 1: Along the sides of the bridge of the nose.
STEP 2: In-between the eyebrows, directly above the nose.
STEP 3: To any area where you want more shine control, such as your T-zone.
NOTE: Try using MAC Studio Fix Powder for these steps.
Exfoliating the skin can help keep your complexion glowing. If you choose to exfoliate your skin, choose to do so gently, only once a week at night, using round-beaded scrubs and/or a washcloth, or choose products that contain gentle ingredients such as enzymes or acids in low strengths, such as alpha hydroxy acid or glycolic acid. NOTE: Try using MAC Mineralize Volcanic Ash Exfoliator to keep your skin fresh and glowing.
— Excerpts from the book Hollywood Beauty: The Art of Star Makeup by Charis Michelsen
See the article “How to Wear Fall 2022 Beauty Trends to Look Your Best” for additional information on how to get glowing skin.
The epitome of luxury, Mercedes Benz of Wilsonville, is another celebrated Portland Fashion Week sponsor, and was the host of Portland Fashion Week 2023. A gorgeous Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 SUV from Mercedes Benz of Wilsonville is featured in this article. Visit Mercedes Benz of Wilsonville for exceptional automobiles and spectacular high-end, white-glove customer service.
Celebrated locally and globally, Portland Fashion Week has worked to establish good relationships with other countries such as China as well as with international fashion celebrities such as artist Noritaka Tatehana, who designed the heelless shoes famously worn by Lady Gaga.
When visiting Portland, the coolest city in the US according to Betway Insider, to attend Portland Fashion Week, stay at Portland’s number one luxury and eco-conscious hotel The Nines, which inhabits the landmark Meier and Frank building in the heart of Portland’s historic downtown. The Nines has earned LEED Silver Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. It saves 500,000 gallons of water annually, uses only “Green Seal” certified cleaning products, and gets 100% of its energy from renewable resources. A supporter of the arts, the Nines commissioned stunning original works by Portland artists, curated by Paige Powell, a Portland native, and confidante of Pop Art legend Andy Warhol, to enhance its beautiful and naturally lit seven-story atrium, which includes views of the city and the surrounding Cascade Mountains. The Nines also features a library of books from local icon Powell’s Books, so guests can enjoy total relaxation while visiting.
Portland Fashion Week has been nominated for “The Best Award” for Local Portland Businesses, “The Most Sustainable Company in Oregon” by Friends of the Columbia Gorge, and was asked to showcase a collection by Portland’s own City Hall.
The world is excited to see how Portland Fashion will continue to elevate the city of Portland within the world fashion community and lead all fashion, style, and beauty communities going forward. Portland Fashion Week is open for all to attend. Visit portlandfashionweek.net to get tickets.
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