While the athletic and outerwear industry dominates the field of sustainable apparel in the Portland area, I discovered there are many other interesting apparel businesses working in the area of sustainable design as well. During my short time in Portland I found the following businesses, some retail and some service providers, worth mentioning, and I am sure there are many, many, more that I did not have time to discover!
Atelier Entermodal (www.entermodal.com). Larry designs amazing hand made leather bags in an open workshop at the back of a shoe store called Halo. The leather smell was divine! And the bags to die for!
Ecovibe Apparel (www.ecovibeapparel.com). A lovely small boutique brimming with eco-friendly fashion.
SEAPLANE (http://www.seaplanedesign.com/events/). Hot independent boutique!
Suchi Knitwear (23rd Ave.). This small, high end boutique features flat bed knit garments produced locally. The designs are unique in that they are designed to fully utilize the knitted fabric, with now waste. And they are gorgeous!
Trillium Artisans (http://www.trilliumartisans.org.) This is a group of artisans focused on craft as a sustainable way to facilitate economic development in the community. Their website explains it well. “Trillium Artisans is an innovative, green, nonprofit community economic development program that empowers artisans and actively connects them to markets. The Trillium name was chosen because the three-pointed trillium flower reflects the triple bottom line principles (people, planet, and profit) of the sustainability movement.
Trillium was founded on John McKnight’s principles of asset-based community development, which finds a way out of the tangled web of poverty by focusing on talents and capacities, rather than what is lacking. In 1994, we conducted an asset inventory of extremely low-income neighborhoods in Portland, Oregon, and found talented residents wanting to sell their handmade goods and build their own businesses.
Looptworks. (http://www.looptworks.com/about.html). This Portland based business repurposes abandoned materials into meaningful, long-lasting and limited-edition products. According to their website, “Instead of using the world’s limited resources to manufacture brand new fabrics, Looptworks uses top-quality, excess materials and components that already exist.” This is a terrific example of a company using waste instead of generating it! Check it out!
Portland Garment Factory. (http://portlandgarmentfactory.com). As they describe themselves on their website, Portland Garment Factory is an independent, lady-owned manufacturing house.” They “manufacture quality apparel in the USA using traditional craftsmanship and sustainable business practices.” The work with both new and established brands and offer low minimum orders. They provide construction, pattern drafting, grading, technical design and design consultation as well as branding and identity creation. This is a full service design hwith classes covering sewing and garment assemblage techniques, apparel, clothing design, fashion industry and business development. This is a great resource for start ups as well as established small manufacturers.
Modern Domestics (http://moderndomesticpdx.com/). This is a workshop focused on the home sewer or small couturier. The workshop is rented by the hour and has machines, cutting tables and classes available.
Portland Sewing Center (http://www.portlandsewing.com/sewing). They bill themselves as “Portland’s premier sewing school with classes covering sewing and garment assemblage techniques, apparel, clothing design, fashion industry and business development.” They offer basic sewing, pattermaking and design courses as well as specialty courses in hat making and working with leather. They even offer apparel business classes in topics such as costing, hiring a sales representative, PR & marketing and creating a business plan.