Portland's Latest Lingerie Looks Revealed at the Annual Unmentionable Fashion Show
On Thursday night fashion show producers Elizabeth Molly and Cassie Ridgway rolled out another installment of Unmentionable: A Lingerie Exposition to a raucous crowd.
Vava Lingerie designer Alyssa Woods doubled down on her lacy black aesthetic with mesh panels and scalloped lace patched together like fantastic art deco quilts. Returning after some years of absence, Rachel Rector remains true to her signature design notes—delicate, color-blocked mesh pieces, mint maillots, and neon binding, in fun, fresh colors. Chubby Cartwheels, always a crowd favorite, offered a cute peekaboo cutout in a black bodysuit and an entire fishnet ensemble, twists on familiar lingerie favorites that rarely get to exist for bodies above a size 12. And in all the years I’ve covered fashion shows, I’d yet to see the combination of a t-strap thong and a mock turtle neck together, until Lost Boy sent it down the runway (along with garters smartly used to keep boxer briefs from riding up). Meanwhile, Thunderpants has achieved a near cult-like following since former Radish Underground boutique owner Celeste Sipes took over the USA expansion from the New Zealand company with it’s incredibly soft cotton for every day undies.
Post intermission, Tova Lis earned props with the sexy scene stealers of the evening, a color blocked mesh and maroon stretch wonder, plus an emerald green bralette and high-waisted panty. Sock it To Me continued their reign of fun patterned socks and expansion into underwear—at this point they are as much a defining Portland element as donuts and rain. One Imaginary Girl designer Sarah Donofrio segued her love of colorful silks in custom prints into a natural continuation of her womenswear line with pajamas. Striped two-piece classics, silky robes and polka dot sleep masks were all adorable. Finally Lille Boutique headlined, as they do every year, with an emphasis on exquisitely made independent lines sources from all over the world. A delicate white body suit with underwire cups under a see-through rain jacket was particularly chic.