As the 2010 New Year (and the start of Fashion Week) ushered in the tragic loss of Alexander McQueen, the dynamic duo Elizabeth Mollo & Erin Cry of Doomtown Productions decided to celebrate. They brought Portland another chapter of Doomtown’s biannual Sweet F.A., which bills itself as a rock and roll fashion show. The festive theme of this year’s production was in the show’s program: The beginning of a new decade through fashion, music and the people of Portland in order to generate this environment.” The show took place last Saturday at the Fez Ballroom littered with confetti and balloons. The nippy February night called out an average sized group to enjoy the spring collections of Alexis Buck, Amy Elizabeth Couture, Cano Apparel, Carolyn Hart Designs, Adam Andreas, Alyson Clair, Flood Clothing, Owl Haus, and Squeak Designs. The fashion show opened with Alexis Buck’s hard-hitting leather and lace outfits. For S/S 2010, Buck showed hot pants, bolero jackets, vests and maxi mini skirts in glossy black leather. Following the black trend, Amy Elizabeth Couture focused on dimensions with black bubble skirts and voluminous capped sleeves. Briana Cano of Cano Apparel brought a gentle touch to the show with casual, basic ready to wear with baby blue and khaki  fabrics. Carolyn Hart with her eponymous line was polished as always. Hart opened with silk dresss with multicolored quill patterns. Her trademark short, classy skirts were paired with asymmetrical tops. Like other designers, Hart also used a black color palette for spring. Menswear was not to be ignored with Portland favorite Adam Andreas. His S/S 2010 collection was dark with grey, tweed, and black. His interpretation of tie-dye is a must for any man’s spring wardrobe with his tie-dye jeans. Alyson Clair is a sensible and enjoyable addition to any fashion show. Her S/S 2010 presentation captured her love of vintage inspired pieces with knee length, tank dresses. They were body-conscious for all bodies, which makes Clair a winning designer in Portland. She exemplified the three F’s: flirty, fun, and flounce. The bohemian looks of Flood Clothing focused on a blue and black color palette. I was exceptionally fond of the Mondrian, color block dress with black tulle overlay. I must also declare, the one leg pant look was bold! The show closed with the eclectic designs of Owl Haus. I was perplexed over how heavy this collection was for spring. The designers Jessica Rogers and Ginger McCabe showed practically no skin with embellished and patchwork garments. Their admiral jacket reminded me of the A/W 2009 “It” Balmain jacket. The success of Sweet F.A. comes from an unassuming, celebratory production created by the ever lovely Elizabeth Mollo and Erin Cry. Even as I pulled confetti off my Fendi shirt over the din of foot stomping models, I realized there was an organized, magnificent chaos at Sweet F.A.                                Photos by Rebekah Roberson

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