PNW fashion causes a stir
Fashion: China USA Fashion Week
By Kerry Yu, Fashion Consultant
Whoever said Oregon isn’t a fashion hub clearly hasn’t seen us strut our stuff! Sure, we might not have the Eiffel Tower of Fashion, but with Nike, Columbia and Adidas in our corner, plus a squad of talented indie designers, we are basically the trendsetters of the Pacific Northwest. And let’s be real — does it even matter if Vogue hasn’t discovered us yet?
Lately, our local style mavens have been causing a stir at the China US Fashion Week in LA. Diane Peralta, Jenny and Lillian Chen are our homegrown heroes, painting masterpieces on fabric and turning heads on the runway. The audience went wild for their creations, proving that Oregonians know a thing or two about style.
China US Fashion Week isn’t just about strutting in stilettos — it’s about bridging cultures and supporting emerging talent. Even American fashion royalty like
Nicole Miller showed up to flex their design muscles. One lucky piece even fetched a cool $5k at auction, all for
a good cause.
But the real stars of the show? People like the managing director of wealth management, senior portfolio manager at UBS Financial Service Evans Lam and outstanding woman award winner Phoebe Chen, who are using their financial savvy to uplift models like African-refugee-turned-model Nyanwiy Deng, who went from a chicken meat factory to the catwalk. Talk about a Cinderella story!
And let’s not forget the boss lady herself, The Honorary Chairwoman of China US Fashion Week, Yue Sai Kan, the OG influencer of China. From dating Ted Turner to launching her own cosmetic empire. (Turner dated her before he wed Jane Fonda in the ’90s, what a small world.) Now, she’s spreading her wisdom through her One World Foundation, bringing cultures together one chic event at a time.
I’ve been pulling strings to get Yue Sai Kan to grace Portland with her presence this August. Trust me, you won’t want to miss her. Keep your eyes peeled for updates on her book tour and a chance to meet the legend herself.
Hit up kerryyu@mac.com for all the deets, and check out www.chinausfashionweek.com for the full scoop. Let’s show the world that Oregon’s got style for days!