Fresh

To start, I must say that the people I am about to write about are very close friends and loved ones, and this may give me a biased journalistic angle. I am confident, however, that you will agree with me that they are noteworthy creative people, doing progressive and cool things.  I hope that this insight into their world inspires readers to subscribe to their blog, buy some of their wares, attend their event, go make something themselves, or better yet, all of the above.  I give you How We Develop and Content 09.

How We Develop is a collective of creatives based in Portland centered around their passion for fashion, Art, Design and creative exploration as a whole.  Clothing designer and seamstress Gretchen Jones, Jewelry designer Anna Korte, and graphic designer and illustrator Ada Mayer met through mutual friends, and began working together immediately in 2008.  Gretchen and Anna both enlisted Ada’s help with their respective identities, marketing efforts and web presence, and the alignment of their tastes and creative aspirations led to the birth of their blog, How We Develop in the summer of 2009.

How We Develop’s mission was simple – To share the things that inspire a group of creative people to create things. Finding “inspiration in the extraordinary, the simple, the distant, and the timeless”, How We Develop takes on a format familiar to the blogosphere, while bringing a fresh perspective, background and voice to the canon of multi-authored creative blogs.  They all come from different geographic, creative, professional and educational backgrounds, but seem to share a collective set of goals and ideals, which creates interestingly varied content.

In starting the blog, and venturing across states together to sell and promote their wares and services at trade shows and vendor meetings, the authors soon realized something important – That the fashion / creative game they were playing hinged on meeting and interacting with countless other like-minded players; that building on inspiration from others, and sharing the fruits of ones’ own labors was equally as important as personal professional perseverance.  This is the thinking behind their upcoming event at Portland’s Ace Hotel, Content.

Content will occupy the entire 2nd floor of The Ace, allowing designers to take over each hotel room and transform it to their liking to convey the unique identity and vision of their individual brands. The event “is designed, in its curation of talent and selection of venue, to harness and highlight the individuality stemming from the independent fashion community”.  Although How We Develop will collectively occupy one of these rooms, creating the environmental translation of their brand identities and visions together, this event will by no means be all about them. Designers of all types will be involved, from clothing to accessories, 35 in total, will be given a chance for exposure, under the Context of their choosing. Brand offering range from frilly dresses to carved wooden sunglasses to feathered hats, so the experience of drifting through the 28 rooms will truly be a unique and hyper-sensory one.

In addition to the fashion element, HWD has invited multiple fine artists to realize installations in the Cleaners reception space adjacent to the hotel, and has booked a diverse bill of musicians and DJs to play in the Cleaners and hotel lobby and mezzanine. There will be cash bars and refreshment tables scattered throughout the space as well, so those of age can enjoy a glass of wine as the stroll around and soak in the creative energy (although the event is all ages over all) It has all of the ingredients of an inspiring creative whirlwind of an evening, and I for one am quite excited to see it unfold.

For more information on the event visit the official website.  Hope to see you there!