Last week I headed up the hill to meet new Portland transplant Kate (along with her husband George and two cats) to learn more about the Saco born designer behind Filia. Though Kate has no formal design or sewing background, you’d never know it. Her story is like many other dressmakers and seamstresses in Portland - her Mom taught her at a young age and from there she taught herself. Her dresses are the perfect mix of figure flattering and colorful. All of her designs are created using crisp cotton poplin, lightweight linens or a mix of both. Come spring, I’ll be picking up a plethora to add to my wardrobe. In the meantime, I’ll just wear them with tights.
Don’t forget to support Kate and other local businesses this Saturday and SHOP SMALL Portland!
1/ Cotton Poplin skirts you can purchase here 2/ Yoga Bags (email kateomakes@gmail.com if you’d like to purchase any - great holiday gifts!)
Who doesn’t love handmade dresses from aspiring designers? Seated next to our retro red gal was this young designer. A junior at MECA, this New Hampshire native was selling her summery frocks at First Friday. We loved the simple silhouettes and button details at the front. Make sure you find her next month and if you can’t wait that long, shoot us an email and we’ll give you her info.
Some people are born with style. Mandy Wheeler just happens to be one of them. Mandy, owner of Grandma June, was passed down a sense of style from her shop’s namesake, her beloved Grandmother. “My Mom always tells this story of my Grandmother picking her up from school. She’d be the Mom that would walk down the hallways and kids would stick their heads out of classrooms and wonder who she was,” says Mandy.
Though Mandy occasionally sells an item or two from her Grandma’s collection, most of her items are culled from estate sells, auctions or personal viewings. “I started this shop because I wanted to sell beautiful clothes. I never put anything in the shop that I wouldn’t personally wear,” she says. “I want people to see my style distinctly.”
Mandy runs her shop out of her South Portland apartment. Her bedroom walls are covered in beautiful vintage hats. A screen pulls down from her ceiling for impromptu fashion shoots for her site. And if you walk through the swinging door to her walk-in closet, you’ll see a carefully selected collection of dresses, shoes, purses and coats. It’s a vintage lovers dream.
Every piece of clothing in Grandma June has a story. One of her most prized posessions is a wedding gown from 1954 that comes with it’s original head piece, gloves and a garter with a penny the bride wore on her wedding day still in it.
Her other major inspiration - music - is evident by a giant photo collage created by her Father that hangs in her stairwell. If Mandy looks familiar, you might have seen her rocking out in Honey Clouds or Foam Castles. And you can bet she looks good on stage.
Joy Engel, a native Cape Elizabethean, recently returned to her Maine roots after living in Brooklyn and San Francisco. She graciously welcomed us into her apartment, offered up a glass of wine and lead us into her closet, which she describes as “about the size of my San Fran apartment”. It boasts everything from sequin dresses, a bevy of scarves, an ice skater skirt and her beloved LoveME tshirt. This public affairs guru has a tumblr that you probably read and a twitter account that you probably follow. She’s also totally onto the “dead birds mystery in Arkansas.”
Thanks so much to Joy for letting us snoop around!
“I’m about one step away from being a hoarder,” says Kate Sullivan-Jones, a stylish blogger, jewelry maker and “professional awesome lady” (according to her business card) as she ushers us into her bedroom-sized closet. She and her boyfriend rent a two-bedroom apartment just so one of the room’s can be devoted to her fashionable collections. Her “closet” walls are covered in funny fashion clippings, feathery and floral bras and vintage pantyhose. Jewelry, nail polish and buttons abound on nearly every surface. A pink chaise and rolling racks of vintage goodness makes the room feel like you’re back stage at a burlesque show. She’s even got a signed autograph from Jimmy Buffet pinned up. It came in the mail after her Dad sent him her rewrite of The Raven to one of his songs. Watch our video to see Kate’s closet and hear about her most prized wardrobe pieces. Thanks so much Kate for letting us snoop!
Know any Portlanders with a rad closet or wardrobe? Drop us a line at info@forefrontfashion.com.
Helene M first opened it’s doors in April 2000. Ten years later, when many other store fronts in the Old Port have had to close their doors, there’s still a beacon of fashionable hope on Fore Street. We met up with Liana, the store manager, for a tour of the shop. (Who is very chic and cute but alas, camera shy.)
If you’re on the hunt for some perennial favorites like a Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress or a Tory Burch blouse, Helene M is the only boutique in Portland to find it.
Throughout the store hang photos of Audrey Hepburn, Helene’s style icon. “When we buy items, we always ask ourselves if Audrey would wear it,” says Liana.
The style icon has indeed set the tone for this “classically hip” shop. It’s no surprise that after ten years, Helene M is still going strong with loyal customers and a big fan base. “We’ve become a destination. We have summer residents that always stop in and local customers that have been shopping here since the beginning,” says Liana. “I’ve even kept the store open late for customers that wanted to stop in but couldn’t make it before closing time.”
The selection here is diverse, from racks of cocktail dresses destined for holiday parties (I’ve got my eye on a beaded Maggy London) to a psychedelic printed Trina Turk blouse to headbands made by Cape Elizabeth resident Susan Frost. There’s a great mix of high-end pieces like Nicole Miller dresses to well-priced basics.
“We have really wonderful customers and great relationships with our clients,” says Liana. “We even go into their closets for them to help with their wardrobes - free of charge!” Sign us up.
