![]() ![]() Erich Treeby, the “Duke of Detail” at custom suit shop Duchess Clothier. ![]() Christine Van Abdouke, owner of athleisure line Perilous Activity. Notable Alumni: Claire Doody, owner of plus size clothing company Copper Union. Around $16,000 for total certificate, depending on program. Started in 2002 as Portland Sewing and became Portland Fashion Institute in 2016.Ĭlass size: Hands-on classes are limited to 12 students, while lecture classes are limited to 15 students.Ĭost: $20 per clock hour, plus extra costs (approximately $1,650 for books, supplies, and equipment). As a result, many PFI students are former Intel engineers, nurses, lawyers, and physicians who, Blair claims, “Just woke up one day and said, ‘It’s my life and I want to pursue a fashion career.’” ![]() “These are typically people who have had some life experience because mom and dad told them, ‘You can’t make a living in apparel,’ so they had to pursue something else,” Blair explains. Who's it for? The design dreamer. While students in PFI’s certificate programs range in age from 18 to 45, most tend to be 25–35. Apparel Entrepreneur: Interested in starting up a small indie boutique or your own Etsy line? This is the certificate for you, with classes like Fashion Forecasting, Branding, and PR Techniques that teach students the ins and outs of starting a business.Classes in this program include Computer Patternmaking, Computer Print Design, and Overseas Production. Apparel Technical Developer: Meant for those who want to learn the technical skills to get themselves a job in the apparel industry, Blair notes that students in this program will learn “the meat and potatoes” of the fashion industry, which is heavy on computer skills.Students in this program take classes with subjects ranging from Couture Techniques to Fashion Event Production. Apparel Designer: “This certificate is for visionary people that always have a sketchbook around and have lots of ideas who want to create a clothing line,” says Blair.Each requires a 90-hour hands-on internship, which PFI helps students find. PFI’s Certificate Programs: PFI offers three certificate programs that can all be completed within two years. ![]() In 2016, Portland Sewing became licensed as a career school and officially changed its name to Portland Fashion Institute. While the initial focus was to teach students everything they needed to know in order to properly sew, the school has since expanded its scope. Blair, who studied couture sewing in Paris and started three clothing lines of her own, decided to fill this need by founding Portland Sewing in 2002. Image: Courtesy Portland Fashion InstituteĪbout: In the early 2000s, Sharon Blair-a local designer and fashion entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience-noticed that the only opportunities for individual sewing classes in Portland were degree programs that required lots of time (and money). Here are a few local classes, workshops, and blogs that can help strengthen your fashion foundation. So how can an interested fashionmonger enter the big leagues of Portland apparel? Or where can those who've already been initiated into Portland’s style circle get supplemental skills to give them that extra step ahead? It all feels especially necessary following the big news that the Art Institute of Portland is shuttering, leaving a number of fashion students mid-education adrift. Add to the mix a host of cool fashion shows like Fade to Light and Unmentionable. This city is also the place for independent and inclusive fashion, where unique local brands (such as plus size clothing company Copper Union and activist boutique/clothing line Wildfang) flourish. Nike reigns as Oregon’s only Fortune 100 Company, and a slew of other major international sportswear apparel brands-like Adidas, Under Armour, and Columbia Sportswear-have headquarters or bases in Portland. Portland may not have quite the fashion cred of New York City, but we are a mighty mecca for the apparel industry. ![]()
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