PSU's Ecouture fashion show attracts business interest
By Christina Williams
Editor, Sustainable Business Oregon
Ecouture is the third-annual, eco-friendly fashion show put on by marketing students at Portland State University — but it has a new look this year.
The show, set for May 9 at PSU, will feature 10 fashion designers who have embraced sustainability. "Project Runway" winner Seth Aaron will speak about his career, which has included a stint working with Hillboro-based SolarWorld on solar-inspired fashion.
None of that is at all surprising, but what might be is two new sponsors that signed on for the event this year: Whole Foods Market and PSU's Food Industry Leadership Center.
Last week, as a lead-up to the main event, Whole Foods hosted a fashion "flash mob" — a sort of surprise fashion show — in the aisles of its Pearl District store.
What does food have to do with fashion?
More than you might think, according to Tom Gillpatrick, executive director of the Food Industry Leadership Center.
"Some retailers that we work with work with both food and apparel and have asked us to help them with both parts of their business," Gillpatrick said.
He listed companies including Costco, which is hiring 30 interns from the center's program this summer, and Fred Meyer, which has a merchandising executive, Lynn Gust, on the FILC's advisory committee. Gillpatrick said graduates of FILC have also landed at Nike and Columbia Sportswear.
Expanding into fashion and merchandising training, Gillpatrick said, is something very much on the front burner at the FILC, which was formed in 1994 as a center within PSU's School of Business and offers both professional and student programs.
Gillpatrick said the center is looking at officially expanding its focus to include fashion retailing — a change that would likely result in a new name.
"Having 'food' in our name has always been a blessing and a challenge," Gillpatrick said. "Our general focus has been more on retail."
christinawilliams@bizjournals.com | 503.219.3438 | @SustainableBzOR
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