Cool Hunting

by Adrienne So

Installed in the rooms of Portland, OR's Ace Hotel, the first Content brought the brightest talent in the city's fashion, music and art scene together into a multi-media exhibition last weekend.

Eschewing traditional runways both by choice (Portland's fashion set chose the city over NYC for a reason) and because upfront costs make them prohibitive for smaller designers, Content provides an untraditional marketing venue. Lent a room at the Ace, designers decorated them and guests wandered in and out, or watched live music in the lobby.

Many designers adapted their spaces to showrooms for selling their work. But Portland favorite Adam Arnold made his into a crime scene, complete with blood in the running shower.

Of course, with such a strong music presence in the city, performances weren't restricted to just the lobby. Local band The Lovers gave a free show in designer Sword + Fern's area. Heather Treadway, designer and member of the band Explode into Colors, hosted a concert in the bathroom of her room.

The event highlighted the sheer amount of collaboration that takes place between artists of all stripes, from videographers to models and designers. Rather than sequestering designs on runways and in stores, Content puts the clothes within the context of the scene that inspired it, kind of like a living mood board. Check out more photos and a list of designers are on the website. Local, national and international designers can also submit to participate in next year's event.

Look at more images after the jump.