Check M.O.D. for more perspectives on 2007 and the coming year from people in the local fashion industry.

Ese Carnal’s Donovan Skirvin’s take on 2008:

Predictions for 2008 and beyond..

I really like what Elizabeth Dye said in your column a week back.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot. I think that at least some of the money that has gone into building these new boutiques comes from all that easy re-financing afforded to home owners that last few years. Now that the adjustable rates are beginning to adjust people aren’t so excited to have spent the money.
There are too many boutiques. And, too many amateurs involved, it seems. Over the next year, the limitations of the economy will show. And, so to will the true stars.

There are a lot of makers here. Plenty to stock a boutique. As the number of boutiques dwindles, the ones that remain will be of high caliber. As well, we’ll see Portland’s designs all cuddled up next to each other within the few remaining spaces. This too will help out the social darwinism of things. Hopefully, we’ll be seeing the benefits of competition. Our beloved designers doing better and more exciting work.

And,,…

Wouldn’t it be great to see someone with money back a manufacturing venture here? It wouldn’t be impossible for someone to start a non-profit manufacturing outfit. Just as Kaiser Permanente is a non-profit medical treatment provider, there could be such a thing as a non-profit garment factory. We could have a decently paid collective of professionals serving the design community of Portland. There are warehouses and industrial sewing machines here. If you structured the company right, you could even get big local companies to give big tax deductible donations to it. Down the road, you could involve the agriculture community too… Bamboo grows just about anywhere. The U.S. textile industry could rise from the dead. Especially with the weak dollar, there’s incentive for such a thing to happen.

Maybe such a thing is being worked on right now.

I guess that’s the hope part.