Back when it was first announced that the Portland Art Museum would host the Italian Style: Fashion Since 1945 exhibit in collaboration with London's Victoria & Albert Museum—the only West Coast venue to do so, no less—it was more than a year away. Lo and behold, it's now just over the horizon, opening Saturday, Feb 7 (and running through May 3).

To refresh: "Italian Style: Fashion Since 1945 will examine Italy’s dramatic transition from post-war devastation to a burgeoning industry facilitated by the landmark “Sala Bianca” catwalk shows held in Florence in the 1950s, propelling Italian fashion onto the world stage... [the exhibit] includes more than 100 ensembles and accessories by leading Italian fashion houses, including Pucci, Valentino, Gucci, Missoni, Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Prada, and Versace."

In addition to learning the history and legendarily quality of Italian design, PAM is also setting aside a space to spotlight some of the fine apparel design and construction happening here as well, and have created a full roster of talks, parties, and films to help supplement your experience of the exhibit. (Oh hi, Conflict of Interest Pony! Why yes, that does include a series of panels co-hosted by yours truly, as well as a Know Your City "Portland Style Tour" also led by moi!)

The full schedule is available now, though it can be a bit of a bother to pick out the events specific to a particular exhibit from the museum's online calendar, so I've pasted the whole isolated shebang for you right after this here jump.

SPECIAL EXHIBITION PUBLIC PROGRAMS

Italian Style & Fashion

Talk
Behind the Scenes of Italian Style: Fashion Since 1945
Sonnet Stanfill, Curator of Fashion, Victoria & Albert Museum
February 8, 2015
2 p.m.

Sonnet Stanfill will discuss how she brought together this major exhibition tracing over 70 years of Italian style. Her talk will offer a curator’s eye view into how the project was transformed from idea to physical reality and will describe the research process, the difficulty of choosing from a host of beautiful objects, and the challenges of displaying fashion in a museum. Along the way, she will highlight the exhibition's main themes and its star objects.

Talk
Codeable Objects: Making New Fashion
Jennifer Jacobs, Researcher, MIT Media Lab
March 1, 2015
2 p.m.

What’s possible when hi-tech and high fashion meet? A new generation of fashion is on the horizon as computer programming, coding, and digital making increases the ability for fashion designers to create beautiful complex forms and patterns. A young MIT researcher, Jacobs will expand your understanding of what it means to design and make clothing, jewelry and textiles in an increasingly digital world.

Talk
The Real Dolce Vita
Shawn Levy, Author and former Oregonian film critic
March 8, 2015
2 p.m.

In the decades after World War II, Italy rose from the ruins of war to host a vibrant economy, fill the world with new trends in film and fashion, and stage a mélange of culture, style, sensation and journalism that provided the template for contemporary popular culture. Portland author and critic Shawn Levy, currently engaged in researching a book on the era, will talk about the remarkable moment when Rome was, once again, the capital of the world and, even more, the pulsing, swank, scandalous and freewheeling laboratory of modernity.


Talk
The Coat Route: Craft, Luxury, and Obsession on the Trail of a $50,000 Coat
Meg Lukens Noonan, Author and Journalist
March 29, 2015
2 p.m.

When Noonan learned of an unthinkably expensive overcoat that a fourth-generation tailor had handcrafted for one of his longtime clients, she set off on a round-the-world quest to understand its provenance. Traveling from Peru to Sydney to Florence and beyond, she discovered the colorful characters and rich stories behind the coat's components, and pulled back the curtain on the clubby world of bespoke tailoring and the people who covet it. Noonan will reflect on her critically acclaimed book The Coat Route—part travelogue, part fashion history and part love song to things of lasting value—which was named "Best General Nonfiction Book of 2013" by the American Society of Journalists and Authors. Noonan is a former correspondent for Outside and has written for The New York Times, National Geographic Adventure, and Esquire, among other publications.

Talk
Italian Style: Jewelry since 1945
David Margulis, Jeweler
April 19, 2015
2 p.m.

How has Italy influenced the world of jewelry since 1945? Join noted Portland-based jeweler David Margulis for an entertaining view of the icons of haute jewelry including Verdura, Bucellatti, and Bulgari, among others. See how Italian jewelers led in new directions with a strong sense of design.

Concert
Made in Italy
A concert with Third Angle Music
March 7, 2015
7:30 p.m.
Kridel Grand Ballroom
Tickets:
Tier 1: $35 Museum member or Third Angle subscriber/$45 non-member
Tier 2: $25 Museum member or Third Angle subscriber/$30 non-member

Italy’s post-WWII composers provide an enticing sonic accompaniment to the glamorous visual narrative of Italian Style: Fashion Since 1945. Many drew upon an emerging avant-garde musical language to create works of great originality. Third Angle New Music’s concert, “Made in Italy," traces the evolution of modern Italian classical music, from the Baroque-inspired music of Luigi Dallapiccola in the 1940s to the current groundbreaking musical theater of Lucia Ronchetti, as well as masterpieces by Luigi Nono and Luciano Berio. Join us for another angle in understanding modern and contemporary culture in Italy.

Film Series
Italian Style
In partnership with the Northwest Film Center
A special selection of films presented in conjunction with the Museum's Italian Style exhibition.

Conversation Series
Unpacking Portland Fashion: Past, Present, Future

March 26
Conversation I
Portland Fashion: A Look Back
6:30 pm

April 2
Conversation II
Portland Fashion: Design Now and Future Directions
6:30 pm

Two of Portland’s leading fashion and style watchers, Eden Dawn (Portland Monthly Fashion Editor) and Marjorie Skinner (Portland Mercury Fashion Editor) join forces to craft a conversation series that takes us on a journey through the past, present, and future of the Portland fashion and apparel scenes. It might be argued that Portland is both a fashion center and an outpost. With a rich history of home-grown global brands like Pendleton and Nike to an independent scene that has yielded eight Project Runway contestants (three winners), Portland has a long history of attracting and nurturing talent on both large and small scales. What makes the Portland fashion communities so vibrant, and where is it headed next? Join a cross-section of Portland’s talented fashion makers, designers, and writers for a look at the legacies and opportunities ahead. For a full list of participants, visit the Museum’s website at portlandartmuseum.org.


Field Trip
Portland Style Tour
April 11
Noon-4:00 p.m.
Cost: $25 members/$35 non-members

The Museum once again partners with Know Your City for an afternoon tour of Portland's fashion and apparel scene. Board the bus as we make site visits and meet with local makers at design studios and workshops. Get a behind-the-scenes look at our fashion community and some of the people making Portland a fashion destination, with potential sites including: Pendleton, Dehen Knitting Company, Portland Garment Factory, Holly Stalder and Adam Arnold. The complete list of final locations will be available online. Advance reservations required.