Skip to main contentSo I spent last weekend in sunny L.A. and I've decided to report back on a few things I saw goin' on in la la land. For one, if you haven't heard of it yet, keep this in mind on your next trip down south (or NYC)…a little pick-me-up named Pinkberry (pinkberry.com) a.k.a. Crackberry.
Some may call it another food fad, I just call it swirly bliss. It's regular, plain yogurt-turned-creamy-sorbet-ishness topped with fresh blueberries, kiwi, strawberries, almonds, granola, etc. Beware of mile-long lines cast by everyone and their itty bitty shih tzus, plus celebrity fans like Jason Schwartzman. (Seriously, the LA Times calls it "the taste that launched 1,000 parking tickets.") But I can honestly say it's just a matter of time before someone opens up a shop in Portland. It'll totally be a hit with all of the health nuts up here (it's freakin' yogurt with berries, no preservatives, no additives—nothing) and it's quirky. They sell a bunch of modern Asian-inspired tchotchkes, toys, and other houseware stuff that reminded me of cool pieces you would find at the MOMA gift store or Be Complex.
Anyway, enough about Pinkberry. As for trends, girls were still rocking leggings and skinny jeans and shift dresses and babydolls were everywhere. Plus there is this company, Suburban Riot, that is based in Venice Beach but one of their partners/designers, Dan Portrait, lives and works in Portland. Their collection is a mix of graphic separates with a punchy Portland/beachy California vibe.
The four founders met at the University of Oregon and decided to "bring freshness to an industry that is entirely oversaturated with blah." All of their pieces are custom-made and designed within 15 miles of their showroom on Abbot Kinney Boulevard (they are primarily wholesale and online based). So why the Portland-Venice long distance relationship? Venice for the surfing and the more self-indulgent side, Portland representing the thoughtful, edgy, progressive side.
"Suburban Riot is a unique combination of environments, and it is distinctly urban and West Coast.
A lot of people don't get what we're doing, but we've managed to start a nice little movement through a loyal fan base," says one of the founders, Nate Koach. And, um, it's pretty damn loyal—Suburban Riot can be found in 40 shops around the country. Portland carries the label at Local 35, Moxie, Steel and Odessa.
Check out suburbanriot.com to see for yourself.
WWeek 2015