DUCHESS PHOTO SHOOT PARTY

On the day after the opening, Ellen of Duchess hosted a day-long photo session at her marvelously groovy house. Portland seems to have a few houses in which one feels as though they have fallen down the proverbial rabbit hole. Ellen's place is decidedly 70's in its vibe: picture windows full of ferns, shag carpets, pop furnishings, and eclectic items abound in every vacant space (the washroom even has a dolphin-shaped faucet that is activated by a button on the floor). Apparently much of the decor in the back porch was taken from a now-defunct tiki bar.

A steady stream of Duchess customers arrived all afternoon to be shot in their Duchess duds. Quite a variety of styles, from the traditional (tweed, black tie) to the flamboyant (green corduroy, silk brocade). I like the fact that Duchess uses actual customers in their promotions, and that they embrace an eclectic range of looks that reflect the personalities of their customers rather than impose a house style.



The stairwell in Ellen's house is the signature Duchess backdrop. Very little has changed in the house since it was bought from the previous owners. Ellen and Jonas suspect the couple were swingers. Let's hope so.



Ellen inherited some pieces by well-known 20th century artists from her grandparents. They complement the feel of the house beautifully. My favorite is her Vasa array of jewel-colored plexiglas columns. Brought to mind his appearance in the classic BBC documentary, Reyner Banham Loves Los Angeles.

The "models" started trickling in soon after we arrived. Here we see our man Adam in his customarily reserved, period-informed elegance:



This was followed by Ted's amazing suit of silk brocade:



The rest of us waited our turn, chatting, goofing around, and eating from the grapevines out in the yard. Ah, the Duchess lifestyle. This is what it must be like to be one of Hef's bunnies:





Daniel has a wide range of Duchess suits, from the flamboyant to the low-key. This was a low-key day.



Glenn, being from Texas, went with a western cut in green corduroy, which suited him nicely:



We soon retired to the living room, where we all hung back, listened to music, and drank mimosas.



The day faded into evening, and the Duchesses hosted a proper party. They looked as splendid as ever.



James Kessler of A Fine Tooth made the scene with his charming lady Jenny. Lovely man, so glad we had an opportunity to meet in person. I also had the pleasure of meeting even more of Ellen and Seyta's circle of friends. All in all a fun, delightfully strange day.