Bringing Back Nine to Fashion’s Front Line: Local Designer Unveils Menswear Collection

Written by Rosario Rieger
Edited by Jeni Stembridge

The music is bumping, and hundreds of bright lights land on a bamboo runway. A hunky model struts by the photographers—he’s wearing grey corduroy pants and a fitted navy blue knit sweater, detailed with white polka-dotted shoulder patches. The audience cheers while cameras flash, capturing Daniela Tarasut’s sexy menswear collection.

Four years ago, if you had asked Portland native Daniela Tarasut if she thought she would ever show at Portland Fashion Week, she would have laughed. Tarasut enrolled at the Art Institute of Portland with little idea of what she wanted to focus on within apparel design. Now, at age twenty three, she has created Back Nine—an edgy, hip men’s collection that debuted at Portland Fashion Week last year.

Last year, when several independent eco-labels from around the world launched their collections on the eco-friendly bamboo runway of the Pearl District’s 14 Square building, Tarasut was lucky to be one of the thirty five designers to show at this prestigious venue.

Usually, in order to show at Fashion Week designers need to apply, but one of Tarasut’s teachers at the Institute asked her to show her menswear collection in October 2008. “She had faith in me,” says Tarasut.

Portland Fashion Week is the second longest-running fashion week on the west coast. It arrived in 2003 and proved that Portland’s fashion scene was something to notice. Exposing independent designers to consumers, buyers, and national press, it is a fabulous way for newcomers like Tarasut to be introduced to the public.

Portland’s fashion scene tends to be fairly eclectic. Plaid shirts, running shoes, leather boots, and vintage jeans all go hand-in-hand here. It can range from hipster to bohemian, eighties glam to Ralph Lauren. People have a lot of freedom to wear whatever they please - mixing, matching, and layering are common among Portlanders, all of which Tarasut embodies in her collection.

During the beginning stages of creating a menswear collection, she took to the streets of Portland to find inspiration. While she was searching for a theme, she noticed a mannequin in a downtown golf shop. “I liked the idea of toying with golf-inspired clothing,” she says.

The menswear collection Tarasut created is 1920s golf-inspired, with a splash of modern sensibility and a bit of Portland’s eclectic style thrown in. “I wanted the clothes to be sleek and hip, with different mismatched patterns and prints,” she says. “I think it reflects Portland’s diverse fashion sense.”

Tarasut also drew inspiration from her childhood. When she was young, she spent much of her time with her grandfather, who was a Romanian tailor. He would often tailor her clothing as she grew older, and she found that she became fond of his style. “My line came from my admiration of my grandfather and his clothing,” she says.

The Back Nine fall collection features thirteen pieces, many of which are made from corduroy, various knits, and wild prints. There is much attention to detail, particularly in the pocketing. “My clothes are casual weekend wear,” she says. “They are for any young man who likes tailored, chic clothing with a lot of quirkiness.”

However, she is just starting the long and challenging road of making a living off of her passion. “Competition is always an issue,” says Tarasut. She has faced many challenges in creating her collection, especially making a living. “It’s so challenging,” she says of trying to sell her clothing to local Portland retailers. She has been mainly targeting shops in southeast Portland, particularly on Hawthorne and Belmont streets. “I’ve learned that you have to have a mind for business, not just for design.”

The life of an up and coming fashion designer is not always an easy one. Tarasut has spent the past year designing, sewing, showing, and promoting Back Nine. But, despite the hardships involved with pursuing an artistic passion, she remains optimistic. “I’ve never worked so hard in my life,” she says. “But it’s worth it.”

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Rosario Rieger was born in Recife, Brazil, and grew up in Gresham, Oregon. She has a passion for film, psychology, fiction writing, and her friends and family. She is currently attending Portland State University and majoring in Psychology. She plans to attend graduate school and become either an social psychologist or a therapist.