“Danielle Grasseth intrigued the audience with her fully cohesive but varietal and rich collection. Each of the pieces was a show stopper. From the serious peplums and precisely fitted bodices ( I personally can’t stand it when the bust of a supposedly “fitted” top are way bigger than the boobs of the model) to the pockets in the ballgown a topped with a plush velvet, and the long black elegant sequined mermaid gown finished off with a dramatic cowl in the back. I heard the oohs and aahhs throughout her show, but this gown received a standing ovation! (I was already standing, so...)”

“Portland Fashion Week Spring Edition was held over the weekend at Memorial Coliseum, featuring three runway shows over three days. Students from The Art Institute of Portland took over Sunday night, showing off their senior collections. It was a benefit for the school’s scholarship fund.

Student Danielle Grasseth, from Kelso, Washington, showed her collection titled “Notre Dame de la Nuit” or “our lady of the night.”

”I had this vision in my head of beautiful women going to a masquerade ball at midnight at the Notre Dame (cathedral),” Grasseth explains.

She wasn’t shy in using the Gothic Age in France as a jumping off point, explaining that she has always been interested in higher-end fashion design with dramatic flair. Grasseth notes the long trains and sequins in this collection.

”If I’m going to design something, I’d want somebody to feel beautiful in it, something they’d want to wear to a red carpet event and always feel sexy in, no matter who the woman.”

She says she chose a lot of brocades and heavier fabrics that conveyed a sense of luxury, a quality she’s always loved. One day she hopes to develop her own brand.”

“Sun 4/27 The Art Institute of Portland “F Stop” Show
Doors 5pm | Runway 7pm
• Brandon Barber
• Olivia Blough
• Chelsea Brist (ED PICK: The Paco Rabanne inspired looks from Brist take texture to a new level)
• Danielle Grasseth (ED PICK: Many lines throw about the term couture, Grasseth actually deserves to)
• Stephanie Houlis
• Christina Kim
• Callen Lloyd
• Christopher Murray (ED PICK: A refined and innovative menswear designer, men in Portland should pay attention to this young designer)
• Caroline Onzik (ED PICK: A denim whiz kid, Onzik’s casual looks could stylishly dress half the city)
• Aubree Rasmussen
• Karina Reed-Babb (ED PICK: Glamour alert, this young designer loves lavish textiles and it works)
• Nancy Shevlin
• Courtney Smith
• Jordan Martinak”

“But my absolute favorite collection of the evening was “Notre Dame de Nuit” by Danielle Grasseth. Not only did this designer have absolutely gorgeous fabrics with textures I didn’t see anywhere else in the evening, she had full on formal gowns and a 7 piece collection at that. I was impressed by all angles. ”

“Another notable designer was Danielle Grasseth, who really impressed with her beautiful, show-stopping dresses. Here is a pic of the designer and one of her amazing party dresses, one of my favs from the entire show. Grasseth’s collection was filled with sparkly dresses that were red-carpet worthy.”

“When the 4th and final act came, it brought a much-needed jolt of energy to a crowd that had now been sitting in their chairs for quite some time (you can see how long this blog post is, and it only includes a fraction of the looks that were sent down the runway). The mix of current and former students had been tasked with creating a single futuristic look, and while much of what had shown previous was rather ho-hum, they took to the challenge with gusto, perking up the crowd and ending on a high note. Personal favorites were Nancy L. Simon, Summer Gunter, Bryce Black, and especially the finale by Danielle Grasseth.”