Wildfang is a Portland-centric brand, but that is not to
say that the styles provided are not universal. The shop
features over eighty brands with a large majority of those
hailing directly from the City of Roses. McIlroy and Parsley met
there, live there, and had a mutual desire to create an institution
of fashion unlike any other, and thus resolved to partner up there
in their beloved city. They consistently pull from a wide range of talent based out of Portland (read: musicians, artists, writers, and talent).
McIlroy and Parsley see themselves like two outlaws, not unlike Butch
Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, taking from the biased establishment and
endowing the have-nots. Wildfang transcends the idea of “brand” but fosters
a sense of family and belonging. Wildfang’s newest ad campaigns features
some more of those iconoclastic personalities I mentioned before. Badass
Women. Because “badass never goes out of style.” This campaign looks to the
more experienced and enlightened contingent of the Wildfang battalion, imparting
wisdoms that are oft neglected in our industrious and technology obsessed lifestyle.
These are reminders to take life in stride and be true to yourself.
Yet, Wildfang has evolved to encompass so much more than just menswear inspired
clothing and heartening individuals. There is a revolution seething just beneath the oversized
t-shirts and plaid workshirts, and if you get too close, it may just bare its teeth. In the process of
“liberating one bowtie at a time” (Wildfang’s credo), the company is also shattering the precepts
of self-identity assigned by social norms. It’s not simply bucking gender and age identity but also
promoting healthier self-perception through the provision of clothing that allows individuals to express
their self-assigned identity. A feat made difficult by walls built by the mainstream fashion market. Wildfang isn’t bringing it down brick-by-brick, but rather wielding a thirty pound sledgehammer. And we are all
invited to take swing. Wildfang’s Instagram is @wearewildfang, a stance promoting solidarity and plurality.
Wildfang knows no age, no gender, no bounds.
Visit Wildfang at 404 SW 10th Avenue, Portland, OR and wildfang.com.
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