Making a Move: Portland's xobruno relocates

Kline describes handbags as “mysterious containers that hold private, often precious and important things.” Keep an eye out for several upcoming projects from xobruno, including a belt created in partnership with Tucson blacksmith Carson Terry. 

By Laura Aguilera-Flemming

After moving from Olympia, Washington, to Portland in 2003, Michelle Kline wanted to make some quick cash. To bring in the green, the designer created several leather handbags to sell at a local holiday bazaar. One of Kline’s bags ended up in Seattle, on the shoulder of a woman who wore it through the doors of a now-defunct Capitol Hill boutique. The shop owner, looking to stock more trend-forward products, contacted Kline in the hopes of carrying her collection. Without so much as a production sewing setup or website, Kline took on her first wholesale account and jumped headfirst into the world of product design and manufacturing..

Kline’s brand, xobruno, is a tribute to her maternal grandmother, whose maiden name was Bruno. Her grandmother taught her how to crochet, embroider, and sew as child, and Kline credits her as a large influencer of her current pursuits.

In March, Kline moved again—this time from Northeast Portland to a larger studio in the Burnside neighborhood. Her new ground-level space features a small showroom with a work studio in the back, along with big windows that let in plenty of natural light. “I’ve always wanted a little shop,” Kline says, “so the change was for the best. I couldn’t be happier.”

Each xobruno bag is made with hand-cut whole leather hides. They are designed to be classic yet rugged and practical. xobruno’s current collection is composed of 10 handbags, as well as several styles of wallets, pouches, and cases for both men and women.

“Cutting into leather hide is like a game of Tetris,” Kline says of her creation process. “Each hide is different in size and shape so I have to consider the entire piece before cutting into it. I lay out the varying pattern pieces in a way to get the most use out of the material and to avoid large amounts of waste.”

 “Leather, in my opinion, is one of the best materials for the Pacific Northwest climate,” Portland-based designer Michelle Kline says. “It's versatile, waterproof, and can withstand rain, sun, and cold. Our canvas is wax-infused, making the product water-repellent. It’s perfect for the rainy season.” 

Images courtesy of xobruno. 

Product of the Week: Flyover Collection by Kirsten Southwell

This week we're spotlighting Portland-based artist and designer Kirsten Southwell. "Flyover," her latest collection of modern quilts, was inspired by a November trip Southwell took to Toronto. The bird’s-eye topography of different locations, spotted out the plane window, gave the three quilts their names: Oregon, Ontario, and Illinois. We're loving the resurgence of contemporary artists designing quilts and reviving the medium for a new audience.

Southwell will be among the Portland designers exhibiting at this year's WantedDesign Manhattan. To read more about the Portland presence at Wanted, as part of the feature "Portland Outside the Box," go here. Images courtesy kmsouthwell.com.

Editorial note: Items featured in GRAY’s Product of the Week posts are solely the choice of our editors and are not paid for in any way by anyone associated with the product.

COLAB Architecture Makes an Addition to the Ankeny Lofts

There is no denying the current development boom across the Northwest, especially in urban areas throughout Seattle, Vancouver, and Portland. It seems like every other street is brimming with cranes, construction, and story after story of new apartment buildings and housing developments. Some are, frankly, nothing new—that same old big-box, little-character look. Others, however, are hitting it out of the park with interesting designs and savvy details.

Last year, COLAB Architecture + Urban Design (with offices in Portland and Los Angeles) finished an addition to the Ankeny Lofts—a residential urban infill project on Portland’s eastside that introduced a unique development pattern to the block by locating one building at the street front edge of the property and another at the rear of the site, with a courtyard separating the two buildings. The designers continued the pattern with Ankeny 2+3, which consists of four modern duplexes efficiently sited on two 25’x100’ parcels adjacent to the first phase of the project (Ankeny 1), which was completed in 2011.

Units were designed to maximize natural lighting and provide residents the option and flexibility to use them as live/work spaces. There is a mix of studios and one bedroom units, with varying amenities such as private decks and courtyard gardens, green roofs, and secure indoor bicycle parking.

A walkway separates the two street-facing buildings, leading to a courtyard and providing access to the buildings at the rear of the block. According to COLAB founder Mark Engberg and his business partner Jeff Gersh, who designed and developed the project, “the design intent for the programming was to create a vibrant live/work environment that was occupied day and night.” Five of the units are already occupied by small businesses.

“Combined with the adjacent developments, Ankeny 1+2+3 creates a unique model for urban development,” notes Engberg. “As duplexes, the buildings were permitted under the residential code, reducing cost. The location, along a busy bicycle corridor and notable restaurant district, has helped attract a diverse blend of commercial and residential tenants creating a vibrant community within the interior walkways and courtyards of the block.”

As the PNW attracts more and more people from around the country, the development boom doesn’t show signs of tapering off anytime soon. We’ve always known that our summers, our proximity to nature, and the innovative zeitgeist of the region have been big draws for out-of-towners, but as more projects like COLAB’s Ankeny Lofts pop up, architecture are design are moving up the list as well.

Common exterior spaces encourage interaction and engagement between residents and tenants. The walkway surfaces are permeable pavers with garden spaces. 

A wood sculpture wall in an exterior common area is by Oregon College of Art and Craft professor KarlBurkheimer. The dark materials (seen to the left of the sculpture) occur throughout the project and are either painted cement panels or painted metal panels.   

The exterior cladding is mostly clear tongue and groove cedar. The designers wanted the exterior spaces to have a warm Northwest feel, with clean, contemporary lines. 

 A kitchen in one of the duplexes features ceramic glazed tile flooring and zebrano plastic laminate cabinetry, providing a neutral, modern slate for furnishings and décor.

Mailbox detail set in wood sculpture wall by Karl Burkheimer. 

Images Courtesy of Darius Kuzmickas, KuDa Photography.