Silkwood owner Sandy Varzarschi poses in Silkwood’s spacious
Lake Oswego digs. Picture courtesy Silkwood

I do love fashion. Love design. Love the occasional pleated ruffle, architectural flares, asymmetry, French seams, simple elegance or complicated layering, and yes, even fabrics that induce “culinary” adjectives like “yummy.” Yes, you will find these things at Silkwood in Lake O. Underneath the fashion, however, are people, and ultimately, some are more inspiring than the garments they wear, design, sell, or all of the above. The Portland area, namely Lake Oswego, has a relatively new boutique, Silkwood, which contains some fashion I’d like to tell you about, and the fashion should not be lost on you because you should give this place a visit. Additionally, however, it houses owner Sandy Varzarschi, and the road she’s run to her present success is pretty amazing. If ever there were signs that sometimes roadblocks are really just guard-rails bumping you back onto the route you’re supposed to take, I think Sandy & Silkwood are evidence.

The Silkwood team (from left to right), Annie, Sandy and Rebecca.

For seven years, Varzarschi, a native of Kazakhstan who came to the U.S. in 1994, owned a landscaping business. “I wanted my business to grow,” she says, “so Austin (my first son) could have something to do throughout school & college. Then October 2008 came and turned my life upside down.” That month, Austin, then 11 years old, was lost, to of all things, a fatal football accident. Language is a capable instrument most of the time, but it can’t really get inside a loss like this. Varzarschi was kind & open enough to share some simple words anyway:”I felt so miserable, I thought I had nothing to live for anymore.” By December, Varzarschi discovered she was expecting another child. “I had such a mixed feeling,” she reports, “at the time I thought that it was too soon, I didn’t know how I would react to the baby. On top of that it was a hard pregnancy, I was very sick. My friends and family were suggesting that it is probably a girl that turns me inside out. So to keep myself busy I started with knitting little hats and booties and then started making the little outfits. That was my only escape.”  That escape, it would turn out, was also a step along the way to Silkwood.

“Although deep inside I thought that I was having a boy, when the doctor actually told me it’s a boy, I actually felt a relief and joy, the feeling that Austin still lives on. So, “Vince the Prince” was born in August of ’09. He kept me in check and took up all the time.”  With all the sewing & fabricating she’d already been doing, it was then that it first occurred to Varzarschi that she’d like to start her own label, Kiki & Sylvester, which kicked off a whole series of events leading to the grand opening of Silkwood. Varzarschi took her samples to boutiques, and after some passes, sought a rep in LA and was similarly rejected. Her solution was, to say the least, simple, self-actuated, rapid and complete. “That is when I decided,” Varzarschi says, “that I can just as well open my own store and sell anything I want and actually welcome any local designer.”      Okay then.

“In March [2010],” Varzarschi says, “I drove to LA Market (with my mom and six month old Vince) and got so overwhelmed with all the beautiful clothing that I didn’t see in our malls, that I wanted to bring it back to Oregon! So I loaded up my car … On the way back I was already dreaming about how my store would look. The whole concept of the store, design and clothing lines was actually formed on my way back.” On April 15th Varzarschi signed a lease on what became a clean, modern, open space in the heart of “downtown” Lake Oswego, and had a well-attended grand opening one month later. “My whole family worked hard to get it done in time,” she reports, “I am very happy that the store got very well received. The positive feedback is almost overwhelming in an exciting kind of way.”

Time, of course, and Varzarschi’s evolving eye, will tell if Silkwood’s got ‘long legs.’ Meanwhile, her store has a bright, eclectic mix. It’s kind of a department store in miniature, with a section for childrenswear including her own line, Kiki & Sylvester, and another section that delivers on style at midrange price points including local luminaries like Allison Covington’s Amai Unmei, and great linen summer dresses from Empress Arts. Not to be outdone, a whole wall of high-end French labels is yours to peruse, including some apparel from SUNLIGHT Paris that I particularly love, like this gray dress with unique architectural flares. All told, Varzarschi seems to have an intuitive editorial eye that leads to some very smart, stylish & sophisticated choices. “I guess it’s just the feeling,” she says, “that whoever worked on the design of a particular garment was a creative person and actually cared for the fit, fabric and looks. I like interesting details, unusual cuts, flattering silhouettes and comfortable fit.”

I always enjoy being able to report, almost as an aside (albeit an important one) to what is, first & foremost simply good style, that most of what you’ll find at Silkwood are eco-friendly labels, and a store employing green business practices. Bamboos, organic cottons & non-toxic dyes abound. In essence, it’s an eco-boutique that seems to take no particularly ardent strides to bill itself as such. I like it. Market-based advocacy.  You can shop for style first at Silkwood, and simply know that you’re making enhanced choices.

Stop in soon and check out Silkwood’s selections. Sandy is running a special between now and Labor Day, $20 OFF if you spend $75 or more.  In addition, for the month of August and on through Labor day most retailers in Lake Oswego are running specials as part of a Summer Campaign sponsored by KINK FM, KGW, City of Lake Oswego, their Chamber of Commerce and local businesses to promote shopping in L.O. Varzarschi also gives 5% OFF any item (up to $10 discount) if a customer brings a gently used suit, which she donates to Dress for Success and other organizations that help women. That’s a heap of incentives. Last but not least, stop in and say hello to Sandy Varzarschi. She’s another reason why the Portland area is such a truly unique & fulfilling shopping destination.

Silkwood
220 A Ave #104
Lake Oswego, OR 97034
503-305-6321