PROP was co-founded by local artist Jen Forti. Jen wanted to create well-designed, responsibly sourced and stylish clothing with a conscience and a message: “Community makes all the difference. When you wear PROP, you’re celebrating community and affirming everything that makes Portland a haven for artists, thinkers, nurturers and all who want a better world.”
Add your voice to the republic! Let’s celebrate your city, your people, and unite to create a model for real change.
Bio
Welcome and thanks for stopping by! I’m excited about sharing my work and my vision with you!! Although it is just me running this ship, I like to refer to The People’s Republics as “we” since it is a collective that make up the people’s republics.
Since moving to Portland in ’98 I have done many things from working in a tile factory, to delivering juice, to working in a music store, to waiting tables, to network marketing, to now being my own boss…all while keeping my integrity as an artist.
I co-founded The People’s Republics, then Threesleeves, back in 2006 with a friend. I took over the business in 2008 and that’s when I decided to make it my full time gig. This has been an incredibly gratifying and educational experience to not only run my own business, but to connect with so many people on so many levels and to find that common thread; the love for Portland.
Ceramic art was my passion from the time I graduated art school in 1998 until about 2005 when I became heavily involved as a dancer with MarchFourth Marching Band. I had the opportunity to travel all over the U.S. and parts of Europe with the band, spreading joy through music and dance.
The “work” that I did, first with clay and then with the band, to incite joy, happiness and a sense of whimsy in people, is now being channeled through a duo act called The Tangled Threads. Our mission is not only to entertain and bring smiles to peoples’ faces, but to educate through entertainment, aka “edutainment”, through a series of shows touching on topics such as growing your own food, the solar system and re-using and up-cycling, using songs and story telling to tie the themes together.
Whether through The People’s Republics or The Tangled Threads, it’s my goal to inspire people to be better stewards of our planet and each other.
xoxo – Jen Forti