Category: Celebrity Judging Panel

Abibat may not know what she’s in for, but Taste of Style is thrilled that she has agreed to be on our panel of celebrity judges this year!

Abibat is a Natural Hair & Makeup Expert with over 15 years of experience. She has been a key makeup artist for performers such as Prince, Misty Copeland, Nicole Scherzinger, Esperanza Spalding, and Liv Warfield.  Her artistry has been featured in TIME Magazine, Essence, Oregon Bride, Portland Bride & Groom Magazine, Disorder Magazine (UK), and more.  In her spare time she has encouraged adversity in diverse beauty in the NW as a Beauty Influencer on Afternoon Live at KATU. 

Apart from making her clients and followers look and feel good, she’s a single mother of two incredible children. In 2017, she built an amazing venture called BLOOM BEAUTY COLLECTIVE, where an incredible group of creative entrepreneurs in the Pacific Northwest mentors and encourages living a holistic lifestyle that focuses on beauty, fitness, nutrition, and mental wellness.  In 2018, BLOOM Runway was created: a production and management boutique agency that curates artistic events while connecting BBC members with on-going assignments to encourage true entrepreneurship in the arts. 

We invited Brandon to our Taste of Style party and he said YES, he would be delighted to be a celebrity judge this year!  Brandon is the founder and creative director for LifeSTYlest, a Portland based image and lifestyle consulting firm.  After over 10 years in the merchant services industry, 7 of which owning his own company which he still operates, he decided to create LifeSTYLest to help professionals and corporations improve their professional wardrobe image and achieve brand consistency. 

His rare combination of entrepreneurial skills, along with participating and being involved in every aspect of a fashion show not only provides valuable experience but also the ability to understand first-hand how each component comes together to produce a successful event. In a client relationship, he offers everything from wardrobe consultation to in-office branding presentations for companies.

If you recognize Chris, it’s because he is helping you through Portland’s busy commutes every weekday morning and afternoon on KGW News at Sunrise and KGW News at 4.

A runner and weather geek at heart, Chris earned his meteorology degree on a track scholarship at Penn State University. Chris spent two summers as a weather intern here at KGW before embarking on a TV weather career in the Midwest. After a decade forecasting blizzards and chasing tornados for TV stations in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, he’s thrilled to be back in Portland  Now he chases cars on the DOT cams. The dual weather and geography expertise is the perfect combination to help drivers navigate one of the nation’s most unpredictable commutes.

When not at work, he’s cruising through the Hood to Coast congestion, or training for another marathon…6 and counting.