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Home of the San Francisco Chronicle
Friday, June 11, 2010
The Week in Fashion
Chronicle 2003
Marc Jacobs' Lola was named Fragrance of the Year. Meanwhile, WWD has declared the forthcoming Jennifer Lopez fragrance, Love and Glamour, and Berry's new Reveal, the summer's biggest battle of the brands.
Laura Compton
Christopher Collins' spring line was featured at the Dress for Success event.
| Jun 11 at 03:45 PM
Three newcomers on the local shopping scene
If you're the kind of shopper who's always seeking the next unusual, underground or avant garde addition to your wardrobe, here are three new sources you'll want to know about:
Kucoon Designs
Archetype Boutique: Opening this weekend on Market near Sixth Street, this newcomer to the San Francisco retail scene aims to be a hub for local art and fashion with edge. Apparel and accessories from designers such as Mr. Larkin, Ric Rac Clothing, Jared Gold, Kittinhawk and Kucoon Designs will be on offer in the space, which is kicking off its presence in the City with three days of special in-store events, including installations and meet-and-greet sessions with Marilyn Yu and Kittinhawk on Friday and Saturday and mimosas and music while you shop on Sunday.
American Apocalypse: The new online store from San Francisco stylists Rachel Lena Esterline and Brooke Candy features vintage and designer label finds with dare-to-be-different appeal. Among the items currently available in the ever-changing shop are a pair of Commes Des Garcons silk parachute pants ($200), Gucci hot pants ($125) and a vintage lace babydoll dress with serious '80s style ($62).
Shotwell: The popular Union Square store recently launched its online women's shop, meaning you don't have to schlep downtown to score the emerging and under-the-radar labels owners Holly and Michael Weaver are known for stocking. Up next? A men's online shop. Currently on offer are feminine tops and dresses by Elizabeth & James, '80s-minded tops from Dusen Dusen and leather goods by Funktional.
| Jun 11 at 12:00 PM
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Guy-centric weekend fashion events
Friday-Sunday
Meet Your Maker: The Durable Goods Concern, which brought San Francisco "Man Up" a few months back, has returned with an even bigger market of locally made and produced products. Tanner Goods, Taylor Stitch, Esquivel Shoes, Outlier Taylored Cycling Apparel, Xetum Watches and host of coffee, wine and food purveyors will be participating at this weekend-long Mission event. Hosted in an old tap and dye factory turned design studio, it's sure to please the heritage crowd as well as those who appreciate made-in-SF wares.4-9pm June 11, 11am-7pm June 12, 11am-6pm June 13 @ OHIO Design Studio, 630 Treat Ave. (at 19th), SF.
Bronze ties by Steve Maloney will be showcased at the Wilkes Bashford Saturday.
Saturday
Head-to-toe trunk show: Join Wilkes Bashford, men's buyer Tyler Mitchel and artist Steve Maloney for a pre-Father's Day shopping event, partial proceeds of which benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco. Custom-made Optimo Hats, vintage cufflinks from Antique Jewel Box, leather bags and wallets by Moore and Giles, socks from Ovadafut Socks and the reintroduced Penhaligons' cologne and shave gifts are just a few of the offerings for discerning dads. There's also the added bonus of a display of Steve Maloney's sculptural bronze ties.10am-6pm June 12 @ Wilkes Bashford (street windows and on the 3rd floor), 375 Sutter St., SF.
DSQUARED2 and Tod's eyewear: Marcolin Eyewear specialists will be on hand Saturday at this special event that benefits the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. There's a $25 gift card in it for anyone purchasing a pair of frames.
2-6pm @ Saks Men's Store, 220 Post St., SF; call 415-438-5380 for appointments or more info.| Jun 09 at 12:00 PM
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
Sally Singer named T Magazine editor
Vogue fashion and features editor Sally Singer has been named the new editor of the New York Times' T Magazine, ending months of intrigue following the departure of founding editor Stefano Tonchi for W magazine.
Robert Fairer
NorCal native Sally Singer.
Singer grew up mostly in Oakland, and got her undergrad degree at UC Berkeley. She had been with Vogue since 1999, and had worked at New York Magazine, Elle and British Vogue prior to that. She appeared at the Commonwealth Club a year ago to talk about "Why Fashion Matters." For more about her thoughts on the topic, you can read Style contributor Daniela Province's story on Singer, including her favorite Bay Area places, here.
Meanwhile, Women's Wear Daily and fashion blogs have been buzzing as Tonchi has turned the existing W staff roster upside down and lured Lynn Hirschberg and Armand Limnander away from T. New Creative Director Jody Quon was plucked from New York Magazine, and former Gourmet managing editor Lawrence Karol will be executive managing editor. Oddly enough, three of Tonchi's hires (all but Quon) also attended famously fashion-averse UC Berkeley, according to a news release from W reprinted in New York Observers's Media Mob blog.
| Jun 08 at 01:14 PM
Latest obsession: See by Chloe handbags
This spring's Great Handbag Hunt is finally over. It involved far too much time spent on ShopStyle and Bluefly, joining various online sales site (read more about them this Sunday in Style), haunting of Nordstrom Rack and Loehmann's, and even a marked-down Botkier we ended up returning.
Fall 2008 See by Chloe Daytripper:
the one that got away.
We've long been fans of the See by Chloe Daytripper bags, and having tragically let the red and black zipper version pass us by in 2008, we were determined not to make the same mistake twice. Luckily, the Daytripper is still in the line, so we staked out the Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale (still going on), both online and in person.
Nordstrom
The winner: See by Chloe's Daytripper bucket bag in Ink.
Though we tried the big Daytripper in person, it was the smaller and more ladylike medium pleat-pocket bucket bag Daytripper in the intriguing Ink color that won us over. "Ink" turns out to be a midnight blue, like the Crayola color, and the raised dot effect and extra zipper detail gave it the edge we were looking for.
Other styles, like the East Village, come in yummy Necco wafer colors.
Still, it was hard to resist the larger-size Daytripper (on sale for $417) -- camel and caramel shades look to be big for fall, and this style makes a great workday and weekend tote. (The black version is available for full price.)
The Daytripper in Sand.
Then we started looking around further and realizing there are lots of other great See by Chloe bags out there, many of them also on sale. All have distinctive hardware and zipper details. We also like the fact that they're offered in fashion-forward colors.
As of Monday, the San Francisco Nordstrom still had the funky East Village bag in several sizes, and a few variations online (the mini-crossbody is $238 at Shopbop). The Funny Love summer satchel is another option if you need your bag to do heavier duty. It comes in both a "bucket" and travel size, and in a luscious watermelon and greige colors as well as black.
| Jun 08 at 09:30 AM
Friday, June 04, 2010
SFMade launch party celebrates local makers
San Francisco may not be known for its locally made products, but a new nonprofit organization begun earlier this year is trying to change all that.
Cordarounds
Celebrating its official launch on Wednesday with a party and fundraising event, SFMade seeks to connect makers of local products ranging from baby apparel to handbags to artisan chocolate and tea with manufacturers and resources to help them keep their business operations within city bounds.
"This is job creation, and it's workforce development, and it's connecting innovative designers with manufacturing that already exists," said SFMade Program Director Janet Lees. "It's marrying innovation and design with the craftsmanship that needs to go with it, and that's our whole emphasis. There's no one else doing this."
Rickshaw Bagworks
That the party, dubbed Ramp It Up!, offers a rare chance to view the inner workings of the Ritual Coffee Roasters plant may be enough to draw some guests. Others will no doubt come to see Anchor Brewing Company Chairman Emeritus Fritz Maytag receive a founders award from the nonprofit.
For fashion fans, the evening also means a chance to shop and meet the designers behind Rickshaw Bags (whose founder Mark Dwight is also the nonprofit's founder) Cordarounds, Slainte Bags, Baby Leo Designs and Couture by Juliet. Other local companies participating include Recchiuti Confections, Urban Farmgirls and House Kombucha.
Ramp It Up! takes place on June 9 at Ritual Coffee Roasters, 1050 Howard St., SF. Tickets: $35.
| Jun 04 at 09:30 AM
Thursday, June 03, 2010
Who needs a facial when you can get a "vajacial?"
Hair today, gone tomorrow: New treatments for your down-under are offered at Stript
Just when the more demure people in society thought they'd heard enough about the merits of Brazilian bikini waxing and manscaping, here comes another beauty procedure to make them blush.
If you can use Oprah's favorite euphemism for a woman's nether regions -- vajayjay -- then you can surely say "vajacial."
You know, a vagina facial -- a calming, soothing treatment for the area around the vajayjay.
Who in the world came up with this? Katherine Goldman, founder of Stript Wax Bar salons in San Francisco, Palo Alto and Oakland. But the more pertinent question is: why? Well, if you have to ask, you've never had a Brazilian bikini wax or experienced the common after-effects -- ingrown hairs and other minor irritations.First things first. The vajacial is given about a week after a Brazilian wax, no sooner, and is performed only on the outer skin areas where hair has been removed, not on delicate inner tissues. The other things to know: The 50-minute treatment involves four steps. First, a warm wash is given to the groin area, followed by a "smooth appeal" enzyme with papaya for exfoliation. Extractions are performed (removal of ingrowns) and a mask is applied using one of three solutions -- an antifreckle agent, an anti-acne (anti-bacterial) agent, or a calming formula. Last but not least, a lightening treatment is applied, to even out skin color down under.
The trademarked procedure costs $60 and debuted in January. Goldman declined to give out specific numbers, but said it is "increasingly popular" at her salons. "I came up with it because my clients started having problems with ingrown hairs. Because you're removing it from the root and it's coarse and tends to curl, when it grows up there's a high probability of it getting trapped," she said. "For some clients, it was extreme and made them self-conscious. They had a great bikini wax but it was unsightly. The clients are excited because they were looking for a solution. It makes them happier, and the results of waxing are better and lasting longer."
Because the people who tend to get such waxes have issues with hair and texture in the first place, they also tend to be the types who pick at their ingrown bumps and make them worse. Try not to, Goldman said. "There can be a better way to handle it," she said. "That's why we do it as professionals."
Goldman said she has received calls from people around the world inquiring how to make appointments. Three women from Los Angeles made a road trip out of it and booked a hotel in San Francisco so they could stay overnight and get their treatments, and a reporter from Cosmopolitan's British edition flew out for a treatment, Goldman said.
Even if you never even take a bus across town to get a vajacial, you're now hip to the scene -- provided you've been able to get past any prudishness to read to the end of this post.
P.S. Readers are eligible for a 25 percent discount on a single service at any Stript locations during the month of June 2010 by mentioning "SFGate."
| Jun 03 at 09:30 AM
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Free hair tips from Harry Josh
Too many of us are in a hair rut, and Harry Josh is on a nationwide campaign to help. A stylist whose work you've seen in countless magazines (on celebrities from Gwyneth Paltrow to Miley Cyrus), Josh (and his team of associates) is giving free styling consultations this Thursday and Friday at Justin Herman Plaza.
Zimbio.com
He's here to help ...
It's the latest stop on the John Frieda Style On Site Tour, co-sponsored by BCBG Max Azria to help men and women choose which styles and products best suit for their hair and face shape.
Each person gets 15 minutes of professional expertise about how they can have better hair -- whether that means not using conditioner or whether you'd look better with Katy Perry-style bangs. (Hint: Computers will be set up to order an array of John Frieda products, though there's no obligation to buy anything; the line is also available at most drugstores.)
"Most women wear their hair too short," he said during a recent chat here at SFUnzipped HQ. "The soccer mom bob does not need to happen."
He also beseeches women to rethink twisting their back in an elastic band -- what he refers to as the dreaded "gym bun." Instead, he showed me a quick alternative for hair that's on the longer side -- the messy side ballerina bun. It starts with gathering the hair into a low side ponytail and twisting it clockwise until it starts coiling into itself. Then, secure it with a few bobby pins and voila -- instant chic. I have to admit it took me about a dozen tries before I got the hang of it, but it's become my new favorite summer 'do.
His basic message is: a little effort can result in major changes. So if you've been thinking about how to update your 'do, do stop on by and say hello.
Free; 15-minute consultations from 10-6pm Thursday, June 3; 11a-7 Friday, June 4, @ Justin Herman Plaza, SF.
| Jun 01 at 12:30 PM
Friday, May 28, 2010
Staying stylish while pregnant? Is there any hope?
Even if you consider yourself decently style-savvy, the nine-month wardrobe upheaval otherwise known as pregnancy is likely to present fashion conundrums of blimp-like proportions.
At least that's been my experience over the last six-and-a-half-months, as I've gone from knowledgeable about what fits my shape to increasingly blobular and frequently lost, staring into my closet hoping for new, suitable mommy-to-be clothing combinations to magically surface from the hanger-riddled depths.
So it was with great interest that I pulled up a stool at this week's Bump It Up event at W Hotel to interview fashion journalist Amy Tara Koch about her book "Bump It Up: Transform Your Pregnancy Into the Ultimate Style Statement."
During our chat in a room filled with pregnancy-friendly diversions ranging from mini-burgers to free Bliss Spa treatments, Koch offered helpful style tips tailored just for expectant moms.
You've said that you especially love styling short pregnant women. Why?
The most challenging thing is making short pregnant women feel like gazelles. The ways to look like a long, lean, baby-making machine have to do with using accessories as tools.
Can you give us a few examples?
A: One of the things is long, layered necklaces. In pregnancy, you never want to wear a choker. You want to wear necklaces that create verticality. It's a trick of the eye and also creates a focal point.One of my other favorite, favorite tricks is scarves, long scarves. Long scarves do a few things. They create verticality, number one. In the first trimester, they cover your belly and kind of mask your mound until you're ready to spill the beans. And once you are ready talk about it, it's a pop of color and it adds verticality and it's just another layering element that adds polish and style to your look.
Fashion journalist and author Amy Tara Koch was in town to talk about her book
"Bump It Up: Transform Your Pregnancy Into the Ultimate Style Statement."
Another thing, when you're pregnant, you never want to wear studs. All your accessories have to match the bravado of your bump. They have to be big, and they have to make a statement. They have to do something for you. You want to wear long, neck-grazing earrings. It also elongates your neck. It elongates all of you. And it takes the focal point away from your ass and your hips and up to your face.
What key pieces should every pregnant woman invest in?
A: The five key pieces are a long Lycra tank top, a pair of leggings, a pair of maternity jeans, a multi-tasking black dress -- empire waist is preferable -- and a black maternity pencil skirt. What's so cool about the maternity pencil skirts is that you can add the black tank top and create this column effect where it just looks like a really tight dress. So the whole trick is buying these basics that are fade-into-the-woodwork boring, but fit well. And then you bump them up, that's why I named (the book) that, with accessories.
You're an advocate of heels, but what about the swollen feet that often hit during pregnancy?
A: You don't have to wear a spike heel. You can wear a slide. You can wear a clog. You can wear a cowboy boot. You can wear a kitten heel. There are so many options. Heels don't mean spike heels. Heels just mean having a lift, getting that height, elongating your silhouette. You should wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and say, "How can I be a long, lean baby-making machine?" It takes just as much time to make a bad fashion decision as it does to make a good fashion decision.
Are there any unusual places you'd recommend pregnant women look for suitable clothing?
A: One of my favorite places to go shopping is the swim department. The swim department of any department store has Versace-esque, Cavalli-esque [tunics]. It's gauzy, it's perfect for summer. You get the animal print, you get the stripes, so I think the swim department is manna for maternity clothing.
You're the mother of two. What was your favorite part about being pregnant?
A: Two things. First of all, I'm not a big eater. So I loved having cravings. I loved it. I was like, "Oh my god, key lime pie, I've never tasted anything like this." It was so exciting to enjoy food so much.
And also, I rose to the occasion. I stepped right up to the fashion plate. I said, "OK, I feel my breakfast rising in my throat, but I am stepping up to the fashion plate and I'm using my bump as an accessory and I'm going to create looks that I normally wouldn't do." I was more dramatic. ... I was like, I am only going to do this a couple times, and I want to have fun with it. My husband thought I looked so hot.
In need of pregnancy-friendly clothing finds?
Koch raves about the Versatile Pouch Dress, a garment that can be worn up to seven different ways and works both during and after pregnancy.
For affordable basics, the monthly Maternity Xchange held in San Francisco is a must-visit.
| May 28 at 10:00 AM
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Saturday style: Black V + Serial Cultura pop-up
Black V: a DARK fashion industry event: The group that brought San Francisco the white-themed SNOW show last year is back with Black V. Featured San Francisco designers include Bacca da Silva, Alexandria von Bromssen, Dception, Terrance Yu, Tamo Design, Kaatje Design and Mike Sg. The runway show starts at 8 p.m., and there will be music by the Family Crest and DJ Model. The dress code is -- what else? -- "Fashionably Black." Something tells us the "Twilight" look may be out in full force.
Free to those wearing "black chic"; 6:30pm May 29 @ Press Club, 20 Yerba Buena Lane, SF.
Serial Cultura
A digitally printed fold tunic and hand silk-screened hemp cotton leggings
with silk cashmere scarf from the fall line.
Serial Cultura Pop-Up: City slickers are familiar with Serial Cultura, Jen Jennings' line of hand-screened graphic separates, but the Wine Country gets a taste this weekend during a one-day pop-up shop at Arboretum. Visitors can check out the spring/summer line, or pre-order for fall, all from Jennings herself.
5-7pm May 29 @ Arboretum, 332 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg; 707-433-7033.| May 27 at 02:00 PM
SF Unzipped: the digital version of your triple nonfat half-caff soy latte, with one shot of fashion, one shot beauty, one shot shopping and a whip of the Bay Area's amusing trends.
By Laura Compton, Anastasia Hendrix, Beth Hughes, Sylvia Rubin, Lorraine Sanders, Babe Scanlon, Carolyne Zinko, Read Bios
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