SFBayStyle

Peclers Paris holds Trend Forecasting Seminar

 

On August 18th trend forecasting consulting agency, Peclers Paris, held for the first time a forecasting seminar in San Francisco. The half-day presentation was based on the agency's annual forecasting manual Futurs 9 and facilitated by renowned international strategic researcher, Francoise Serralta.  

Just about everyone can benefit from Peclers Paris' research - artists, writers, designers, people in marketing, PR, and sales. Among the attendees were staff from local art universities, independent designers, and people working in high tech. Looking three to five years out, Ms. Serralta commented that this is a unique time to dare and to be creative.  Time to think beyond the norm.  

For more information about Peclers Paris current trend forecasting manual, Futurs 9, go to:

http://www.peclersparis.com/

Martini Brothers Perfrom at Le Colonial

Join the Martini Brothers this Thursday evening, 7:30 at Le Colonial restaurant in San Francisco for some stylin' old school fun. In 1940s matching suits and fedoras, crooners Bob Dalpe and Richard Fishman will transform you to yesteryear with the tunes of Frank Sinatra, Cole Porter, and Ira Gershwin.  

Have a cocktail and a fabulous Le Colonial appetizer. Show off your best moves on the dance floor. See and be seen in your finest. It's all good with the Martini Brothers this Thursday, August 27, 7:30-10:30, Le Colonial, 20 Cosmo Place, downtown San Francisco. 

Be there or be square, Brother.  

Chaiken Maternity Sample Sale

The invitation says it all: CHAIKEN Maternity Fall 2009 Sample Sale is happening this Wednesday and Thursday at 116 New Montgomery, Suite 820 in San Francisco.

Hours:
Wednesday August 26th, 2009 11am - 6pm
Thursday August 27th, 2009 11am - 6pm

A Vegan Visits Kitsho Sushi

Since becoming vegetarian 20 years ago, Japanese restaurants have mostly fallen off the radar for me. I'm used to going to restaurants and having few choices, but there was something particularly frustrating about going to a Japanese restaurant and seeing my dining companions choose from among literally dozens and dozens of menu options, and being stuck, myself, with Inari (if I was lucky) and Vegetable Tempura (if I was not).

And some Japanese restaurants are not particularly accommodating philosophically either. I've asked for dishes like Age Dashi Tofu to be made without the bonita flakes (which is a fish product) and been refused!

Now, when I have a special hankering, nothing beats Cha Ya Vegan Japanese in San Francisco and Berkeley, but when I'm down in my home base, the South Bay, I don't have such wonders available to me. 

Hottest Yoga in Town

Ninety minutes of pretzel like poses in one hundred and five degree heat?  Sign me up!  If you have been living under a rock for the last year, you may have not heard of the new yoga craze - Bikram Yoga.  It’s a sequence of 26 poses that are held for a minute to a minute in a half in heated room, and the results are intense.  Not only is this a great way to drop those extra pounds, but you experience a total body rejuvenation.  While performing this 90 minute sequence of poses in a “sweat box”, you are releasing toxins, improving flexibility, range of motion, circulation and your immune system.  Not to mention it is a great stress reliever and a good facial!  

Bikram Yoga was created by Bikram Choudhury after he was crippled by a weight lifting accident.  He developed a series of core strengthening poses which he has scientifically proven to regenerate tissue and cure chronic ailments.  He introduced his yoga practice into the states in 1973, and has since built an empire off of the heated yoga.  Through seminars, certification programs, instructional CDs and videos, Bikram clothing, and the thousands of studios that have opened to continue Bikram, is a self-made multi-millionaire.  

Piggy Paint - A Treat For Your Little Diva

Since the beginning of sandals season, my "girly" daughter has been asking for her first pedicure.  But because of the harsh solvents and chemicals found in nail polish, I've felt reluctant to indulge her.  As her birthday rolled around, I was delighted to come across Piggy Paint, a line of nail polishes for kids made of non-toxic ingredients that are "as pure as mud."

Piggy Paint is an odorless, water-based formulation that dries into a natural resin film.  It comes in 14 colors from light pink to sparkly fuschia, classic red, as well as more unusual (and boy-friendly) shades of green, orange, yellow, blue, silver and black.  The birthday girl's favorite was Forever Fancy, a sparkly bright pink.  Girls Rule! was more purple-y and a hit with some of her pals.

Concept Store - Edition

Retail's answer to the recession appears to be concept stores with reasonable price points, like Bebe's 2b and most recently Banana Republic Edition, which opened in May on the second floor of the Westfield San Francisco Centre. Edition’s new lines of limited edition handbags and jewelry include edgy designs like, State of the Art Clutch, a mixed-media look made from Argentinean leather. And artsy designs, like the Cortina Collection, which features handbags made of alligator embossed nubuck leather and smoky hues in graphite and bordeaux.  Even classic handbags are included - something Banana Republic is known for - like the Gstaad Collection, which features brown bags with gold hardware. These supple leather bags are all under $280.

Trend Forecasting Seminar with PeclersParis

If you're in any consumer based business -design, fashion, art - you want to know about trends, in particular, future trends. PeclersParis, an international trend forecasting agency, has got that covered. They've been forecasting trends for nearly 40 years and have a proven success record with clients such as Armani, Volkswagen, and LVMH. In conjunction with the publication of their annual trend guide, Futurs9, PeclersParis is offering an interactive seminar on August 18, 2-6, in San Francisco. Featured will be a presentation given by Strategic Research and Planning Director, Francoise Serralta discussing trends 3 to 5 years out and issues such as where sustainability is going. Ms. Serralta is the preeminent expert in the study of lifestyle evolution and consumer trends. 

Seminar coordinator and Trend Consultant, Marieke van der Poel says this is the first time the company had opened up their seminar to the public and it definitely has something for everyone - writers, researchers, people working in marketing and PR. "Anyone making anything for anyone," says Ms. van der Poel. For more information and to register go to: http://www.peclersparis.com/
 

Revelation by M.E.

Ready for a night out on the town right after work?  Wouldn’t it be great to just make a few easy adjustments to your garment instead of having to do a complete wardrobe change?  Well, Myrda Monasterial and Eloisa Serrano have your solution.  These hard-working fashion entrepreneurs decided to produce a line of garments that provide you with an easy transition from day to night wear.

Their line is great for the independent women on the go, ready to take the world over and not yet ready to settle down.  For just having started their line a little over a year ago, Myrda and Eloisa have made huge accomplishments.  Adding to their list of accomplishments is the fact that they use a fabric called Modal.  The fabric is environmentally conscious.  The process of producing this type of fabric does not pollute as much as Rayon or other synthetic fabric.  Modal has the feel of cotton and the shine of synthetic fabric.  Not only do they think green, but they also manufacture everything domestically.  Everything is produced in San Francisco.

American Craft Council Show

 Wearable art by Kiss of the Wolf will be available at the American Craft Council Show, August 14-16

I've been reading Melissa Leventon's book Artwear: Fashion and Antifashion (Thames & Hudson, 2005). Ms. Leventon is a San Francisco curator and costume historian and in her book she discusses the history and evolution of Wearable Art. Created by artists at the turn of the 20th century and enhanced by hippies of the 1960's, wearable art is a niche market that is on par with couture. Perusing Ms. Leventon's book has put me in the mood for the upcoming American Craft Council Show, August 14-16, Fort Mason, SF.

The ACC show is one stop shopping for one-of-a-kind items hand crafted by artisans from around the country. On offer is jewelry, furniture, clothing, accessories, and home decor - all unique, quality pieces shoppers won't find anywhere else. To mark their 34th year, ACC is also planning extracurricular treats like wine tasting, artists' demonstrations, and a showing of the Faythe Levine film, Handmade Nation, a documentary on the rise of the handmade craft movement in the United States. Get all the details at: http://www.craftcouncil.org/sf/

Back to School with PlanetBox

Is it too early to be thinking about school? My little munchkin will be off to kindergarten this fall, and she asks about it every other day. In her excitement to eat lunch at school, she's already tested out her PlanetBox - a surprisingly fun and "stylish" stainless-steel lunch tray.

PlanetBox couldn't have landed at a better time, as I've been trying to purge plastic from our kitchen due to concerns about BPA and other potentially harmful chemical effects. In addition to being a safe and eco-friendly part of a no-waste lunch, the 'Box has some other nice things going for it.

First, the inside reminds me of a TV dinner tray. (I wonder, do TV dinners even exist anymore?) Since my kids tend to get all bent out of shape when one kind of food touches another food, they like having five separate compartments - and only one latch to open. Extra sidecar containers are great for snacks and can also handle messier foods, such as yogurt, melon chunks, and applesauce.

Oscar de la Renta Fashion Show At a Glance

We already posted the video and a black-and-white retrospective. Now here are some of the best images of the day at Lake Tahoe benefiting the League to Save Lake Tahoe and featuring Oscar de la Renta. (All photos by Drew Altizer Photography.)

On with the show...

Black & White Photo Retrospective from Oscar de la Renta Show in Tahoe

Included here are some exquisite photographs from last weekend's Oscar de la Renta fashion show in Lake Tahoe.

The credit for this entirely belongs to Drew Altizer who took all of these amazing photos and thought to put them into black and white for posterity.  We just thought it would be nice to do one article with all images in black-and-white. Enjoy!

First image, left, is of Brenda Zarate and Jonathan Lazar.

Video of Oscar de la Renta Fashion Show in Lake Tahoe

Thanks to Drew Altizer Photography & Video, we have been given permission to post this amazing video of the League to Save Lake Tahoe fashion show from this past weekend.  Enjoy!

Saks Fifth Avenue Hosts Oscar de la Renta Runway Show from Drew Altizer Video & SFWIRE on Vimeo.

For photos of the event, see the event page on Drew's site.

Summer Soiree with Appel and Frank

August 13 might be a little late for summer clothing in the rest of the country, but here in the Bay Area, we know we can count on being able to wear summer clothes through October. So for those not ready to start setting up fall closets just yet, Appel and Frank are having a girl's night with great discounts from a variety of designers, and the first 300 guests get an eco-friendly gift bag with products from a variety of local companies. Popchips, Nature's Path Organic Foods, StyleChick.com, SF Weekly and Alice and Isa are just a few companies that are helping to fill those gift bags to the brim.

The event happens on August 13, 5-9pm at the Regency Center, Sutter Room, San Francisco. Go to www.appelandfrank.com for a discount of two tickets for $10.

SF Chefs. Food. Wine. This Week In San Francisco

SF Chefs. Food. Wine. is happening in this week in San Francisco at Union Square from August 6th through the 9th.  It's going to be an amazing four day Food & Wine event of bacchanalian proportions, celebrating the unique and diverse bounty that San Francisco has to offer.

Proceeds from this event will go to four SF charities - Feeding America, a leading supporter of the SF Food Bank, Meals On Wheels, the Golden Gate Restaurant Association Scholarship Fund and Project Open Hand.

Getting it Right with Hair - Atelier at Santana Row

Sometimes it's hard to find the right fit for a hair stylist that will allow for optimum "wow" factor in terms of the total outcome of an ensemble. I've been on the lookout for that salon where I can leave happy, knowing t hat will be true.

Recently, I was recommended to the Atelier Aveda SalonSpa located on the upscale, mixed-use shopping strip in San Jose known as Santana Row.  The great part about this location is you can take a little shopping detour at retailers like Burberry, Cole Haan or Footcandy.  Or even go for the many luxury restaurants like Amber India, BlowFish Sushi, or Straits Cafe.  Possibly, you might want to satisfy your sweet tooth and stop by Cocola Bakery (yum).

Berkeley Playhouse's "Peter Pan: The Musical" Takes Flight at the Ashby Stage

I love the theatre. To watch others capture a character and bring such depth and emotion to the room that one becomes completely immersed in another world is a gift unlike any other. As such, I feel the absence of the theatre experience in my life acutely, and so when I saw that the Berkeley Playhouse was presenting Peter Pan: The Musical, I jumped at the chance. At last, here was a production I could take the kids to and perhaps feel a little magic myself. I was not left disappointed. 

From the small yet creatively functional stage to the enthusiastic and well-cast actors, the entire show is a delight. Compensating for a tight space, the atmosphere transitions from nursery to Neverland with ease, and then back again- though you wish it to stay Neverland forever.

Take the Joey Tote Step Toward the Green Initiative

For those moving forward in the going green initiative, check out Joey Totes. It seems that every company these days is trying to make hip, trendy eco bags - this is true. Joey Totes keep the environment in mind because of its' reusable nature, but the difference is these bags are highly durable. The totes are made out of rip-stop nylon, they hold up to 40 pounds, and they are machine washable.