SFBayStyle

Bay Area Trend -- Winter White Coats

There's a new addition to the San Francisco woman's quintessential wardrobe now that it's December. Worn over the standard skinny jeans, boots and sweaters and under the scarves are winter white coats.

These coats are a bit more high maintenance - any stain will show, so think twice before you wear them out to a bar or before eating pizza in it - but they look it, too. High maintenance, classy and upscale, in any style from a military style or pea coat  to a standard overcoat or a take on the trench (like G by Guess has done in the picture above), the fashionable women of San Fran just got a bit more fashionable.

Winter on the Runway- Fall Fashion Event in Palo Alto, CA

If you’re looking for a fabulous fashion event in the South Bay, Aspiring couture has just the event for you. Winter on the Runway will feature the latest collections from 20 different designers.

Drink, hors d’oeuvers, and deserts from Satura Cakes will be provided to guests.  You even have a chance to enter to win prizes and Fab freebies.

The fashion experience is on December 12, 2009 3pm and 7pm at the Palo Alto Women’s club (475 Homer Ave, Palo A lot, Ca 94031).

Price:

$10 general admission

$20 VIP admission (front row, $10 gift card and more)

 

Purchase tickets at:

Online: www.aspiringcouture .com

Email: aspiringcouture@gmail.com

Phone: 408.710.0732

Ginnifer Goodwin Wears Art Students' Design to EMA Awards

Talk about luck - Ginnifer Goodwin wore students' design to the 20th Anniversary Environmental Media Association Awards, and now those students can add celebrity stylist to their resumes. A group of Academy of Art University students, Priscilla Guimarais, Kumiko Haruyama, Nui Tanapornwattana, Audrey Wang and Tramaine Tillman, designed a collection of sustainable dresses for a class project. To them it was just another project for school, and a fun one at best.

Little did they know one of their sustainable designs -- a strapless dress made from hospital scrubs with three front ruffled tiers that fell just above the knee and a black sash -- would be worn by an actress. And not just worn anywhere, but to a red carpet event. The students created an entire collection for their project, so maybe, after the press from Goodwin, they'll have requests for orders. All of the outfits in 1Oak (which stands for one of a kind) are made from start to finish with sustainable practices. The hospital scrubs used to make Goodwin's dress were treated, dyed and pleated using sustainable practices.

So for the students out there, this just goes to show that some homework assignments shouldn't be blown off...you never know who you might impress.

Meet Curvy Fashionista Marie Denee

Curvy fashionista Marie Denee has a mission – to bring contemporary, sophisticated, edgy fashions to plus size women. This dynamo Oakland resident is doing just that with her plus size blog and her on line plus size boutique.

In 2008 Ms. Denee finished up her MBA and realized she had gathered a lot of specific information about plus size retail. “For my MBA research I focused on the plus size industry,” explains the perky Ms. Denee. “When I finished my degree I realized I have all this valuable information that I need to share.” She began blogging and quickly became a top resource for the plus size community.

Celebrating the New Look of CHANEL

San Francisco's Maiden Lane was ablaze with activity last Thursday evening November 19th, when several hundred devotees of CHANEL turned out to celebrate the boutique's reopening. A destination store on the Lane since 1988, CHANEL relocated earlier this year while the original boutique was completely redesigned.

The redesign was headed by New York architect and long time CHANEL collaborator Peter Marino. Sleek and tres moderne, the new boutique is a spacious two stories, highlighted by a 25-foot glass wall lining the stairs to the second floor. The wall is created from black metal and glass and backed with sheer gold laser cut fabric. Suspended from the wall are white lacquer shelves showcasing must-have handbags, shoes, and costume jewelry. To provide a bit of respite and comfort for shoppers, each floor has lovely tweed slipper chairs and sofas. The new space is both elegant and classic, with much attention paid to nuance and detail, offering customers a distinctively CHANEL experience.

New CHANEL Store Opens Friday in SF

Just in time for the holidays, the newly renovated CHANEL boutique reopens this Friday in San Francisco.

In a special event for customers and friends, the opening day will feature sounds of DJ Michael Smith, complimentary make-up sessions, a sneak peak at the '09/'10 "cruise collection" (i.e. gorgeous resort wear) and limited edition jewelry.

Expect the best quality in everything in the store. Opens at 10am, closes at 6pm. 156 Geary Street.

Vintage Clothing & Style Festival

 
  

Hold on to your hats fashionistas, I’ve got exciting news! Sunday, October 25 is the big day for some yesteryear thrills at the Vintage Clothing & Style Festival. This all day event happening at the Alameda Elks Lodge is not just about vintage fashion but also about living a vintage lifestyle.

Two years ago vintage enthusiasts Kimberly Manning and her business partners Roberto and Jula Isola decided they wanted to broaden the scope of a typical vintage show. Their desire is to offer not just retail but also an opportunity to socialize, interact and discuss all things vintage. “We want this Festival to celebrate vintage in a way that all ages, sizes, races and sexes feel they too can wear vintage,” explains Ms. Manning, looking tres chic in a 1940s pale pink knit dress embellished with red dragonflies at the shoulder. “Vintage can be for everyone.”

Celebrating the first African American Cover Girl Katiti Kironde

We were all very excited earlier this year to see our lovely First Lady Michelle Obama on the cover of Vogue. But back in the day an African American woman gracing the cover of a top fashion magazine was just not done. That is until Glamour magazine broke with convention by putting Katiti Kironde on their August 1968 College Issue.

On Friday October 9th, Ms. Kironde’s daughter Mireille Schwartz hosted a reception to honor her mother and celebrate the 41st anniversary of that landmark issue in fashion magazine history. Local chic elites gathered in the garden of Ms. Schwartz’s San Francisco home sipping cocktails and chatting with Ms. Kironde who hails from Connecticut.

SF Fleet Week-Style Elevation Event featuring Innovative Designers

An ongoing tradition since 1981, Fleet Week signifies a celebration to the men and women of the armed forces. This year not only do we have the option of viewing the Blue Angels, but we also have the opportunity to check out San Francisco Bay’s best emerging fashion and accessory designers at Style Elevation's Weekend Pop Up Shops on Grant Avenue in San Francisco's North Beach. 

Multi-talented entrepreneur Karri Ann Frerichs is the woman behind Style Elevation, an online retail shop launching this holiday season. In conjunction with the launch, in October Ms. Frerichs is hosting a series of retail happenings in various San Francisco shopping neighborhoods, highlighting the latest fashion trends from around the bay area. These happenings cater to the business growth of new and upcoming designers as well as the local business communities, using the "pop-up shop"scenario where empty spaces are utilized for retail extravaganzas. 

Twenty designers will present and sell their collections directly to the public in retail spaces around 1418 Grant Ave. on Saturday, October 10, 10:00 a.m.- 7:00 a.m., through Sunday, October 11, 11:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. If you love art, there will also be a fashion photographers showcase at Live Worms Gallery, 1345 Grant Ave., on Friday, October 9 from 5:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m.

See all the designers who have registered here.

Vintage on the Ave

Oaklanders with a flair for vintage are thrilled to welcome Mercy Vintage Now  to Piedmont Avenue. Former proprietors of All Dolled up Vintage in Berkeley, co-owners Karen Anderson and Jenny Della Santa made the move to the folksy neighborhood earlier this summer.

What sets Mercy apart from other vintage shops is their fabulous open space with high ceilings, gold moldings and white walls. The clothes are well organized and kept tidy. There's plenty of merchandise but not too much and no musty smell.

The fall collection at Mercy includes '40s to the '80s. There are lots of coats, suits, sweaters and evening dresses to be had at very reasonable prices. Ms. Anderson says the hottest era right now with her clientele is '80s - shoulder pads, neon colors, boyfriend jackets. Ah, ha, just what we're seeing in the mags! Mercy also has an array of super cute reconstructed t-shirts. How green is that?

Mercy Vintage Now, 4188 Piedmont Ave., Oakland, 510-654-5599.

Attention Fashion-Crazed High Schoolers: Passion for Fashion 2010 Competition

Most all high school girls are interested in fashion, but high school girls are interested in fashion in different degrees. There are the girls who obsessively thumb through Seventeen , Teen Vogue and, on occasion, Glamour, Vogue and InStyle, looking for the latest trends. But then some girls have such passion for fashion – and artistic talent – to actually pursue a career in it. If you know one of these girls, please read on...

Lily Samii Fashion Show for Arthritis Auxiliary

Next month, the Westin St. Francis will be showered with gorgeous designs by Lily Samii, possibly the most glamorous fashion designer in the Bay Area, in a show benefiting the Northern California Chapter and planned by the Bay Area Auxiliary. On Thursday, October 15, Look models will take the runway for the fashion show luncheon, following a reception and silent auction.

This should be one of the best fashion shows of the year and it will raise money to help fund programs and research supported by the Arthritis Foundation. To purchase tickets, call 415-356-5481.

Santana Row's Fall Fashion in the Park

Santana Row hosted its fifth annual Fall Fashion in the Park event on Sept. 11-12.   The show, featuring such top labels as Anne Fontaine, Cole Haan, St Croix, Brooks Brothers, Lucy, Furla, among others, benefits four South Bay non-profits: Breathe California, Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley, Junior League of San Jose and San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce. 

Patrons were treated to a night under the stars, with paper lanterns floating on the gentle breeze.  Fashion lovers mingled in the intimate courtyard, sipping wine and chatting with Santana Row retailers.   With warm summer days soon giving way to chilly winter, toasty coats and knits were the first order of business.  I visited a few of the boots to get the flavor of the season's hottest offerings.

More Photos from SF Symphony Gala

We're not the only ones showcasing some of the great looking ensembles from events, but that doesn't mean we don't know our readers like to see the photos too. Here are some of our favorites from this year's San Francisco Symphony Gala, to complement our full article. All photos provided by Drew Altizer Photography.

Pamela Joyner pictured left.

SF Symphony Opening Night Gala Sizzled with Style

Wednesday night's San Francisco Symphony Opening Gala introduced the new arts season with thoughtful music, fine delectables, and throngs of fetching gowns. As the sun set on the warm Bay Area, the event kept buzzing. Turning up the heat, the concert featured one of People magazine's "Sexiest Men Alive," Lang Lang, the 27 year-old piano virtuoso and a trio of dizzying waltzes conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas.

The evening began with cocktails and parallel dinner events organized by the San Francisco Symphony League and Symphonix, the young professional league. McCall's catered, and everything looked grand, beginning in the tent pavilion, City Hall, and of course Davies Symphony Hall where patrons flocked for the main event.

CRAVE Guide Release Party September 10th

The Urban Girl's Manifesto for the San Francisco Bay Area, aka the CRAVE Guide, has been anticipated for months. As of this Thursday, Sept. 10, it will be released at a party 1 block from the ballpark, featuring SFBayStyle.

The new book includes over 100 women-owned businesses in the Bay Area - boutiques, spas, bakeries, and service professionals - everything the urban girl needs. And the best part? You're all invited!

Hot off the press and sponsored by Battered Bakery, TeaCake Bake Shop, I dream of Cake, Cook! SF, ChefK2, Square Meals and Carolyn Davis Catering, the event promises to be full of sugary sweetness. So please RSVP and come to BoConcept at 101 Townsend St. from 6-8pm on Thursday.

New York To Celebrate the Commencement of NY Fashion Week with ‘Fashion’s Night Out’

 

Next Thursday, September 10^th, 2009 marks the beginning of the world-renowned New York Fashion Week.  To commemorate this week, NYC & Company and the City of New York have partnered with Vogue and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) to create an unprecedented citywide initiative called Fashion's Night Out, whose goals are to promote local retail stores, restore consumer confidence and celebrate fashion.

This initiative was announced this past May by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, as well as the CEO of NYC & Company George Fertitta, Vogue Editor in Chief Anna Wintour and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Executive Director Steven Kolb, to support local retailers on the first night of Fashion Week.  Participating retail stores across the five boroughs will stay open until 11:00 PM and offer an array of in-store celebrations and promotions such as personal appearances by designers and celebrities, fashion shows, live music, giveaways and charity tie-ins.

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

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/