SFBayStyle

Inspirational Tuscan Gem in Hillsborough

Monique Lhuillier is known for her fabulous wedding gowns, interlaced and intricate. What is less commonly known is that her family - one of the wealthiest in the Philippines - had a home here in the Bay Area, in Hillsborough, where they would gather together. Whether the home had any inspirational influence on her as a designer we don't know, but she did spend time there. Since then, the Tuscan villa overlooking a wooded canyon peeking out to the Bay has gone through two owners, the second set of which renovated it entirely and it's breathtaking to see.

When Stephanie and Ray Hood first stumbled on this 6770 square foot Hillsborough home, it contained a wide range of styles, most notably Georgian and Meditteranean. Stephanie, had already managed renovations of five previous homes, so after they bought this one, she began working on her sixth. "Every surface" was redone, including floors, walls, lighting, even bannisters. The project took three months including flying in workers from Texas who the Hoods knew and trusted from their previous homes. The floors have been hand scraped, and antiques were specially purchased to fit into the rooms among other key pieces brought from their previous homes.

Get in on the DriverSide

The invitation read: "Remember when websites were launched with great parties? So do we." It enticed me, as was certainly the plan, and so I made it to my first dotcom launch event in a while for DriverSide, the latest venture of Trevor Traina, Adam Jackson and Jad Dunning. Except something was different about this party - we're all older, and it had class. Not to knock any of the other not-to-be-named, mostly defunct companies who hosted great parties nearly a decade ago, but drinking Red Bull at 1015 Folsom while watching product demos is a little different than lounging in Bentleys eating caviar.

DriverSide's mission is to protect car owners - to think about caring for our cars from the driver's perspective or side. The product, launched last month, provides a virtual garage for every car owned by the driver who signs up for an account, and it creates and saves pertinent details about the vehicles such as the recommended service schedule and current estimated resale value. They also list cars for sale and advise on the annual cost to register, insure and operate the vehicles by state. When asked how DriverSide makes money, Traina replied that it's through advertising and e-commerce. "We intentionally refrain from charging visitors for things that other websites do. For instance we let you list a used car for free and give advice for free."

Note to Julie Chaiken: Welcome Home

According to a WWD.com article, the time has finally come for Chaiken to relocate to San Francisco where designer, Julie Chaiken, lives. One of the biggest names in fashion from the area, Chaiken is consistently listed along with ESPRIT, Peter Som and others who are either from here, started here, or live here. But due to the proximity of textile and manufacturing facilities, New York has historically been the only place to do serious fashion design in the U.S.. Tired of the commute and still with her heart in San Francisco, Chaiken will be moving some of her operations to Asia where facilities are also available - at a lower cost - to produce her clothes, while moving the base of the company to San Francisco.

Chaiken won't be lonely working in San Francisco - she will be at home amongst the growing community of eco-friendly and couture designers like Lily Achatz and Colleen Quen. Consistently recognized as a host for local fashion events, Chaiken has a real opportunity to help San Francisco become a West Coast hub of fashion as more designers choose to live and work here. For a preview of Chaiken's work and to support her efforts, Chaiken clothes are sold at Macy's in Union Square, as well as Bloomingdales, Saks and Nordstrom. She's reportedly moving her office here next month. Let's give her a warm welcome.

Photo: Julie Chaiken, center in black, applauded by models wearing her designs, during the Junior League of San Francisco annual fashion show luncheon in April.

TechCrunched for Time

Friday evening's annual TechCrunch and August Capital Meet-Up challenged the laws of physics as hundreds of people flocked together onto the deck at the offices of August Capital in Menlo Park to view demos of young companies, meet, mix, drink, nibble and mingle. Standing in long lines to gain entrance, partygoers waited in the heat, generally upbeat, greeted by members of TechCrunch and August Capital as they made their way down the steps barely a half hour after I received my first tweet from a friend making his way to the party.

David Hornik, Partner at August Capital and husband of SFBayStyle cofounder, Pamela Hornik, greeted my husband and I at the door. Once inside, we found people from Sequoia Capital, Facebook, techbeat, Wired, SugarCRM and of course Google. As a veteran of three tech start-ups and with my husband now on his third, we felt right at home. Dire Straits and a house mix played in the background while guests, clad mostly in denim, sampled wine and software - only in Silicon Valley could you ever find a party like this.

SFBayStyle Writers Party With Mom Bloggers at Saks

Friday, SFBayStyle writers got together with the Silicon Valley Moms Blog Group writers from all over the country in town visiting for the BlogHer conference and we had a make-up and head shots cocktail party at Saks Fifth Avenue in Union Square. About eighty of us congregated on the fifth floor at Saks for wine, hors d'oeurves, and shopping. Most successful department: shoes.

As writers, we're always in need of updated, high quality head shots to attach to our work, so thanks to Beth Blecherman (shown top left with me), SFBayStyle cofounder and Silicon Valley Moms Blog Group cofounder and partner, who arranged the photographers, we were able to get that done. Saks kindly offered their space and make-up artists from Bobbi Brown, Lancome, Nars, Giorgio Armani and a few others as well as Alexander Fekkai hair products. Dawn Dzedzy did a great job organizing from that end. All of the writers seemed to have a good time drinking, talking, primping and posing.

What to Wear for Summer in San Francisco

By now, anyone who has traveled to San Francisco in the summer months has heard the quote by Mark Twain along the lines of how it can be colder than winter in some places. That's true some of the time, but there are also days that are fabulously beautiful and perfect where the view of the Bay is so clear, the air warm and inviting, where tourists need to buy t-shirts instead of the sweatshirts that usually make a bundle at Fisherman's Wharf. And this week, San Francisco is welcoming some fabulous women for the BlogHer conference taking place at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in Union Square, so in honor of and as tips for these gals, SFBayStyle has developed a "What to Wear" list for our visitors...

Number 1: layers. If nothing else remains from this list, remember layers. Perhaps it should be repeated one more time. LAYERS. Layers are the key to Northern California living. One jacket or sweater is fine, but two or three are better. Pamela recommends cashmere sweaters.

Number 2: great shoes. Stylish is fun, but at the end of the day if you're trudging at a 60 degree angle up a hill chasing an overflowing Cable Car, you want a pair that's comfortable and functional. I've done it in pumps and it nearly killed me. Trendy open-toe spikes or whatever floats your boat is great for wining, dining, and partying, but for walking and conference going, go for whatever shoes you know won't let you down.

Nordstrom Designer Preview Pictorial

Because many of the fashion shows in the Bay Area provide substantial amounts of eye candy, occasionally SFBayStyle will split it up. Here's a closer look at some of the great style at the Nordstrom Designer Preview benefit for Raphael House from Wednesday, beginning above with the final view of the final designer, Versace. See yesterday's article for more event details and additional images.

All photographs are by Drew Altizer Photography, unless otherwise specified.

Nordstrom Fall Designer Preview Fashion Show

In true form, the fifth annual Nordstrom Designer Preview impressed fashion friends dressed to the nines from around the Bay Area Wednesday the 9th at the Herbst Pavillion at Fort Mason Center for cocktails and nibbles, shopping, and one of the best fashion shows to take place yet in the Bay Area. With a designer boutique surrounding the show including all garments from the runway as well as others from additional designers, the event provided a close-up look of what I must say is one of the most wearable fall collections I've seen in a while.

Designers in the show included Donna Karan, Peter Som, Stella McCartney, Michael Kors, Bill Blass, Burberry Prorsum, Derek Lam, Valentino, Versace and Vera Wang. Key looks from fall/winter included black, magenta and deep purples, fiery red, luscious fabrics - tweeds, knits, silks, patent leather. These are looks that can translate to real life in a comfortable, classic way not going out of style next month or creating eye sores. Everything in the show and on the racks was beautiful including accessories - smooth gloves, shimmering bloated bags and a wide variety of killer shoes.

Fall - Winter 2008 Fashion Trends List

It's that time again - time to lust after luxurious fall and winter fashion as stores fill their shelves. Here's our annual fall - winter trends list for 2008-2009, compiled from attending Fashion Week, viewing show footage online and studying what other publications have identified as well.

This season, key trends include structured black suits, luscious purple gowns, oversized tweed coats, cartoon dresses, throwback cardigans, rocker booties and gigantic bags. This list is just a start - check out images from shows at style.com and New York magazine to see complete looks, such as the one top left, by Michael Kors.

Themes & Inspiration:
tailored
maturity
rockers
form-fitting
layering
late 50's/early 60's
Tudors
boxy 80's
South America
shag
futuristic
Eastern Europe
cartoons
Western
grunge

Nordstrom Fall Designer Trunk Show Today in SF

Nordstrom at San Francisco Centre today will be featuring a plethora of enticing fall must-haves from key designers shown in last night's Designer Preview at Fort Mason Herbst Pavilion. Shown left is a Missoni ensemble from the show.

If you want a sneak peak, head over to Nordstrom at 5th and Market from 10am-2pm. Designers include Donna Karan, Stella McCartney, Derek Lam, Peter Som, Missoni, Valentino, Versace, Michael Kors, Burberry Prorsum, Vera Wang and more. Look for comfortable knits, tweeds, lots of patent leather, magenta, gray, camel and of course black.

CB2 Moving Into Union Square

Union Square has been undergoing a lot of changes lately in terms of retail stores and one of the latest additions to the neighborhood is Crate & Barrel's lower end store, CB2. The San Francisco Store will be just around the corner from its big sister and it's a great place to get furniture that looks great but can take a few nicks from kids, pets, dorm living, etc. as well as a good place to find accent pieces that fit into anyone's home. Mostly modern, CB2 sells furniture and accessories.

CB2 is also having a 50% off sale right now online, so don't wait for the store to open to check them out.

Department Stores Unloading Fab Designer Handbags

Pre-fall is here (yeah, already) and everybody's having sales. Add that to the state of the economy, and department stores in particular are rushing to get rid of inventory in time for fall. Usually, the bargain tables leave a lot to be desired, but this week, we (Pamela, Stefania and I) all individually discovered some incredible deals on bags from 2007-2008 including Prada, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Juicy Couture, Valentino, and Jimmy Choo. Where? Neiman Marcus at Stanford had some good ones (going fast) and Saks in Union Square did as well.

What's really unusual this sale is that it's not just a couple of tables full of scraps that are on sale - it's bags on the shelves as well. So if you're in the market for a new handbag, run, don't walk...

Sex, Love and Shoes

If it wasn't obvious by the crowd approval throughout the film, the post show conversations said it all: fans are loving the Sex and the City movie. Ignore the negative reviews: those are written by people who either don't understand the show or critique just because they can. It's a good film, bordering on great. (I need to see it a few more times to make a complete assessment, a tough assignment to be sure, but I'm up to the challenge.)

One review I read asked the question: why did they feel they needed to make a movie? I thought that was obvious. Because they can! Why not, when they can make a mint and please fans all over the world? I understand that question actually because I asked it myself, feeling they did such a good job tying up the show at the end, why mess with a good thing? But they found a way to satisfy giving us just what we wanted - lots of sex, love, and shoes.

Dine About Town Begins Again

June 1-15, gourmet prix-fixe menus will be available at some of the best restaurants in San Francisco for lunch and dinner at a flat rate ($21.95 for lunches; $31.95 for dinners). Dine About Town is a great way to try out all of the fabulous restaurants you've heard about but haven't wanted to splurge to try, or just haven't gotten around to visiting. Those who dine at the restaurants are given a few different options for their menus, and typically some alterations can be made for those with relevant food allergies.

Participating restaurants include trendy favorites: A16, Ana Mandara, Asia SF, Azie, bacar, Cafe Claude, Chez Papa, Foreign Cinema, Frisee, Jack Falstaff, One Market, Plumpjack Cafe, Roots, Roy's, Sauce, and Zingari. Note: some restaurants are participating in Dine About Town for dinner-only. Reservations recommended via OpenTable. I'll be back again, possibly at the same restaurants I've tried before just because they're so good and this is such a great idea.

Chic for a Cause: Stop the Spray Event Friday

Tomorrow from 6-9pm at Muse Studios (224 6th St.) is a fashion fundraiser for StopTheSpray.org in efforts to keep pesticides away from homes in the Bay Area. Models from City Model Management will be in an eco fashion show with gorgeous looks from Eco Citizen and Tela D boutiques including Kelly B Couture, Verrieres, Sako, Love, Melody Originals and Theron Nelson Deisgns.

The gallery features pastel paintings and photography and a video will be shown about how pesticides travel, get into our skin and clothing. The event also includes live music, a silent auction, organic food and beverages from Good Earth Natural Foods, Hogan's Raw Chocolates, Frey Vineyards and Butte Creek Brewery.

Reclaim - Green Home Store in Menlo Park

Menlo Park has a new green home store, Reclaim, that I checked out for ecofabulous as well as SFBayStyle. It's one of those stores that when you go in, you want to buy everything. The eco fan and design lover in me was oogling pillows, tote bags, furniture and even flooring. It's all green and refreshing.

Designer Fete 2008 Another Opera Guild Success

The San Francisco Opera Guild annually produces one of the best fashion shows around, the Designer Fete. Along with a runway show, live auction and luncheon, guests are invited to view gowns up close and try them on for potential purchase. The idea is that funds go to the educational programs the opera organizes, and ladies find gorgeous ensembles for the gala in the fall. Nordstrom sponsored this year and last year, and the event took place at the Westin St. Francis Hotel on Union Square.

This year's list of designers included Monique Lhuillier, Pamella Roland, Robert Danes, Redux Charles Chang-Lima, Carmen Marc Valvo Couture, Stephen Yearick, and Zang Toi. Each designer provided over a dozen gowns that were modeled by professional models wearing M*A*C cosmetics. The Nob Hill Gazette, Town & Country, i.de.as event decor and production, J. Lohr vineyards and winery, and United Airlines sponsored the event, along with assistance from Backroads, the Four Seasons Provence, St. Regis New York, and Russell Schrader. And as always, the fashion show off the runway is almost as fun as what's on it - ladies showed up in gorgeous suits, dresses, a plethora of fabulous shoes, and a few fabulous hats. Now for the gowns...

Zang Toi gown, top center.

Le Club, C'est Magnifique

Everyone's buzzing about the recently revived Le Club at 1250 Jones on Nob Hill. 7x7 featured the swank establishment in this month's magazine, including images from the opening party, adding notes in the editor's letter, and producing a significant photo spread on p. 118. SFLUXE covered the opening as well, Daily Candy wrote it up, and Yelp has several reviews listed. Why? Because the celebrity-studded micro-hub of the city's social set is quaint, comfy, and relaxed. Beyond that, the service is excellent and the cuisine - divine.

When I tried Le Club with a friend a few weeks ago, we sat at the bar trying cocktails and champagne (their selection is dressed to impress), talking with locals seated on stools in the small room, about the size of an average living room. It was nice. I felt instantly relaxed. Then we went into the adjacent dining room where we were served an intimate dinner. I wanted to try the restaurant since most of the reviews so far have been just about the scene, the history and the setting. What we discovered next I'll admit surprised me.

Hip & Zen Online from Mill Valley

Hip & Zen is an online retailer for eco friendly fashion. They sell women's clothing, jewelry, baby & toddler items, accessories and home goods. They select products that are organic, hand made, fairly traded, recycled or natural. Based in Mill Valley, they cater to the green and comfy crowd. Everything on their site is beautifully crafted, and they even have a blog, run by one of the BlogHer founders, Elisa Camahort Page, referencing topics related to eco fashion and style. I like the artistic element of the items found at Hip and Zen, such as the vases to the left. I wish I could just put those in my home and make it zen, but that's a step in the right direction.

Maria Shriver's New Book

Maria Shriver, First Lady of California, has written 6 books, the sixth of which is for everyone wanting to know Just Who Will You Be? Tuesday evening, she met with writers from the Silicon Valley Moms Blog exclusively for a private event at the Books Inc. in Palo Alto where she spoke about her book, signed books and took pictures. (That's her above, with me.) We laughed, learned and lounged while testing her new ice cream, Lovin' Scoopful, that benefits the Special Olympics. To read more about the event, see the full transcript here. She already had a signing in Corte Madera and Sacramento, and she will be in LA tomorrow night at 7:30pm at Barnes & Noble - The Grove.