SFBayStyle

Budding Entrepreneur from the Bay Area: Audrey Lo

Monta Vista High has had its headlines in recent months with the news of young successful entrepreneurs.  I had the opportunity to speak to one of it's "offspring," Audrey Lo.  Audrey's roots are from the bay area and since then has been riding high on her ambitions to form a company called Ballerinies, a company that focuses on hand-crafted ballet shoes for aspiring ballerinas.

This up-and-coming entrepreneur has always had a passion for dance and has realized her dreams of incorporating it into an expanding company.  Here's a transcript of our interview with this talented individual from the Bay Area.  We talk about how the bay has influenced her aspirations and goals for her company as well as what style means to her.

 

Fashion on the Square

It's Stylish ... It's Hot ... It's Local

It's Fashion on the Square, the biggest runway show on the West Coast, coming up this Saturday, August 14, noon-5pm at the Westfield Center Dome, 865 Market Street, San Francisco. Now celebrating seven years, Fashion on the Square features designers of adult and children's clothing from around the Bay Area. Show Producer Y'Anad Burrell is pleased to be back for another year, "We are very passionate about keeping fashion alive in San Francisco," says Y'Anad, "and felt committed to making sure we contributed to that effort."

Don't miss this opportunity to view the unique fashions of ten designers and see in the flesh show hosts Bre from America's Next Top Model and Project Runway's Jay Nicolas Sario. It's all happening at Fashion on the Square.

Click here for tickets.

New Designer Alert -- Lauren Nevada

It’s rare that a clothing line that’s not nationally known that can translate well to several different cities.

Well, maybe we should say that those clothing lines might not be nationally known now, but soon could be.

Lauren Nevada, a line from Brooklyn-based designer Lauren Nevada Batchelder, is currently being sold in Barneys in several different cities, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and our very own San Francisco. How is Batchelder able to design a line that sells in cities that are very different from each other, especially when it comes to fashion?

San Francisco Museum of Craft + Design: FourSite Installation Exhibit

WHO: San Francisco Museum of Craft + Design

WHAT: FourSite: 4 Artists, 4 Materials, 4 Sites.

Installations by four top California artists - Tanya Aguiniga, Paul Hayes, Thomas Hill, and Christine Lee. Using paper, fiber, metal, and wood these artists have created unique visual experiences that prompt viewers to rethink the uses of everyday materials.  

WHEN: Now through September 18, 2010

WHERE: San Francisco Museum of Craft + Design, 550 Sutter St., SF, Tuesday - Saturday 10am-5pm. Admission $5.

Click here to see more images of the exhibit.

Cartier and America: Sparkle and Shine

The 4Cs of diamonds were drilled in my head during school: Color, Cut, Clarity and Carat. The 5th C when it comes to diamonds on my list is Cartier. Now showing through May 9th at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco is Cartier and America. If you want a little extra twinkle in your eye, put this show on your must-see list. I wandered in amazement through the museum taking in every gorgeous gem accompanied by the audio tour. Make sure to allow yourself enough time to see the entire exhibit since the collection is vast and extremely diverse.

On display are sketches from the design process showing different jeweled options for clients and the multiple edits required to create the perfect piece. During a video presentation showing the making of a necklace, a young patron exclaimed "It takes all that work for just one piece of that necklace? That must be expensive!"

One Kings Lane Launches Exclusive Sales With Top Interior Designers

Just across from Washington Square Park sits an elegant pink building that houses some of the best views of San Francisco you could ever see. The fourth floor flat with an $8.5 Million price tag served as an ideal location to host the anniversary celebration and Tastemaker Tag Sales launch party for One Kings Lane. The guest list matched the exclusive sound of the program, but in reality, the idea is to appeal to a broad audience of home owners and connoisseurs.

As founder Alison Pincus put it, "the customers are excited to have access to truly unique pieces you wouldn't find in your neighborhood" and the designers are thrilled to be able to move items that perhaps didn't fit in their homes or that they no longer need. (Pincus, pictured left with Ken Fulk and cofounder Susan Feldman.)

To celebrate the new launch, guests were welcomed by bagpipes, cocktails and luxurious decor. Cocktail chic doesn't even begin to describe this crowd. Beginning April 10, they - and the rest of us - will be able to shop online ever weekend for hand-picked items selected by designers and collectors such as Nathan Turner, Ann Getty, Kimberly Ayers, Suzanne Tucker and Kendall Wilkinson.

Finally, it doesn't cost anything to join. This is a sale not to be missed. There's no harm browsing, right?

...

(Photos by Drew Altizer, Sarah Granger)

Move Over Access Hollywood. Here's Red Carpet Bay Area!

Saturday night will be an exciting night for our friends at Red Carpet Bay Area. At 7:30, KRON4 is showing the first ever episode of their new show. Listed as a "brand new magazine-style program highlighting the region’s unique culture, personality and style," Marybeth La Motte, Mark Hamburg, Greg Marasso, Jan Mabry and Cory Miller bring us an inside look at some of the incredible events that take place around the Bay Area.

This week's episode will showcase Japantown, Charleston Pierce and a Silicon Valley benefit gala. For thirty minutes, viewers can explore new aspects of San Francisco Bay Area life. The show leads into Entertainment Tonight and each show includes six segments "exploring fun new places to dine and shop and explore as well as the local red carpet scene."

“We’ll present some amazing moments from a variety of red carpet gala events along with special visits to some of the region’s most unique attractions in a lively format that captures the essence of the Bay
Area,” says La Motte.

Please join us in congratulating Red Carpet Bay Area and enjoy the show!

Top Holiday Gifts from the San Francisco Museum of Craft + Design

For those on your holiday list who desire something unique, consider a shopping trip to the fabulous museum store in the San Francisco Museum of Craft + Design. Filled to the brim with hand crafted jewelry and accessories, the museum store has something to please everyone’s particular palate.

Manager Ray McKenzie hand selects each item in the store keeping his customers’ high standards in mind. He says he finds artisans from art shows, craft fairs, and word of mouth. I asked Mr. McKenzie to share some his top Hot and Hip accessory picks for this holiday season:

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.

Full Circle: Patemm Pads and a Mother of Invention

Great ideas often are born from chaos, or in Grace Welch's case - from a single chaotic diaper change.  In the space of time it took her to locate her supplies and wrangle a squirrelly baby, her professional background, the influence of her entrepreneurial parents and her desire to go back to work on her own terms came together and the world was gifted with the first circular changing pad.  And what a gift it is.

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/

Sophie Azouaou Launches Philanthropic Television Show

Sophie Azouaou, owner of Sophisticate Interiors, is the Host and Co-Producer of the upcoming NBC TV show, Touching Hearts, a multimedia project that includes a primetime television airing. Each show is designed to focus on amazing organizations, the philanthropists, the philanthropic corporations, and the people who are in desperate need of their help.

• Pilot will launch Post NFL Kick-off game Sunday Night Football: September 13, 2009 at 9:00 PM
• Re-airing Monday, September 14, 12:30 PM
• Series: Sunday 9 PM prime time sunday night football 
• Re-runs: Mondays 12:30 PM 

(Interview with Sophie after the jump...)

Fashion Metamorphosis

We San Franciscans have our own style and we're proud of it! But truth is we're not really in the same league as New York and Milan. However, with recent events such as Discarded to Divine and local designers earning a spot on Project Runway, we just might be in the midst of a makeover. So that makes this year's Art Institute of California student fashion show title, Metamorphosis, even more apt. 

Student designer Rachel Richardson designed a bridal gown and women's wear for the show and she said she's ready to help put San Francisco on the fashion map. "We have great talent in this city," said Rachel, who also shared that fashion students these days are encouraged to find inspiration outside of fashion in places like museums and nature. "I try to pull from different places and push myself," she said. A recent inspiration for her were the colors of the ocean.    

Jimmy Choo Coming to H&M San Francisco This Fall

 

In a brilliant move by H&M, they have partnered with Jimmy Choo and founder, Tamara Mellon (pictured left) to provide an inspired and affordable new line of shoes and accessories for women and men, to arrive in H&M U.S. stores on November 14th - including, of course, San Francisco.

“We are privileged to be among the fashion greats who have been affiliated with H&M, to be designing a collection that will appeal to fashion-savvy, street-smart women and to be including some great pieces for men, too,” says Mellon.

A match made in fashion heaven, we look forward to the new arrivals for fall.

Discarded to Divine

Sweet P from Project Runway fame and her artist husband Sage Vaughn at Discarded to Divine.

Discarded to Divine is my new favorite fashion event of the year and judging by the turnout last Thursday evening, I am not alone. A total of 900 fashion-conscious people from around the Bay Area showed up at the San Francisco Gift Center Pavilion anxious to see the creations of some our most talented designers.  

Here's the scoop on Discarded to Divine: Clothing donated to St. Vincent De Paul is chosen by freelance designers and fashion students from art schools around the city. Inspired by art work at the de Young Museum, the designers reconstruct the old clothing into new couture pieces. At the annual Discarded to Divine event, these creations are highlighted in a silent auction and a fashion show where attendees bid, raising funds for the poor and homeless of St. Vincent De Paul.

Discarded to Divine - May 7, 2009

It's the Green event of the year and not to be missed! The 4th Annual Discarded to Divine Auction and Fashion Show is happening May 7th, 6:PM, at 888 Brannan St., SF.

This is your chance to see what fashion designers and local fashion design students have created from clothing and fabric donated to the St. Vincent de Paul Society.Among this year's guest designers are Barbara Beccio, Cari Borji, Michael Boris, and Sweet P from Project Runway (her design is pictured above, photo credit: Ben Hoffman).

Seeking Sassy Women Biz Owners for CRAVE Guide 2009!

Girl Power indeed. Seems small businesses and mostly female entrepreneurs are going to be the ones to get us out of the economic crisis, by everything I've been reading. And what better way to not only promote small business but celebrate the sassiest, boldest and most innovative women biz owners in the Bay Area than with The CRAVE Guide 2009: An Urban Girl's Manifesto. This 2nd edition has been completely redesigned and it looks gorgeous. This book highlights the women you need to know across the Bay Area and their businesses: shops, boutiques, salons, online marketplaces, interior designers, stylists, photographers, graphic designers, B2B businesses, etc.  It's an amazing (and cost effective) way to invest in press and marketing so that you are ripe to take advantage when the economy recovers. And the book will be seen in all the most fashionable shops and businesses around town, as well as Barnes and Noble and Borders!

Here's a peek at the Seattle one that just came out - how lovely is that?!: http://craveparty.com/book/seattlepeek.htm

Indie Fashion Lives

The Bay Area is known as a mecca for independent fashion designers and to prove the point, last Saturday fashionistas of all types attended the Bay Area Guide to Independent Fashion Festival. Held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the one day event offered local designers of clothing, jewelry, and accessories an opportunity to showcase their wares in two runway shows and a bazaar.

This first time event was a big success with over 400 people in attendance, 40 designers exhibiting their works, and half-a-dozen local designers including Cari Borja, Erin Mahoney, and Sarah Zins, participating in the runway shows. Co-sponsored by Oakland artist Letitia Ntofon and YBCA's Cicely Sweed along with Bay Area Now 5, the festival's goal was to point up the fact that fashion is not just about big corporate designer labels, but that fashion is also about individual style and diversity.