Flock You: Two Birds Nests in Noe

Two Birds on Castro Street

When we heard from Susanna Taylor, co-owner of new Noe Valley boutique Two Birds, that the only jewelry the chic shop will stock hails from local sources, we were understandably intrigued. After all, that’s the kind of thing we’re known to make quite a flap about.

“We are resisting many temptations and strictly carrying local jewelry designers because we want to support all of the amazing artists in San Francisco,” says Taylor, who opened the store last weekend on Castro Street with business partner Audrey Yang.

The pair met as buyers for Pacific Heights’ HeidiSays and decided to branch out on their own earlier this year. Local names on the shelves include Jennifer Tuton, Kathy Kamei and M. Stone, whose entire collection is currently sold in the store.

“[She] makes these amazing asymmetrical, mixed metal pieces, which include a lot of feathers that she gets from a family friend’s hunting lodge in Louisiana. She is just getting her business off the ground, and I literally took every piece she had because I’m obsessed,” Taylor tells us.

And while the shop focuses on contemporary women’s labels such as Elizabeth & James, Joie, Tucker, Haute Hippie and denim from the likes of JBrand, AG, Mother and Citizens of Humanity, Taylor and Yang are also opening the racks to local apparel labels, including Ali Golden, whose work has been profiled here and has also been picked up at Shotwell, and Bay Area-based Amour Vert.

Ready to fly on over? Two Birds, 1309 Castro St. You can keep up with the shop’s latest via its Facebook page.

Labels include Elizabeth & James, Joie, Tucker, Parker and Haute Hippie.

Sunny, yellow-washed walls

A seating area outside the dressing rooms

The main retail space gives way to a lofted dressing area and lounge in back.

Jewelry by local designers

Owners Audrey Yang and Susanna Taylor

Photography courtesy of Two Birds

Snap Judgment: Gold & Citrus Ray Earrings

Our very-visual, (almost) chatter-free snap judgment of the day: Add just the right touch of drama with Gold & Citrus’s Ray earrings ($75), one of the latest items to hit the local jewelry line’s online shop. Handmade in San Francisco, these four-inch earrings are crafted from gold-plated circle studs glammed-up with stainless steel and crystal chains.

More snap judgments

The Do List: San Francisco Fashion Events Feb. 21-27

Feeling (fairly) fresh from the long weekend, we’re ready for what’s ahead. And for that, we turn to the SF Indie Fashion Calendar in search of events just begging to keep San Francisco fashion lovers busy with trunk sales, beauty happenings, fashion shows and places to shop from independent sources. Here’s our pick of top San Francisco fashion events this week:

  • If you’ve been meaning to take your latest haul of giveaways to Crossroads Trading Company for…like…weeks…and…weeks but haven’t gotten ’round to it, some added incentive comes this week in the form of a Crossroads and Shotwell event on Thursday night. Sell your clothes to Crossroads, and you’ll receive 10 percent off your purchases that night at the downtown boutique.
  • Also on Thursday, Noe Valley’s Loft 1513 gets festive with a Live Window Fashion Presentation featuring work from local designers and labels Ikohl, Nneka, Sofie Olgaard and Rag Doll.
  • Round out the week with a visit on Sunday to Noise Pop’s Pop ‘n Shop, part of the music festival’s cultural mashup of music, craft and commerce taking place at Public Works this weekend. Along with locally-made purchase-ables from 30-something vendors that include local accessories designers The Feathered Leopard and Sora Designs, the complete schedule also features crafting and D.I.Y. sessions from Workshop and talks on such topics as D.I.Y. and the non-profit world.

You can find details on all of these events and more happening this week on the SF Indie Fashion Calendar.

Runway Recap: Lovesick 4

Extravagant headdresses, alt-minded apparel and lots of skin hit the rose petal-strewn runway earlier this week during the fourth installment of local designer Alexandria Von Bromssen’s annual Lovesick fashion show at 111 Minna.

The show featured designers and labels von Bromssen, Tamo Designs, Silver Lucy, My Dirty Dishes, Miss Velvet Cream, RAG-DOLL Designs by Larissa Verdussen, Ms G Designs, Fluidance and Jasmin Zorlu Millinery.

Below, a recap of the scene and the looks presented to the Monday night crowd.

Photography courtesy of Christophe Tomatis and Sqwik Studios (images three, fix and six).

Makeup Brushes from a Local Source

When it comes to buying from local sources, we often find that the basics can be the most difficult items to hunt down. Not surprisingly, we were immediately intrigued by a Bay Area source for what we consider to be a beauty must: a great set of makeup brushes.

Kim Brushes may be a newcomer to the San Francisco beauty scene, but its heritage gives it serious cred: the parent company behind the brand is Rekab, a maker of fine art brushes that’s been around for over 100 years. Based in Israel, Rekab chose San Francisco as its U.S. base for its new beauty-focused venture.

“Kim brushes are a favorite of mine since they were created by artists and have the feel of a true painter’s brush. I love how professional the brushes look, yet how affordable they are for the emerging artist,” says Bay Area makeup artist Nikol Elaine.

Made by hand using the same techniques the company employs for its fine art brushes, the line includes no fewer than 55 brushes designed for the eyes, face, lips and nails. Prices ($5-$48) are also notably affordable.

Photography courtesy of Kim Brushes