I’m going to the Conference of Creative Entrepreneurs this Friday, and I’m stoked. Hope to see you there.
Snap Judgment: Sasha Maks Vintage Bib Necklace
July 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Our very-visual, (almost) chatter-free snap judgment of the day: the weighty appeal of the 1960′s-era Tough Chic gold tone bib necklace, on sale for $89.25 (reg. $105), from San Francisco-based jewelry collection Sasha Maks Vintage. A reason to shop now: 15 percent off all merch in the online shop through Aug. 6.
More snap judgments…
Photography courtesy of Sasha Maksutenko
Party Seen: What I Wore’s Jessica Quirk Fetes Book at Azalea
July 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The crowd that turned out to the party inside Hayes Valley's Azalea was dressed to impress and ready to sip, shop and socialize.
San Francisco’s young, stylish blogging set was on the scene for a recent release party at Azalea boutique hosted by personalized sales site Shop It To Me in honor of the new style manual from What I Wore blogger Jessica Quirk, out this month from Ballantine Books.
Combining the colorful illustrations Quirk often features online alongside extra musings, What I Wore: Four Seasons, One Closet, Endless Recipes for Personal Style guides readers to real wardrobe ideas and inspiration for every kind of weather.
During the recent event, guests filled the store to munch on miniature cupcakes and sip the night’s custom cocktail, The Shopaholic, while browsing new merchandise from labels such as Piko 1988, Acne and Madison Harding. Mannequins placed around the store featured enviable ensembles that were raffled off at the end of the night.
The newly published Quirk dazzled in a spaghetti strap Kate Spade dress as she signed copies and spoke to fans of her daily Tumblr blog, now reinvented in 144 glossy pages.
Guests lingered until well after the party’s designated end of 9 p.m. Among those spotted were Natalie Goel of Like Fresh Laundry, Laura Ellner of On the Racks, Jennie Lodge of Jennie Going West, Alison Messinger of Eclectic a la Mode, Adelle McElveen of FashionistaLab, the Lookbook.nu team, StyleNik‘s Kristen Philipkoski and Urban Daddy’s Sarah Sung.
Jessica Quirk talks with fans.
Attendees shopped with cocktails in hand
GlitterGuide's Taylor and Alicia with Quirk's What I Wore book
One of the outfits raffled at the end of the night.
Photography courtesy of Lindsay Harte
More San Francisco fashion events…
We Came, We Saw, We Shopped: Indie Mart
July 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A gorgeous sunny summer Sunday, a slew of designers and a crowd hungry for beer and D.I.Y. set the stage for last weekend’s Indie Mart at Thee Parkside in lower Potrero. After an eight-month hiatus, the well-attended event, a fundraiser for founder Kelly Malone’s ongoing cancer treatments, was back with gusto and a serious assortment of independent designers displaying their latest.
We strolled through the outdoor market, past groups eagerly hovering over the make-your-own terrarium table and digging into locally-made edibles near the entrance, to find a pop-up from on-the-move shop Shotwell, new work from designer Mariele Williams, a selection of super bargain-priced samples from Turk + Taylor, cute onesies and tees from Animal Instincts, tribal necklaces from Rachael Kinsey Designs and striking steel earrings from Push Pull Designs, among many others.
Below, a few pics from our adventure.
Mariele Williams shows off accessories from her Mariele Ivy line.
Williams creates necklaces, headpieces and earrings that combine natural materials, chains and antique sensibilities.
Notably on-trend for fall, tribal elements were easy to spot in jewelry from Rachel Kinsey Designs.
While prepping for its new space to open, Shotwell brought a selection of offerings, including lots of vintage pieces, to the event.
As for the new location's opening date, we were told it could be any moment, though there is still some building out to do. So keep your eyes trained on the shop's Facebook page if you're one of the many waiting with baited breath.
Animal Instincts owner Jamai Lowell with his apparel line featuring original sketches, many of which include San Francisco icons. As you might guess, we're big fans of the Sutro design and its "play locally" missive.
The Turk + Taylor crew: designers Mark Lee Morris and Andrew Soernsen with friend Camilla Thompson.
Jewelry from Push Pull Designs achieves its bright-meets-rugged look by using pigment and rust on thin steel shapes.
More San Francisco fashion news…
To the Letter: Dear Mina Jewelry
July 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A love letter to bold, earthy statement necklaces is just what you’ll find from up-and-coming local jewelry line Dear Mina by San Francisco designer Mina Caragay, a Sunset resident and SoCal native who fashions outfit-making pieces using leather, chains and chunky, semi-precious stones.
After spotting her latest pieces on view at Mission boutique Mira Mira, we had to know more. So we tracked Caragay down for a chat about stones, style and San Francisco. Read on for more about this local designer.
Your designs are bold and statement-making. Any thoughts on why you’re especially drawn to big, stand-out pieces?
I knew from the beginning that was the direction I wanted to go. I, myself, love wearing big statement pieces, which is part of the reason I started venturing into jewelry. I couldn’t find pieces I wanted to wear. With the indie jewelry designer market exploding, I wanted to make sure I stood out and showed my own point of view.
Your online shop strikes us as having a kind of intergalactic flower child with street smarts kind of vibe. Am I onto anything here?
You pretty much hit the nail on the head. I’m a free spirit at heart, lost in a world of wonder. I find myself star-gazing (well, when the sky is visible in my neighborhood) and daydreaming, which is were I usually find my inspiration.
What are your favorite materials to work with?
I love working with semi-precious stones in their rawest form. I like to mix these rough crystal cut specimens with brilliantly polished stones and leather. One of my favorite minerals to work with is pyrite, which you will find throughout my collections ranging from small briolette cuts to chunky nuggets.
When you’re not designing jewelry, what else do you do?
When time allows and the inspiration is there, I love to paint. My themes are similar to my jewelry aesthetic, being they’re both based on nature. Other than that, I love experimenting with new cooking recipes and spending time with my boyfriend and chihuahua.
Any favorite San Francisco shops or destinations readers must know about?
I am such a homebody, so I rarely leave the comforts of my home. There has been a hand full of cute boutiques popping up around the city, including Mira Mira on 22nd and Valencia. This lovely boutique focuses on independent designers from around the world and is also where you can currently find some of my creations.
What’s next for Dear Mina?
I have a few local events lined up on the calendar, including the Capsule Urban Air Market in Hayes Valley in September. At the moment, I’m focusing on expanding my collections to include earrings and bracelets. Lastly, keep an eye out for Dear Mina in a couple fashion magazines hitting this fall!
You’ll find Caragay’s work available in the Dear Mina online shop and at Mira Mira.
Photography courtesy Mina Caragay; model Jennifer Swinney; set design, Matthew Thomas Warn.
