Calling Noe Valley Designers

If you’re an independent designer living or working in Noe Valley, get in touch with me using the contact form. I’m working on a story that I’d like to talk to you about….

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SF Indie Fashion News Roundup

Phew. The week is almost done-zo, except, of course, for the best part. The weekend part. Wish me luck as I try to sell my 13-year-old car that’s crusted in birdie poop to some brave citizen. In the meantime, do check out all this lovely indie fashion news:

- Designers: feelin’ a last minute vending oppie? Get in touch with Kelly of Still Life and Indie Mart fame. The first outdoor Indie Mart Street Fair event goes down next weekend in Potrero Hill, and they’ve got a few outdoor spaces left. Contact missionindiemart (at) gmail (dot) com if you’re down.

- Bernal Heights boutique Ladita is marking down the sale racks and adding new stuff to ‘em to make room for fall shiznit, so bargains abound.

- Online jewelry shop LittlePretty is having a sale on lovely items by Gorjana, Saylor Sage, Milara Designs, Juliet Ross and more.

- GAMA-GO wants to be your friend with benefits. Hence its new Friends with Benefits Membership Tiers, which are available through July 31 only. Basically, fork over some cash ($80 and up) for membership benefits like limited edition art, a two-year merchandise discount and your name on the window of the flagship store once it opens. All proceeds go toward the opening of the flagship store.

- My Roommate’s Closet just got new merch from Raven denim, Catherine Malandrino and Milly (love!!).

- HeidiSays is finishing its summer sale off with a bang. All sale items in the three Pacific Heights boutiques are now 50 to 75 percent off.

- Hayes Valley’s travelicious boutique Flight 001 is getting its summer sale on from July 22 to Aug. 9, so pop in before your next jaunt and save on this shop’s rad travel gear.

- Want 10 to 20 percent off at Ambiance locations through the end of the month? Check out this flier. Print it and take it into the store for your discount.

- Designers: Wanna be in the November 2008 Bazaar Bizarre show? Applications are being accepted through July 29, so get to it.

- Local plus-size women’s apparel label Harper Greer reports that it will not be losing its Berkeley store, after all. To celebrate, both the San Francisco and Berkeley stores will be offering 20 percent off all sale merchandise through the end of the month.

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SF Indie Fashion News Roundup

News, news, news…

- Secession Art & Design is having a summer party tomorrow night from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm featuring the work of Sita Rupe, Blair Bradshaw, Hilary Williams, Designs by New Skool, Taxi CDC, Saaz Designs, Green Dog Designs, Judy Aurora, Twelve Designs, Colleen Mauer and Heather Robinson.

- Goodwill Industries is looking for “regular people” models with a flair for thrifty fashion. Here are the details, copied from an email I received:

Were looking for a variety of people for a fashion shoot! You can be Goodwill’s next top model if you think you fit one of these categories:

* Young guys and gals 18-30, with a flair for fashion. Someone who really knows how to rework an old outfit or a piece of clothing. It’s your personal style and individuality were interested in.
* Funky fun families - Moms, dads, sons and daughters. If you can’t all make it at once then bring who is available.
* We also want some enthusiastic moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas. You’ve seen the styles change from Zoot suits to Jimmy Choo’s. So you know a thing or two about fashion.

DETAILS
Photo shoot to be held in San Francisco on July 2nd & 3rd. All selected candidates will receive a $100 flat fee per individual (or $200 per family), and a complimentary photo of you from the shoot.

SEND US YOUR INFO
To be considered, you’ll need to send:

1. A recent photo (non professional)
2. Contact information including phone number, email and mailing address
3. A sentence or two about why you would like to be a model for Goodwill: Are you a donor, a shopper or simply a person who wants to make the planet a healthier place by reworking fashion in a creative way?

So reply to this email now - GScelta (at) sfgoodwill (dot) org - and become a Goodwill star!

Thank you for your continued support,

Goodwill Industries
of San Francisco, San Mateo & Marin Counties

*Must be of consenting age or have written permission from a parent or guardian. You must be available for a 1/2 day (morning or afternoon) photo session.

- R.A.G. and Lemon Twist will be closed for the month of July while the Hayes Valley building they’re in undergoes renovations. Both stores are offering sales until the 30th - so stop by now and get your fix.

- Been missing those free-for-all Swap SF events? Well, you aren’t alone. Turns out the organizers have had to put the popular clothing exchange events on hold for two reasons:

1) the events draw so many people that they can no longer be held at Cellspace in the Mission. So if you know of a place that can hold 450+ people, has an entertainment license and isn’t crazy expensive, let the Swap SF people by emailing jason (at) swapsf (dot) com.

2) The organizers’ other business, Lollyphile, has been slammed with orders for absinthe lollipops. Since launching last fall, the company has become something of a local sensation - so instead of organizing swaps, they’ve been making candy and filling orders at a breakneck pace.

- The Bay Area Guide to Independent Fashion Festival has been moved from September to October. It will now take place on Oct. 11 at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. We are proud to be co-sponsoring this event. If you’re interested in participating as a vendor, volunteering or sponsorship opportunities, get in touch by emailing Letitia at bayareafashion (at) yahoo (dot) com.

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Call for Entries

Attention designers! The Bay Area Guide to Independent Fashion Festival, a project from the author of the forthcoming book of the same name, Letitia N., and Bay Area Now, an art series produced by San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, is seeking vendors, runway designers and volunteer event coordinators for an all-day fashion event to be held on Sept. 6 at the YBCA.

The deadline for designers who want to be part of the runway show is June 10. The deadline for vendor applications is July 1. Here’s the Bay Area Guide to Independent Fashion Festival Application. You can also learn more about the forthcoming book, the event and volunteer and sponsorship opportunities by emailing Letitia at bayareafashion (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Here’s some info about the event from the organizer:

Sure to be a dynamic event—and even better with your participation—The Bay Area Guide To Independent Fashion Festival is also a pre-launch for the upcoming book The Bay Area Guide To Independent Fashion, which is a resource for both design makers and lovers alike. Featuring interviews with up-and-comers as well as local icons, The Bay Area Guide To Independent Fashion aims to put the local scene on the map in a way that hasn’t been done before—-by providing resources for people who are new to independent fashion and giving the industry-insiders a deeper look at what sets Bay Area fashion apart from the crowd.

Bay Area Now (BAN 5)
YBCAlive! – The Bay Area Guide To Independent Fashion Festival
Sat, Sep 6, 12 – 7pm • Forum & Grand Lobby • $10/FREE YBCA Members (includes Gallery Admission)

Celebrate and explore authentic local style and the Bay Area’s progressive approach to the industry of apparel design with The Bay Area Guide To Independent Fashion Festival at YBCA. Built upon progressive ideals about ownership, production, diversity, originality, accessibility, and social responsibility—independent fashion is alive and well in the Bay Area. This all day festival event is part of BAN5 and highlights homegrown talents and innovators with Locally Bazaar, a market featuring the latest clothes and accessories from emerging and established regional brands; a panel discussion on fashion and diversity with Susan Kaiser, Chair of Textiles & Clothing UC Davis, Irene Hernandez-Feiks of Chillin’ Productions, Erica Varize of Evarize Designs & Evarize Fashion Cafe, and Leandrew Robinson of Ragamuffin Clothing; plus a runway show featuring the craft and couture of some of the Bay Area’s most inspiring and dynamic independent designers. Conscious shoppers, passionate fashionistas, and freethinking tastemakers alike won’t want to miss this must-attend event!

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Be a Dr. Martens Designer

Got a soft spot for Docs? The iconic footwear (or should be say arse-kicking) company Dr. Martens has launched a design contest that allows anyone to create a pair of decorated, tricked-out boots online and submit them - the winning designs (they’ll pick two) will be sold in stores.

But the best part has got to be the online design tool. Back in the day man, you got a silver paint pen and drew weird squiggles and dots on the backs of your boots and thought you were really bohemian, sort of a Dead Head with a slight infusion of head-stomping punkitude. Oh, wait, that was just me. But yeah, this new tool is prett-aye, prett-aye cool.

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SF Indie Fashion News Roundup

News, news, news.

- This weekend, Goodwill is having a 50 percent off sale at some of its Bay Area locations. Here’s a list of participating stores. Good fodder for refashion projects is sure to be had! If you can’t make it to a land-based store, head to the San Francisco Goodwill eBay store, where you can save 25 percent through the end of April with the coupon code 196094.

- Thursday, you can get your fashion on with the Suicide Girls, Porcelynne and Boi.oi.oing. Here’s the info.

- Through the end of April, you can beautify at a great price when you hit up Cocoon Urban Day Spa during the week, Tuesday through Friday. April specials include 20 percent off massages and facials on those days, as well as a free 15-minute massage added onto any Spa Mani Pedi combo. Visit the web site for the details (there’s a coupon you’ll need to print out and take with you to score the savings). Sign up for the newsletter, and you’ll get special deals like these every month.

- The Mission Indie Mart is gearing up for its first birthday. The celebration goes down on April 27 and features 45 awesome indie designers, as well as an after party with indie bands and DJs. Spots are given out on a first-come, first-served basis (I’m a little late in posting this news, so I’m not sure how many are left), so get in touch if you’re interested. You can reach the Mission Indie Mart folks at missionindiemart (at) gmail (dot) com.

- GAMA-GO is trying to achieve its dream of opening a land-based store in San Francisco, and it needs your help! Through the end of April, the online store is raising fundage for the effort with a special hoodie sale. Buy one, get a second for half price. Women’s hoodies range from $84 to $120. When you checkout, don’t worry if you don’t see the discount. They halve the price after you’ve placed the order, but before they charge your card. All proceeds from this sale go to the GAMA-GO Store Fund.

- Want to work at a sweet indie-minded lingerie boutique? Dollhouse Bettie is hiring a full time administrative assistant and sales associate. Check the site for details. Also, through April 13, take 10 percent off web purchases with the discount code OF49381.

- RSVPs are now being accepted for the special preview hour of the Thread Show, which touches down in San Francisco on April 20.

And with that, I’m over and out….

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Mission Bazaar Call for Vendors

Attention designers: the Mission Bazaar is now accepting applications for its two-day indie shopping event, scheduled for May 17 & 18. The first *public* event to take place at The Armory building in 30 years, the event will feature artisans, crafters and designers of handmade goods, as well as some 50 performance groups and a host of local non-profits. The focus of the bazaar is on handmade goods, though they’ll accept vendors who have others working with them to produce their collections. Booth space (8′x10′ with a table and two chairs) starts at $300 for the weekend, but you can snag a 6′ table space for $200. Corner spaces and those with electricity are more.

If the building name strikes you as familiar, that’s because it’s been at the center of much debate ever since pornography filmmaker Kink.com bought it last January (well, to be fair, the building has been at the center of many debates over the last three decades, this is only the latest one). So yeah, just think. You could be vending and shopping where someday, someone wearing a ball gag will most certainly be getting spanked and liking it.

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William Good Seeks Lead Designer

Attention designers. William Good is hiring a new lead designer. And it could be you, if you get cracking and apply before April 1, 2008. Here’s the word from the repurposed fashion line:

We are currently searching for a new lead designer to create our 2009 Spring line!

Wanted: An innovative fashion designer with a passion for repurposed clothing.

Position Description: William Good seeks a fashion designer who will shape the look and feel of the brand through
the clothing and accessories s/he designs. The William Good clothing line will be manufactured using used clothing donated through Goodwill. William Good business will operate an innovative on-the-job training model with employee skill development as an integral part of the business operations. The designer must be visionary and creative in order to elevate
the William Good brand to a national consumer market.

Responsibilities:
· Conceptualize and create new repurposed affordable luxury clothing collections
· Select fabric, trims and colors based on clothing and products in the Goodwill donation stream and conceptualize how to use/reuse those materials in clothing collection
· Work with William Good management team on overarching brand development, design themes, budgets, and production timeline
· Work closely with design team, production manager, buyers, and forecasters to supervise the design process and product development
· Analyze market trends while keeping abreast of emerging trends in fabric, color, silhouette, and textiles
· Utilize used clothing as textiles as efficiently and effectively as possible so as to minimize waste and maximize the renewed value William Good creates by repurposing clothes
· Work with technical design team on pattern-making and grading sizes for scaleable production
· Present collections to management, buyers and media
· Lead designer reports to managing William Good Board of Directors and Nick Graham

Desired Qualifications:
· 3+ years of women’s and/or men’s design experience
· Be innovative, unique, and stylish
· Strong organizational skills for process management and completion of multiple tasks within deadlines

· Work well under pressure and with an assortment of people and personalities
· Understand the importance of the Goodwill and William Good missions and a triple bottom line business model (environmental, social and financial bottom lines)
· Bachelor’s or master’s degree in a fashion design-related field or equivalent work experience
· Computer Animated Design (CAD) skills and experience
· Strong garment construction and fabric knowledge
· Experience using Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign
· Experience with technical design including pattern-making, grading and garment specification
· Strong leadership skills including motivational skills, written and oral communication skills, and presentation skills

Company Description: William Good is a new brand of repurposed clothing jointly created by Joe Boxer founder Nick Graham and Goodwill Industries of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin Counties. The mission of this new brand of apparel is to provide shoppers with clothing options that are simultaneously stylish, eco-friendly and socially responsible. William Good will launch its first full line of wholesale goods for the Spring 2009 season and may also operate retail stores in major metropolitan cities in the future. The business will gross $15M by the fifth year. The designer will be responsible for designing 6 collections per year with garments ranging in price from $75 to $300.

Application Process and Deadlines:

March 17th –April 1st – All qualified applicants submit the following materials electronically by April 1st (see contact address below):

o Current fashion portfolio or website link
o Resume and Cover Letter
o 3 References with complete contact information
April 7th –April 18th- Selected candidates interviewed in San Francisco
April 21st - Final Round candidates notified
April 21st –May 9th - Final Round candidates will design and produce 5 samples of the William Good clothing line with following parameters:

o The samples should be versatile and creative with feminine retro-ish silhouettes and able to be manufactured in William Good’s production process
o Candidates will be given a bag of Goodwill clothing to make 5 William Good garments
o Candidates will return any unused fabric with completed samples, spec sheets and design illustrations no later than 5pm on May 9, 2008.

Candidates must be prepared to present finished designs to William Good management team the week of May 12th.

May 12th- May 16th- Candidates present sample collections to William Good management team in San Francisco.
May 19th- Designer selected and notified. National press release issued upon signing of contract with designer.
June 2nd- Designer starts contract with William Good

Salary Range: Commensurate with experience

For additional information, contact Ally Beran at aberan (at) sfgoodwill (dot) org or (415) 575-2143. Goodwill Industries is managing the hiring process on behalf of William Good. Submit applications and supporting materials electronically by April 1, 2008 to Ally Beran. William Good is committed to providing equal opportunity employment to candidates and employees without regard to race, religion, creed, age, sex, height, weight, marital status, disability unrelated to an individual’s ability to perform adequately, national origin citizenship, ancestry, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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SF Indie Fashion News Roundup

A few tidbits for ya.

- Kweejibo has just introduced a brand new men’s short sleeve style shirt to its line. It’s a pullover that features a front placket and side slips. The Haight Street store also reports that it recently got a bunch of new pants and box cut shirts in stock. I’ve been a big fan of this store since I stumbled on it shortly after moving into the city in 2001. It’s one of my fave go-to places when I need a nice gift for the husz.

- Flax Art & Design has extended its hours. You can now shop there until 7PM Monday through Saturday.

- My Roommate’s Closet has just gotten new Nieves Lavi dresses and Rich & Skinny denim in its San Francisco boutique.

- If you haven’t had a chance to stop by Perch in Glen Park yet, it’s a great little place to visit on a sunny weekend afternoon such as this one. I had the pleasure of speaking with the owner Zoel for a little Daily Candy piece, and he struck me as someone very dedicated to not only stocking great, unique products, but also in supporting the local art and design community. You’ll find lots of Bay Area accessories and housewares designers on his shelves. Some of my personal faves include Medium to Masses, Flowie and Carrot & Stick.

- Venus Superstar is settling into its new space in the back of Divisadero shop Backspace. I was in the shop earlier this week for another little Daily Candy piece, and I was thrilled to see how well the two shops mesh. The owners have known each other for a long time, and they both have great style sense that is reflected on the racks. In addition to her own edgy, rocker-girl jewelry, VS owner Rebecca Vandersteen stocks about 15 indie labels, including AC Clothing & Bags, Funk Divine and Sacramento’s Pretty Trashy. They tend toward the more avant guard end of the spectrum. I had a ball looking through the racks there. As for Backspace, they’ve got tons of lovely rags from both mainstream names (those new super high-waisted Citizens jeans just came in), as well as local lines like Deanna Bratt and Silver Lucy.

- The next Shecky’s Girls Night Out isn’t hitting the city until June, but you can score two-for-one goodie bag tickets to the event if you buy them before April 14th. General admission is still $10, but you can spend $25 before the 14th and get in on the two-for-one goodie bag promo.

- The deadline for entering the Maker Faire is Wednesday. This is not to be confused with applying to be a vendor at the Maker Faire’s Bazaar Bizarre. The deadline for the latter is also Wednesday.

Okay, time to get ready to head to the double feature open house going down tonight over at the Oakland showrooms of Porcelynne and AC Clothing & Bags. A happy weekend to all.

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Maker Faire Bazaar Bizarre - Apply Now

If you’re hoping to participate in the Maker Faire’s Bazaar Bizarre, which is the crafty, D.I.Y. and indie fashion shopping component of the event, then you’ll need to get cracking. Applications are being accepted through March 12, 2008. The cost for accepted vendors is $110. That’s not a bad deal, considering it covers both days of the event.

San Mateo Maker Faire Bazaar Bizarre Application

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