May 24, 2012

Snap Judgment: Alice Roche Jewelry Inspired by the Golden Gate Bridge

Our very-visual, (almost) chatter-free snap judgment of the day: When the glorious Golden Gate Bridge celebrates its 75th this Sunday, pay tribute with one of two locally-designed Golden Gate Bridge necklaces, $124, by architecture buff and jewelry maker Alice Roche.

One features rivets inspired by the iconic span, while the second stands out with a Chevron pattern reminiscent of the structure. Both are made of sterling silver and available exclusively at the new Golden Gate Bridge shop.

Photography courtesy of Alice Roche

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Introducing SF’s First Fashion Blogger Runway Show

San Francisco will see it’s very first fashion show featuring fashion bloggers instead of models this weekend during the 3rd annual Beauty Expo, a competitive showcase of Bay Area styling and beauty talent produced by the San Francisco Fashion and Merchants Alliance. Read on for more detes and how to win tickets to this local fashion event.

Hosted by Charleston Pierce, the evening derives its main drama from a style-off featuring competing teams made up of hair and makeup pros culled from Bay Area salons and beauty schools. A judges panel made up of Celebrity Stylist Antonio Venegas, former model Joyce Hu of The Bookr, Stylist Dario Smith of Bellwether Project and Gwendolyn Wright of The Wright Consultants will decide the winners.

The evening will be capped off by a fashion show with bloggers as models, including Jules Vasic of The Green Stylist, Alison Messinger of Eclectic à la Mode and Lona Duncan of Lux Resale – each in apparel by designer Jennifer Ly.

Other reasons to go: A chance to mingle with participating designers and folks from sponsor companies such as Styletag, Fizz Marketing, Punchtab, Shopience, Intern Sushi, Wella, AskASalon.com, The Brush Guard, Pigment Cosmetics, Rodan+Fields, Seacret SF, WorkPlayDate, Bachman’s Sparrow and Chloe+Isabel.

Want in? We’ll be giving away tickets later this week, so follow us on Twitter @sfindiefashion or visit our Facebook page. That’s where it will all go down.

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SF Indie Fashion is a Beauty Expo media sponsor

Runway Recap: California College of the Arts Spring Fashion Show

The California College of the Arts Spring Fashion Show sent a diverse grouping of apparel by its student talents down the runway on a mid-May Friday evening. Each year, the show stands out for presenting fashion that showcases students’ arts-minded, creative approaches to traditional structure, materials and styling. This year was no exception. Read on to see what went down the runway.

You’ll find one piece from each presenting designer shown below. For a full look at the collections, check out our jam-packed CCA Spring 2012 Facebook Album.

Annie McCourt

Ashley Eva Brock

Brooke M. Wright

Chelsea Hughs

Rachel Gant's "Run Free" ensemble for the Fashioning Functional Gear Class

Gabrielle Stiles

Jackilyn Hsin Roberts

James Zormeir

Jean Saung

Lauren Biggs

Lauren Levin

Rashad Omar Brown

Steve Soundara

Vishaka Sachi Henrietta

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Need Local Flavor? Try Jewelry by Salty Fox

The Lucy earrings, $64, pair classic gold hoops with rock chic leather triangles.

The Ella earrings, $64, are hung with sparkling pyrite nuggets.

The Sierra earrings, $56, combine vintage chain, hematite and spikes.

The Cleo necklace, $82, features pyrite cubes and recycled leather.

We’re big fans of locally-made jewelry that packs a unique flavor, so you can imagine we were taken with the adornments of San Francisco designer Megan Stacy and her Salty Fox line. Using metals, recycled leather and chains, the former Lela Rose intern aims to make necklaces, earrings and bracelets with sophisticated edge and affordable prices.

Read on for more about this local designer and her current collections.

Tells us a little about your line. How did you get your start? I launched my line a year ago with the aim to make affordable handmade jewelry that is both casual and refined. I had been working with a lot of silver and metalsmithing techniques in the past and wanted to do a line that was more accessible and less labor and cost intensive.  I also have a background in clothing and textile design and interned with Lela Rose in New York, but definitely feel really excited about working with metal and accessories now.

What are your favorite materials to work with right now? I like to use a lot of chain and stones that are both sleek and raw. I like everything to be clean and sophisticated, but not too sweet. I also use a lot of vintage materials and a bit of leather that is repurposed from vintage clothing.

Where can we find your work in San Francisco? Salty Fox can be found at Candystore Collective, Eden & Eden, Curator, Blues Jean Bar, Resident Artist Gallery, and Wonderland SF.  I also sell online. I tend to have one-off pieces at fairs like this and most pieces are discounted, so it is always good to come by shows like this if you are a fan. I will also be at all of the SF Indie Marts this summer at Thee Parkside.

Runway Recap: Black V 2012

Showcasing eight local designers, the Black V fashion show took place over the weekend. Originally produced to bring the San Francisco fashion community together, this year’s event saw a great mix of who’s who in the local blogger, photographer and editors’ circles. Each year, Black V features apparel that’s edgy and designed to accentuate fashion’s dark side. This year’s show was no exception. A fashionably late start added to the pre-show buzz and excitement in the audience. Read on for our highlights from the runway:

http://www.astonishworld.com/2012/black-v-fashion-show-acta-non-verba/

A slow playing violinist introduced Acta Non Verba's collection. Inspired by "New World royalty," models paraded down the runway in dark lace and bold colors.

http://www.astonishworld.com/2012/black-v-fashion-show-acta-non-verba/

Hector Manuel, the designer behind Acta Non Verba, mixes a classic silhouette with youthful materials.

http://www.danielsudar.com/

A strong, tailored look from Daniel Sudar. The designer debuted his new line of sterling silver jewelry using bare-chested male models, a highlight for those in the front row.

http://www.cariborja.com/Home.html

Cari Borja showed a romantic line of evening dresses inspired by Francis Ford Coppola's movie Dracula. Borja's dresses stood out for their beautiful shapes and movement on the runway.

http://www.cariborja.com/Home.html

A feminine Cari Borja overcoat displays Victorian edge using a mix of satin and silk.

http://www.facebook.com/kateknuvelderbrand

Accessory designer Kate Knuvelder crafted bold looks with her handmade chain, leather and beaded headpieces and neckwear.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/GB-Shrive-Designs/135663344359

The London club scene spurred GB Shrive's collection "London Calling." Shrive used dramatically detailed leather to create a feminine shape.

http://www.facebook.com/kenchensf

This fluid piece by recent Academy of Art grad Ken Chen floated beautifully on the runway.

http://www.zoehong.com/

Fusing constructed leather and free-form tulle, Zoe Hong formed this darkly sensual look.

http://www.zoehong.com/

Zoe Hong produced one of the more sexually-charged collections of the evening, thanks to leather, corsetry and S&M touches like the neck collar above.

http://www.facebook.com/kateknuvelderbrand

A favorite look of the evening: Kate Knuvelder's imaginative chain mesh butterfly accessory.

Photography by Jennymay Villarete for SF Indie Fashion

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