Wildlife Works' Kukhanga Collection features 100 percent organic cotton and subtle prints inspired by traditional East African traditional apparel.

Fashion for a good cause drew many out on a recent Thursday night to Mission boutique Hangr16 for the re-launch of the Wildlife Works Fashion Collection, a line of organic cotton, carbon-neutral clothing for men, women and children that helps create jobs in rural Kenya. Along with its socially-responsible take on style, the clothing appeals with simple shapes, neutral hues and easy wearability.

“We’re a conservation company with a fashion line, and basically the whole premise is based on creating jobs,” Creative Director Joyce Hu tells us.

Best known for its REDD carbon offset program and accompanying sustainable wilderness conservation projects, Wildlife Works brought its fashion collection, first launched in 2001, back to consumers this fall after a two-year hiatus. The collection ($28-$68) includes basic t-shirts, hoodies and scarves with prints inspired by traditional East African textiles. Leading the creative team, Hu aims to bring a fresh and fashion-forward approach to the company’s apparel. Styles like the women’s Siri top, with a cropped length and dolman-esque sleeves, exhibit this new direction.

Up until last week, the collection was only available online in the company’s web shop, but a selection of Wildlife Works apparel will be available for purchase through the end of December at Hang16.

Celebrating that fact at the launch party, which featured a collection of stunning images shot on the Wildlife Works project site in Kenya by fashion photographer Peter Jones, were many local fashion heads and supporters of the San Francisco fashion industry, including fashion bloggers, designers, design students and members of the media. Spotted on the scene were gr.dano’s Brian Scheyer and Jill Giordano, Urban Daddy editor Sarah Sung, Eco Salon’s Sara Ost and Rowena Ritchie, The Fashionista Lab’s Adelle McElveen and many others. See below for more faces and names from the stylish crowd:

Wildlife Works Creative Director Joyce Hu (left) and Shop Sweet Things' Jeanne Chan

gr.dano's Brian Scheyer and Jill Giordano

San Francisco fashion bloggers Kim Stokes of J'Adore Couture, Adelle McElveen of The Fashionista Lab and Mission Closet's Elisabeth Carr

Sugarlips Lifestyle Tips blogger Jacyn Siebert with San Francisco designers Yugala Priti and Sarah Liller

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Photography courtesy of Id/Ego Photography and Peter Jones (images two and three) for Wildlife Works

Independently-owned British retailer Accent (one of our lovely SF Indie Fashion sponsors) offers a bevy of brands and current season trends for men, women and juniors.

Established in 1984, the family-run store, based in Leeds, England, stocks women’s designer fashion labels in its online shop. Among the women’s designer clothing at Accent, you’ll find apparel, footwear and accessories from featured labels such as Barbour, Belstaff, Religion and Forever Unique, well as harder-to-find brands like Ash and Evisu mixed in with big names that range from Miss Sixty to Tommy Hilfiger.

Clothing, shoes and accessories for men and juniors also abound in the Accent online shop, making it possible for the whole family suit up in British style without having to cross the pond.

A few of our favorite items currently available at Accent:

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It’s no secret that fashion students are a great source for unique, creative fashion that you won’t find anywhere else. The problem? Their work is rarely available in traditional retail settings. Changing all that – and making it easier for all of us to access all kinds of items by emerging design talents – is the recently-opened Atelier from the Academy of Art University.

Occupying the gallery space that has long piqued the interest of passersby on New Montgomery Street in downtown San Francisco, the gallery-slash-shop houses apparel, accessories, jewelry, fine art, gifts and items for the home by current students and alumni. Among the current offerings are apparel by gr.dano and Camilla Olson, men’s denim by GRP-E Denim, kid’s clothing by J-dorable and jewelry by Lynn Christiansen and Mike Feeney.

Students apply to display and sell their work in the space’s coveted spots, so what you see on view is a curated collection of items showcasing some of the best work coming out of the school.

Want to see it for yourself? Stop by Atelier, 79 New Montgomery St., Mon-Fri 10am-6pm; Sat 10am-5pm.

Take a look inside…

Photography courtesy of Academy of Art University

Putting phone books to good use this summer were students in The Camp Couture, a summer sewing camp program for kids, teens and adults taught by San Francisco designer Alexandria von Bromssen. Von Bromssen reports that the elaborate dress shown above was made entirely out of cast-off phone books by the camp’s youth participants, and in a mere three days at that.

“Kids wove strips of cut phone book pages, draped, folded and sewed this paper masterpiece,” she tells us.

Needless to say, we were more than a little impressed. Just finding a way to reuse phone books, fast becoming relics of the past, is innovative enough, but making a woven and wearable work of art from the pages is well worth phoning home about.

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As Wonderland opened its doors on the Mission end of 24th street last Thursday night, we swung by to check out the new space from Irene Hernandez-Feiks and Houston Feiks of Chillin’ Productions. Inside, we found a veritable haven for fans of local, independent fashion. The gallery-boutique stocks accessories and apparel ($20-$250) for men and women by a diverse array of local talents, ranging from polished pieces by gr.dano and Verrieres & Sako to rocker-friendly tops by Venus Superstar and colorful, unique pieces from Silver Lucy.

“We’re going to have super edgy, hipster, funky to something that can go to work,” Hernandez-Feiks says of the variety hanging from the racks.

Guys will find a front section devoted to them, with Estrella Tadeo shirts and Rebel t-shirts accompanying Gytha Mander menswear. There’s also a small selection of items for kids, something Hernandez-Feiks hopes to expand in the coming months. Along with clothing, accessories abound, including LynnEyeStyle eyewear made from vintage frames (Hernandez-Feiks showed us a smashing Givenchy pair she had in stock), Sweet Meats pillows and Momoca hats – just to name a very few.

Shoppers seeking one-of-a-kind and custom apparel are in luck, as most designers available in the shop are ready and willing create made-to-order clothing and accessories.

The second half of the shop is a devoted gallery space, where monthly shows will display art and furniture created by local artists. In front, the shop’s windows await student art installations Hernandez-Feiks has in the works, thanks to her connections with local art and fashion schools.

“For me, it’s really important to support local talent, and we have so many good people here. I want to show people that in San Francisco, we can do really well. You can find a shirt that is made better than something in Bloomingdale’s,” Hernandez-Feiks says.

Our thoughts exactly…

Check it out for yourself: Wonderland, 2929 24th St., www.wonderlandsf.com.

Photography courtesy of Irene-Hernandez-Feiks

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