May 24, 2012

Support the Locally-Made Movement: SFMade Fundraiser Launch Party

sfmade-logoSavvy follower of local fashion and locally-made products that you are, you probably don’t need us to tell you that there are companies right here within San Francisco city limits producing everything from horizontal-wale corduroys to artisan chocolates and kombucha tea.

But what you may not have heard about yet is SFMade, a new non-profit organization whose entire mission is supporting and promoting the companies and manufacturers behind these products, as well as the much-needed jobs they create.

“Since opening our doors in January, companies have been coming to us in droves. They identify with being part of the SFMade community, and they are looking for very specific assistance and resources to help them  run their manufacturing enterprises. We have really tapped into a need, and we’re the only organization focused entirely on supporting and building the manufacturing sector in San Francisco,” says SFMade Program Director Janet Lees, who founded the Fashion Industry Network program at San Francisco’s Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center.

On June 9, SFMade officially launches its presence in the City with Ramp It Up!, a fundraiser soiree honoring Anchor Brewing Company Chairman Emeritus Fritz Maytag at the SoMa headquarters of Ritual Coffee Roasters. With a host committee chaired by Mayor Gavin Newsom, the party promises an opportunity to meet and shop local purveyors from the fashion, food, eco and home interiors industries while mingling with some of the most influential folks in the City.

The evening offers further enticements for local style hounds in the form of exhibits from labels such as Rickshaw Bags, Cordarounds, Baby Leo Designs, Couture by Juliet and Slainte Bags, among others.

We dare say it’s a not-to-be-missed event for anyone who supports the locally-made movement in San Francisco.

SFMade Ramp It Up! Fundraiser and Launch Party, June 9 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Ritual Coffee Roasters, 1050 Howard St., SF. Tickets ($35).

More San Francisco fashion events

Shopping for Man Kind: Man Up

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When we met with Mike Maher of Taylor Stitch earlier this week to discuss this weekend’s first Man Up pop-up menswear market, we were immediately sold on the ethos behind the event.

“I like to know where everything I buy comes from. When I purchase things, I purchase for them for the long haul,” explained Maher, who runs San Francisco custom men’s shirt company Taylor Stitch with co-founder Barrett Purdum and Michael Armenta and, with Purdum, is one of five guys behind the Durable Goods Concern, the entity responsible for conceiving of Man Up and making it happen in a mere 25 days.

As readers surely know, we’re big believers in conscious consumerism, buying local and putting the dollars we have (which often aren’t as plentiful as we’d like) into apparel and products that are not only made to last longer than a season, but also hail from companies whose principals and practices we believe in.

And then there are aesthetic concerns to consider. Who doesn’t appreciate a well-dressed man? Barring that, the benefits of cruising around looking like the male equivalent of Debbie Dumptruck are elusive at best.

Putting it plainly, Maher says, “It doesn’t pay to walk out the door looking like a slob.”

If you concur (and even if you don’t), we recommend making a dapper dash to the Man Up this weekend for dude-friendly shopping made easier through the promise of free buzz-inducing beverages, live art and vendors such as AB Fits, Union Made Goods, Xetum, Taylor Stitch, Marine Layer, Cordarounds, Room 4 Vintage, Sui Generis and many others. There’s also a contest you can enter to win a free $220 pair of raw selvage denim jeans.

More upcoming fashion and shopping events

And a few pics of the Durable Goods Concern fellas (Michael Maher, Michael Armenta, Jeremy Smith, Barrett Purdum and David Mongan) horsing around in SF:

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