May 25, 2012

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.

The Wrist of Things: The 2 Bandits Launches Bracelets

Known for their boot bands and harnesses, Bay Area-based accessories line The 2 Bandits has expanded upwards to the wrists with a collection of leather and metal bracelets.

Featuring tassels, silver buckles, brass chain, Thunderbird conchos and lambskin leather, the collection ($33-$58) continues the label’s edgy take on Southwestern style. Neutral-hued leathers keep the pieces versatile, while slim widths and varied visual elements make them ideal for wearing en masse, just as fall’s pile ‘em on bracelet philosophy dictates.

More San Francisco fashion news

Photography courtesy of The 2 Bandits

Behind the Shop: Circle & Square’s Bunny Fayne

Inside Presidio Heights boutique Circle & Square

The personalities behind the shops we love are often just as intriguing as what’s on the shelves. Case in point: Bunny Fayne of Circle & Square, a Presidio Heights boutique brimming with posh accessories, jewelry and gifts made by artisans and independent designers from around the globe.

An art and design aficionado with an eye for the unique and well-crafted, Fayne stocks her store and its accompanying online boutique with giftables she’s sourced from a roster of local and international artists that range from the handbags of Hollywood favorite Adriana Castro to perfume from local company Ineke.

We caught up with Fayne recently to chat about hiding lovers in the closet, the sexiness of handbags and her recent world adventures.

You’re a serious traveler. Where have your adventures taken you in the past year?

Cape Town, Botswana on safari, and London.  I’m about to leave for Argentina, Brazil and Chile in a few days, possibly zip-lining.

We have to buy a gift for a friend who seriously has everything. Can you suggest three items from your store that would manage to wow her?

Conservative or edgy? Is price an object? A copper shoe by Elizabeth Emison, Susana Speidel’s laughing Buddha ring and Sang-A’s white glitter seasnake clutch bag.

What is one of your favorite spots to take out-of-town visitors?

Cavallo Point, where you can sit on the porch and view the most beautiful city in the world.

If you were an accessory, what would you be and why?

A handbag. Because it is an inanimate object coming from an organic source formerly possessing a soul. And I think they’re sexy.

We’ve seen your store, and we’ve seen your impeccably-decorated home in San Francisco, both of which have shown us that you have an eye for style. What makes an item or object worthy of a spot in your home or a place on your store’s shelves?

Thank you. It has to have a characteristic of something synonymous with contrast. Juxtaposed in an unexpected way. Texture, shape and color attract me.

Tell us about the most meaningful accessory in your life these days.

A simple golden wedding band that I’ve worn for 30 years. Priceless.

What are three things every San Francisco woman should have in her closet right now?

A pair of tall black patent boots, a perfect Cashmere shawl, a pink crocodile clutch. And a lover?

Bunny Fayne of Circle & Square

Photography courtesy of Circle & Square

This is part of a new series on SF Indie Fashion. Know of a great local store you’d like to see profiled? Contact us and let us know.

Snap Judgement: Ichi-V Yasashii Wallet

Our very-visual, (almost) chatter-free snap judgment of the day: this 100 percent cotton and denim, retro-flower wallet, on sale for $35, (reg. $50), is one of the newest handmade creations to be released from San Francisco-based Ichi-V, maker of handbags and accessories in sunny, colorful patterns.

More snap judgments

Suit Up: Tokyobay Savile Row Collection Debuts

For a touch of menswear-inspired pinstripes without donning the whole stuffy suit, the newly-launched Savile Row collection from San Francisco-based accessories company Tokyobay awaits.  [Read more...]