San Francisco Independent Fashion
Our very-visual, (almost) chatter-free snap judgment of the day: new-condition gold mesh wallet with taffeta lining, $52, sold by San Francisco vintage decor dealer Hand & Table, whose holiday pop-up shop opens this Thursday at Lower Haight boutique Revolver.
More snap judgments…
Famed L.A.-based secondhand go-to for coveted designer labels, Decadestwo is coming to town this week for three short days, and we’re already drooling. The shop, which you may have spotted when it was prominently featured on The Rachel Zoe Project last year, is known for carrying high-end designer finds plucked by co-owner Christos Garkinos from the closets of actresses, stylists and Hollywood glitterati. From there, pieces such as the ones shown here end up on the racks at the Melrose store for up to 80 percent off retail.
Part of a collaboration with with HauteLook, the Decadestwo pop-up shop means a chance to peruse great condition consignment apparel and accessories from labels such as Chanel, Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga and others. And if we have a favorite way to obtain designer labels, it’s most definitely from a well-edited secondhand source. Of secondhand shopping’s charms, we’ll say this: it’s not only less expensive and more environmentally responsible than buying brand new merch, but it’s also a way to stock up on garments with a little bit of history.
The 72-hour sale begins Thursday night with an invite-only, VIP cocktail reception and preview co-hosted by Vanessa Getty and Splendora.com founder Gina Pell at the historic Firehouse in Fort Mason. On Friday and Saturday, the pop-up shop is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
**Want to be among the first to shop the Decadestwo pop-up shop? We’re giving away two pairs of passes to the private Thursday night event. Want ‘em? We’ll announce the RSVP email address in tomorrow’s SF Indie Fashion newsletter. Sign up now to receive it. If you’re one of the first two people to respond, the passes are yours.**
Photos courtesy Decadestwo (from top, more after the jump): Chanel handbag, Chanel pink blazer, Christian Louboutin shoes, Gucci leather studded jacket, Givenchy dress.
Here’s your chance to dig into a summer essential from a local, independent source: starting today and running through July 14, Lower Haight pop-up shop Guns and Shades will be offering the launch collection of vintage-inspired eyewear from San Francisco brand Mayfourteenth, as well as a serious assortment of rare deadstock vintage frames from Gucci, Givenchy, Cazal and others.
Mayfourteenth comes from local photographer and designer Benjamin Belsky, who’s done time working with both Upper Playground and Goorin Brothers and has spent the last five years collecting vintage eyewear and schooling himself on the intricacies of acetate. The result is a six-style collection ($180-$240) for men and women that pairs old school sensibilities with contemporary panache, UV-protected lenses and layered frame colors that are anything but ordinary.
Along with Mayfourteenth shades, the pop-up shop promises Belsky’s handpicked selection of vintage sunglasses, priced from $100 to $1,200 for a rare pair of Cazal frames, and gold-hued weapon art by San Francisco’s Peter Gronquist.
“We’ve got a jackalope with uzis coming out of his antlers,” Belsky tells us.
Just try to resist that.
Party in person with the Mayfourteenth crew tonight during the opening shindig from 7-9 p.m., 252 Fillmore St., SF. Guns and Shades is open daily from 12-8 p.m. through July 14.
Photography by Pablo Franco for Mayfourteenth
More local designers…
Saturday and Sunday are the days to visit new weekend-only Hayes Valley pop-up shop Storefront, opening its doors tomorrow with a trunk show sample sale from Sausalito-based online retailer Fashionistette, fashion photography by Michelle M. Mitchell and Tiny Treats cupcakes.
Storefront Pop-Up Shop, 644 Laguna St. (between Hayes and Grove), SF. Open Saturday 12-6pm, Sunday 12-5pm (closed May 9th for Mother’s Day).
It’s always smashing when two great independent sources for fashion-forward wearables join forces. The latest example: an OAK NYC pop-up shop debuting this week at Market Street store The Seventh Heart, best known for its original tees and well-priced selection of men’s and women’s denim and go-anywhere basics.
Bringing the New York outpost’s relatively affordable house label A.OK to San Francisco for the first time, the pop-up shop means merch that was previously only available in New York or the OAK online shop.
“It’s a perfect collaboration not only because of a longtime friendship between the owners but also because of a shared aesthetic. We have been combining forces for the last year as The Seventh Heart’s line of t-shirts has been featured in OAK’s store in New York, as well as online, and the OAK pop-up shop is the next obvious step in our relationship,” Mark of The Seventh Heart tells us.
As for the pop-up shop’s time in the City, right now, that’s up in the air.
“I’m not sure how long this initial inventory will last. Depending on this launch it could become an ongoing project,” Mark says.
Yes, it’s true, you could have purchased A.OK’s under-a-$100-pop tanks, tops, jeans and plaid shirts via the Internets, but isn’t shopping always better when you can see, touch and try-on?
Another thing that makes shopping better: a party. You’ll find one in full force on Thursday night, when The Seventh Heart opens the pop-up shop event with DJs and cocktails before heading to Tubesteak Connection at Aunt Charlie’s lounge for an after party. Get the details on the SF Indie Fashion Calendar.
Photos, from top: A.OK tank, plaid shirt and denim jeans.
