Hayes Valley’s Azalea boutique hosted a trunk show for LA-based design team Molly Girard Coonan and Alice Barlow this past Saturday. For its first collaboration with the San Francisco shop, Barlow presented a 13-piece pre-fall capsule collection, inspired by the Mexican wrestling phenomenon Lucha Libre. Standout pieces from the range were a cutout tank, lace chino pants, asymmetrical cardigan and hooded moto leather jacket.
“We’re tomboys at heart. We wanted to create clothes that were comfortable, but that we’d still feel sexy in. We wanted to wear the boys’ clothing, but still make out with the boys,” designer Alice Barlow said of her menswear-inspired collection ($99-$999).
For Barlow, Azalea was a logical fit for a San Francisco trunk show.
“It’s my favorite store in San Francisco! The vibe fits in perfectly with our line and I love the girls who work here,” she said.
At the Hayes Valley shop, the floor feels like a collection of vignettes in a gallery setting, with menswear to the right, womenswear to the left, jewelry cases near the front and an alcove of beauty and skincare tucked away towards the back with a cleverly displayed assortment of denim. Popular lines include: James Perse, Shipley & Halmos, Elizabeth & James, Velvet, Eryn Brinie, and Helmut Lang.
“The Barlow collection fits in well with the other Los Angeles and New York designers we carry,” noted boutique manager Lesley Tanaka. “Because of our location, the Azalea customer is somewhat of a cross-section. We’ve adjusted our buying accordingly, with a good blend of high and low layering basics at prices ranging from $20 to $1,000.”
More San Francisco trunk shows…
