Fashion forwardSimon Doonan, creative director for Barneys New York, defines San Francisco style this way: “People here are into design,” he said, while in town in September for the grand opening of Barneys’ Bay Area flagship store. “It’s about the craft of fashion, not the hype of fashion.” In L.A., he pointed out as an example, style is all about exhibitionism, about what other people think of what you’re wearing. “Here, it’s what you think of what you’re wearing.”
Oh my God, shooz! Simon Doonan shows off the SF flagship store's bright, airy floor full of women's footwear.
Now, before I go on, I realize you could argue that San Francisco has a scene with a uniform as much as anyplace else, even if here it’s fedoras and Fluevogs instead of short shorts and Uggs. But what really makes the difference – at least, to me – is how much fashion culture here appreciates creativity, independent designers, and funky combinations of styles, trends, and shit we just made up. Fashionistas in this city create a style that is uniquely ours, more emulated by the outside fashion world than affected by it.
I was thinking about this on Saturday night, while attending the official grand opening party for Pandora’s Trunk, a retail space and artists’ coop that provides places for indie designers to both work and sell their wares (reconstructed dresses and jackets made from scraps of fleece, lace-trimmed arm warmers and twisty scarves – all gorgeous and unusual). And true to the co-op’s mission, the opening not only supported artists involved with the store, but other independent creators like Jesse Wilson, one-half of the newly named Flamenco Feathers musical group, and Sterling, an up-and-coming chef who made guests a mean spanikopita (among other delectables). It was fun and festive, and both homegrown and professional.
But most remarkable to me was how unremarkable this kind of event is in the city. Just last month, I attended a similar – though higher profile – affair for the grand opening of Five and Diamond. This little shop is the brainchild of Phoebe Minona and Leighton Kelly, who are partially responsible for creating an entire subculture, first as members of the Yard Dogs Roadshow and Black and Blue Burlesque, and then as designers. Between the two of them, Minona and Kelly have three separate lines: Tawapa, which is tribal jewelry that Phoebe designs and then has made in Indonesia (interesting side note: it’s quite possible that Phoebe was the first to design and import this jewelry to the States, or at the very least, to our demographic); Bootleg, a series of jewelry and accessories made from L’s vast collection of items like bones, typewriter keys, and bizarre-looking metal objects; and Wildcard, a line of leather bags and accessories that both Minona and Kelly design.
Photo courtesy of Marcy Mendelson
Phoebe Minona and Leighton Kelly at the November opening of their new store.
Every object they design, every detail of the store’s décor, and every part of the opening night – from a ribbon cutting performed by Chicken John Rinaldi to a parade and performance led by members of the Yard Dogs – is entirely their own. And though there are elements of what Five and Diamond represents that remind me of L.A. fashion culture – in particular, how expensive these items are, and how much effort many of the people involved in this store and its style seem to put into looking a certain way – the point is that here, creativity, innovation, and plain old weirdness is still king.
Photo courtesy of Marcy Mendelson
Accessories by Wildcard
Which is why it makes sense that the mainstream fashion community is finally starting to take notice of our little scene. We’ve now had a Fashion Week for --- years. Couture captains House of Diehl chose San Francisco as one of its stops for Style Wars. And Barneys, that bastion of New York fashion, has set up shop here (and a gorgeous shop it is, by the way.) I predict we’re only going to see more and more stores like Pandora’s Trunk and Five and Diamond springing up in this city, more mainstream retailers building or buying here, and more of what we think of as San Francisco style popping up in mainstream culture. To which I say: Good. I think we deserve it.
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