Laura Schara, shining

I kind of adore that Laura Schara is not just the fashion director who oversees the annual Macy's fall fashion kickoff show and fiesta, Glamorma  (a valuable fundraiser for AIDS Emergency Fund, Glide, and Project Open Hand), she's also the offical Macy's "trend correspondent," responsible for "translating emerging fashion trends for the department store." I did not know this position could exist! And while I doubt we'll be seeing much Hood by Air or RHLS appearing on the couture floor any time soon (maybe I'm wrong), I'm sure she gets to translate a lot of intriguing things.

Like Britain! And Nicole Richie! Glamorama is tonight, Fri/14, the theme is "The British Invasion." Below, Laura shared a few quick words about the theme, the designers, and the glamour that is SF.

SFBG Could you tell us a little about the British Invasion theme  -- did you have a hand in its development? And what specific appeal do you think the theme has for our moment?

LAURA The British seem to be invading pop culture and fashion recently, so that combined with the Olympics and the 50th Anniversary of the Rolling Stones and the Beatles made this seem like the right fit for the theme of Glamorama this year.
 
Also, Duchess Kate has definitely become a fashion icon herself and I think she has influenced some of the current fashion trends.  We are seeing classic dressing make a comeback not only for women but also men. So that also makes this theme the perfect fit this year. 

SFBG How did you choose the designers to work with, and how (if applicable) did you tailor their specific strengths to fit within the theme?

LAURA Each year we chose the designers based on a few things, and we always want to showcase a variety of designers that will appeal to everyone in the audience. We'll show everything from classic lines, to avant garde and modern, to those contemporary designers. Also we take into consideration of what is new at Macy's and of course Glamorama being Macy's fall fashion kick off event, we will launch new lines at this show. This year we are excited to launch Nicole Richie for Macy's Impulse.

SFBG Do you have overall thoughts about the state of fashion in the Bay Area? What excites you or makes you think?

LAURA I can tell you I have traveled to many destinations working on fashion events and this city always has some of the best shopping in the world.  You can find anything here from talented local designer merchandise to whatever is hot off the runway. It's one of my favorite cities to shop in.