The Best of Fashion + Beauty 2008

If the Mission District could be captured in jewelry form, it would be Ann Lawson’s hipster-meets-industrial-chic line, 1.4.2. Jewelry. A former director of visual merchandising for Old Navy—and a proud Missionite herself—Lawson recently launched her collection in collaboration with SF designer couple Josh and Lauren Podoll. We dig Lawson’s self-proclaimed “scrounger mentality”: she uses recycled metals, vintage dead stock and local flea-market finds to craft such eye-catching pieces as her 24-karat-gold-plated geometric necklace. Available at Candystore Collective, 3153 16th St., 415-863-8143

You know who you are: hot under the collar, with a sharp mind, healthy appetite, thin hair and soft, flexible nails. In the world of ayurveda, these characteristics typify a pitta, or fiery, constitution. In the interests of good overall health and well-being, may we suggest the Ayurvedic Balancing Treatment at the I-Spa, in the new InterContinental San Francisco, to help cool the inferno? The supremely tranquil combination of aromatherapy and deep-tissue massage (with rose, chamomile and vetiver oils custom blended for pitta cases) comes together in the name of detoxification and nervous-system nourishment. (A complimentary roof-deck yoga class will further soothe you.) No matter which constitution you have—vata (air), kapha (earth) or pitta—one look at I-Spa’s deluxe amenities and you’ll know you’re in your element. 888 Howard St., 415-616-6597,

Everyone agrees our hometown beauty brand Benefit rules when it comes to brows. But did you know its brow bars also rock the lashes? We suggest the downtown Brow Bar, with its pumping sound track and action-packed window display that draws passersby off the sidewalk and into Macy’s for a pit stop. In less than 20 minutes, Benefit’s artists can apply a range of lash lusciousness, from au naturel clusters to sultry, cheek-grazing strips that would make even Tammy Faye Bakker envious. 170 O’Farrell St., 415-296-4479

Cinta Gibbons of Cinta Salon fame has opened California’s first Aveda Institute, providing West Coast cosmetology and esthetics students with 10,000 square feet of eco-friendly space in which to train, and bargain hunters with a gold mine for discounted grooming services. Professionally supervised students perform an array of services, from brow tints and waxes to haircuts, updos and highlights. Our budget service of choice is the 50-minute custom-cleansing facial, which includes a neck massage and extractions, as well as post-treatment mineral makeup application, for $40—twice the beauty at more than half off the usual spa price. 305 Kearny St., 415-989-4400

Photo Credits: Inkspot PR

We’re all for haute couture, but sometimes only fast fashion will do. (And we’re not referring to that Bay to Breakers team T-shirt you just made after resurrecting your old BeDazzler.) Enter Mingle boutique in the Marina, which has you covered with its in-store “Custom Tee Lounge.” Email a JPEG of your own design—or pick one from the library of assorted flora, fauna and tongue-in-cheek prints (think: “This Is How I Roll” or “Call Today”)—and stand by while you watch a 10-minute T-shirt masterpiece emerge, with the help of an industrial-ink printer and heat press. 1815 Union St., 415-674-8811

Photo Credits: Arun Nevader/Wireimage

With such cool, offbeat details as asymmetrical pockets on button-down shirts and racerbacks on pinstriped minidresses, Dcepcion’s debut collection beckons a second look. We couldn’t forget the identical-twin duo David and Daniel Concepcion after they made their fall 2007 debut on the SF Fashion Week runway. Now that the Vallejo brothers have opened a new studio in the Mission—where they’re selling their tailored-yet-casual Street Society collection and will be stocking a new line of T-shirts this fall—we finally have a place to go back for more. 3150 18th St., Ste. 229, 707-373-1782

We were hooked as soon as Cheeko B—the owners’ bouncing Chihuahua-terrier mix—greeted us from the sidewalk with a tail-wagging bark. But even if Cheeko has the day off, proprietors Kattya and Patrick Breitenbach will be there to welcome you into the poshest of TenderNob pet boutiques. Pooch lovers will adore the assortment of mini dog wigs, printed poop-bag holsters, sterling-silver dog tags (with matching pet-owner cuff links) and organic frozen dog treats. Our fashionable furball fave? The elegant Pacific Heights dog-collar collection by SF-based Blueblood. 611 Post St., 415-440-1221

Trust us—you’ll feel on top of the (free) world in a superbly tailored, made-to-measure suit from Hickey Freeman’s new Presidential Collection. Offered in 55 fabric options, and incorporating such luxe handmade details as silk Bemburg linings, English horn buttons and gold-plated zippers, these stately trousers and crisp jackets give new meaning to the words “power suit.” 767 Market St., 415-896-9370

Problem: You’re off to a gala tonight, but you (and your skin) are freaking out, and you’re desperate for help. Solution: Maria Padilla, store manager at Fresh and veteran skin-care wizard. Not only will Padilla calm you in your frazzled state with soothing words (and a relaxing, custom mini-facial), she’ll also apply Fresh’s pretty color palettes with a delicate hand to bring out your most natural beauty. “I put just enough makeup on women so that they walk away feeling really good and still looking like themselves,” says Padilla, a former Bobbi Brown artist at Neiman Marcus who’s worked 24 years in the beauty biz. “That’s part of the romance of being a makeup artist—we’re also part therapists!” 301 Sutter St., 415-248-0210

MixedUSE is gone; long live MixedUSE—or, at least, vintage garments selected by Katherine Johnstone (former owner of the much-mourned North Beach store) and now available at the Russian Hill boutique Anica. Those rare pieces by such fashion houses as Dior, Gucci and Fendi can thankfully still be found as a scaled-down, but expertly edited, women’s collection of dresses, separates, handbags, shoes and belts deep inside Johnstone’s friend Rati Sahi’s shop. And even though Johnstone isn’t actually present, her lovingly handwritten tags attached to each garment tell you exactly why you should be buying it: “Brown floral, super cute sundress, 1970s. Wear with flats, boots, sandals, oh my!” 2418 Polk St., 415-447-2878

Few men, however fashion-forward, would be so bold as to don a powder-blue paisley ascot for the average cocktail affair, as Blind Bunney Couture founder Kevin Whittaker is apt to do. While the Lower Pac Heights attorney-by-day-fashion-entrepreneur-by-night is hoping the everyday-dandy way of dress catches on, we suggest that SF gentlemen take baby steps by donning the neck piece for their next black-tie affair. Made from 100 percent ascilini silk—and created using an Italian weaving technique that gives the fabric enough staying power to remain tied after hours of wear—Whittaker’s double-wide ascots come in 10 patterns and are the ideal replacement for the traditional bow tie.

For the beauty novice, it’s hard to believe that a bar of soap could do more than wash the dirt off. Those in the know realize the potential joys of the ideal cleansing bar—one so perfectly balanced that its rich lather leaves your skin moisturized and smooth, freshly scented and, of course, gently cleaned. We’ve found said bar in the form of the new, ultragentle Glowology Believe Honey Bar by San Jose–based Noodle & Boo. As a bonus, the company donates 100 percent of the product’s profits to the Raise Your Hand Campaign, which funds water-purification systems for disadvantaged children worldwide. Available at Nordstrom, 865 Market St., 415-243-8500

Photo Credits: courtesy of Noodle & Boo

Photo Credits: courtesy of Ses Petit Mains

Mais oui! Finally, there’s a line of little girls’ clothing that focuses on quality and not on branding. Noe Valley–based Ses Petites Mains makes dresses and mix-and-match separates so sweet and chic that we wish they’d come out with a grown-up-sized collection. The must-have item for your little lady? The sleeveless ruffled Flora top in pink and white stripes, available at Noe Valley’s newest kid outpost, Mabuhay. 1195 Church St., 415-970-0369

Lulu & Mac’s clean-and-curvy Coffee Clutch, by East Bay designer Tracy Cardenas, is the handbag equivalent of the iconic Eames lounge chair. With its simple lines and classic appeal, this perfectly shaped bag molds to the body and is designed to stand the test of time. We love it for its richly hued leather and contrasting bronze piping, its more-than-a-lipstick carrying capacity and, most importantly, its ideal under-the-arm fit.

Photo Credits: courtesy of Lulu & Mac

You’re feeling nostalgic and looking back at that high-school yearbook, where you, Miss Overachieving Valedictorian, were voted Most Likely to Succeed. Sure, everyone knows you had the brains, but secretly you longed to be that cute cheerleader voted Most Photogenic. We can’t turn back time, but we can suggest a wardrobe overhaul, beginning with the picture-perfect silk pieces by Jennifer Jennings of Serial Cultura. A trained textiles designer, the Parsons grad behind this made-in-Oakland label transforms photographs she’s taken of mundane objects into graphically cool, feminine, handmade prints. We’re also looking forward to her fall collection, wherein Jennings will venture into digital prints. Now all you have to do is say “cheese.” M.A.C.—Modern Appealing Clothing, 387 Grove St., 415-863-3011

Photo Credits: Stefanie Michejda

Avid gardener and SF perfumer Ineke Rhüland has catalogued her floral-based fragrances in her new Deluxe Sample Collection Volume Two. The professionally trained “nose” studied in Versailles at IPSICA, the only university-level perfumery in the world, and finds inspiration in her blooming backyard, concocting the formulas for her perfumes in her Cole Valley laboratory. As if the gorgeous box-within-a-box packaging weren’t enough, inside you’ll find five delicate vials of the most decadent scents—including her newest alchemy, based on the night-scented angel’s trumpet flower: the intoxicating, and aptly named, Evening Edged in Gold. Available at Circle & Square, 344 Presidio Ave., 415-409-3440

Sure, the value of the euro’s gone up, and the dollar’s has gone down, but don’t rule out traveling around the world just yet. Shopping at the new men’s and women’s boutique Acrimony, with its plethora of hard-to-find international labels, is as good as any globe-trotting trip. In this breezy, gallery-like space off the beaten Hayes Valley path, ladies will linger over girly convertible dresses by Thailand’s Sretsis, retro shades by London-based Greek designer Sofia Kokosalaki, casual jackets by Sweden’s Mini Market and dark skinny jeans by Parisian label April 77. Guys will score on colorful twill pants from Denmark’s Wood Wood and French terry crewnecks and striped hoodies by Australia’s Rittenhouse. 515 Gough St., 415-861-1025

Beauty is the new green frontier, and Epi Center MedSpa is in the vanguard, with its organic line of skin-care products and makeup, nontoxic light-based photofacials and more-traditional cleansing treatments that use DermaSweep, a type of particle-free microdermabrasion that’s less invasive (as well as better for the practitioners) than its conventional counterpart. This spring, the decade-old spa also moved into its newly expanded eco-chic digs near Union Square—complete with calming blues, earthy browns and the sounds of trickling waterfalls—and became LEED certified to boot. 450 Sutter St., 415-362-4754

While we wish finding the perfect beach bikini were our summer-in-SF ritual, we’re more likely to be hunting for that cozy cashmere sweater as the fog really rolls in. At HeidiSays Casual, the newest of local proprietor Heidi Sabelhaus’ three Fillmore boutiques, you’ll find a range of pretty colors and classic styles among the in-house collection: V-necks, crewnecks, turtlenecks and wraps in varying plies and lengths. 2416 Fillmore St., 415-749-1144

Good luck finding a pair of cutting shears at the Robert James Color Studio. The Vidal Sassoon–trained hair guru specializes in doing one thing here (and, might we say, impeccably well): creating the loveliest of “pretty girl” hues for the most discriminating of hair-color enthusiasts. At his new, postage-stamp-sized hideaway in the TenderNob, you’ll find the ebullient James (who has a decade of experience in the hair biz) giving good old-fashioned one-on-one attention to his clients, transforming even the dullest of manes into glossy, highlighted perfection. 1005 Bush St., 415-447-0773

Photo Credits: courtesy of Robert James

Cult-like fans of The Hundreds love this L.A.-founded label for its original skateboarding-inspired street wear, such as the limited-edition collaborations with hip-hop crew Hieroglyphics and local artist Benny Gold. We can’t help being intrigued by the new TenderNob shop’s dark, crypt-like interior with faux skulls embedded in the walls. Bring a flashlight, and you may just spot more of the premium denim, hoodies and T-shirts that pay homage to California’s punk, hip-hop and surf cultures. 585 Post St., 415-440-7700

You, with that overstuffed closet crammed with every item of clothing you’ve ever owned since your Pretty in Pink high-school prom: Step away from that credit card, grab your Molly Ringwald–era jean jacket and head over to Suzanne Agasi’s Diva Eve Clothing Swap at the Sugar Café on June 17. The Potrero Hill resident’s monthly mixers, in their 12th year, offer the chance to purge your unwanted possessions while enjoying good company, beauty treatments and cocktails. The parties double as clothing drives—unclaimed items are donated to shelters for abused women and the homeless. 679 Sutter St., 415-441-5678

Photo Credits: Danny Clinch

When it comes to fashion options, guys often get the short end of the stick. Thankfully, New York City–based designer John Varvatos has opened up shop in Union Square to help fill the retail void. The 6,500-square-foot, two-story space (exposed brick walls, wooden counters and reclaimed-walnut floors) stocks the full John Varvatos collection—heavy on neutrals, subtle details and tailored shapes—making it the best one-stop shop for the guy whose look screams GQ-meets-rocker. 152 Geary St., 415-986-3035

Shoe designer Joy Chen Kolterman has left her footprint on the city with the opening, on Maiden Lane, of her first Glory Chen shoe boutique (the second is slated to open in NYC this summer). Her spring/summer collection was inspired by a map of SF—her Thomas kitten-heel wedge, in particular, caught our eye for its downtown-gallery-gal charm and everyday versatility. Constructed from printed canvas and silicone-rubber-lined stacked wooden heels, these kicks are cool and comfortable enough for a leisurely walk through any city. 134 Maiden Lane, 415-788-8168

Photo Credits: courtesy of Glory Chen