SF Fashion Week Blog

	One of the newest additions to the 7x7 team, Nerissa devotes her days to covering the style and beauty beats. She hails from that fashion capital Toledo, OH, and after graduating from UCLA, she moved north to the San Jose Mercury News, where she worked as a reporter for nearly five years.

August 28, 2007

Coming Soon

Check back in a few weeks when I start up my fashion blog, which will bring you the latest news, designers, trends and store openings in and around San Francisco. We're also launching a second fashion blog that will showcase SF street style. So stay tuned.

August 27, 2007

Are We New York?

I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I signed on to be a speaker for the Careers in Fashion workshop yesterday at the W Hotel. The session was part of a day-long series of fashion industry panels open to the public as the final event for the Fourth Annual SF Fashion Week. Topics included “celebrity styling,” “catwalk choreography,” and “becoming a fashion entrepreneur.” I figured my nearly three-hour, early Sunday morning panel would attract a handful of bleary-eyed students. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to see a turnout of about 40 energetic people, mostly women, who were a mix of students, start-up designers and business owners, and mid-career changers all wanting to know how to break in to the fashion biz.

Others on the panel were Tarina Stasi, senior account manager at 24 Seven fashion recruiting agency; Corinne Saunders, public relations manager at Bloomingdale’s; and Mimi Ting, owner of Mingle boutique in the Marina district. The audience fired out question after question to the panelists: “How do I land a fashion internship?,” “As a designer, how do you get media coverage?,” “What skills are needed for fashion writing and fashion PR?,” and the burning question “Is SF a feasible market to pursue a fashion career?” In other words, did everyone in the room eventually have to move to New York?

The four of us agreed that while SF isn’t the fashion center that the Big Apple continues to be, there’s huge potential for the city to make a heftier name for itself in fashion. Collectively we ticked off some reasons: local fashion schools are fostering  talent who are pursuing careers in the Bay Area; west coast designers are leading the trend in eco-friendly fashion; events such as SF Fashion Week and other fashion shows are becoming prevalent; the recent openings of establishments downtown such as H&M, Bloomingdale’s and the soon-to-be built Barneys are putting SF on the national retail destination map. Still, it’s going to take more big-name designers with SF ties sticking around and a manufacturing infrastructure to push us forward. Are we the fashion capital of New York? No. Will we ever be? Probably not. But then again, I think that’s precisely why many of us choose to live and work here.

Me talking to a student.	Left to right: SF Fashion Week "Careers in Fashion" workshop panelists: Lisa Stasi, Corinne Saunders, Mimi Ting and me.
photography by Edric Itchon

Posted by Nerissa Pacio, on August 27, 2007 at 2:51 PM, PDT EMAIL THIS | LINK TO THIS

August 26, 2007

Sweet Ending

I’ve had front row seats to the all of the shows at SF Fashion Week, soaking in not only the clothes worn by models strutting down the runway, but also the local scenesters turning out for the events. It’s been a spectator sport checking out the get-ups of guys and girls in the audience—from clingy gold-sequin mini-dresses to brightly patterned suits accessorized with creased pocket squares and tipped fedoras. Definitely not your average SF fleece-and-jeans crowd at these high-style functions.

As for the actual catwalk, the shows ended on a high note with three designers who stood out from last evening’s pack: Effie’s Heart, Onerary and 615 Project. Effie’s Heart set a playful mood with its collection of cotton jersey T-shirts, skirts and casual flapper dresses inspired by jazz singers from the 1920s and ’30s. Onerary opened its show in an unconventional “only in San Francisco” way with a dramatic spoken word performance followed by a preview of its spring “wearable art” collection of ethereal, hand-painted, embellished, deconstructed men’s and women’s wear. And 615 Project closed down the house with elegant and beautifully draped silk-jersey cocktail dresses and evening gowns. The party continued at the Supperclub after hours where we sipped cocktails and champagne while lounging on beds and dancing to techno music.

Effie’s Heart showed a cotton jersey Clara Bow shift: a flirty, casual take on the flapper dress.	Detachable, reversible hoods were a staple for the men’s and women’s wear shown by Onerary.	My top pick: 615 Project’s draped white silk jersey triangle-top cocktail dress that revealed a hint of shimmer and moved beautifully.
photography by Arun Nevader/Wireimage

Posted by Nerissa Pacio, on August 26, 2007 at 9:21 PM, PDT EMAIL THIS | LINK TO THIS

August 25, 2007

Urban Meets Island

Last night’s event at the SF Design Center got off to a rockin’ start with Dcepcion, a new local label and one to watch in coming seasons. Behind the brand are Daniel and David Concepcion, an identical twin brother design duo from Vallejo and recent SF State grads, who got the crowd pumped with a fast-paced hip-hop flavored preview of their debut collection that they call “comic book-inspired tailored street wear.” Another notable newcomer to the runway included Kirribilla, a.k.a. Faye Davison Rexing, Amanda Thomas and Phoebe Davison, BFFs who started their girly line of ready-to-wear in 2005. Now on their third collection with design studios in SF and London, the team has created a crisp line of cotton and linen dresses for spring, a nod to old-time Hawaii.

Such unexpected details as plunging backs, deep V-necks and buckled racerbacks on crisp shirtdresses and sporty knit mini-dresses give Dcepcion’s women’s wear a streetwise edge.	Dcepcion’s men’s wear is tailored with a bit of funk as in an asymmetrical four-pocket button down shirt.	Models strolled leisurely down the runway to Hawaiian Luau music wearing orchids in their hair and Kirribilla’s slim cocktail dresses, such as this coffee-colored Kailua number with a sweetheart bodice and asymmetrical ruffle sleeve.
photography by Arun Nevader/Wireimage

Posted by Nerissa Pacio, on August 25, 2007 at 4:17 PM, PDT EMAIL THIS | LINK TO THIS

August 24, 2007

Fashion Primetime

With 7x7’s September fashion issue just hitting newsstands, tons of other glossy fashion magalogues jamming my home mailbox and awaiting my reading pleasure, and fashion shows, parties and after parties going on throughout the city in coming weeks, I’m amped to kick off my re-entry into the blogosphere with coverage of the annual local fashion marathon known as San Francisco Fashion Week. The runway shows go through Saturday night at the SF Design Center Galleria with assorted industry workshops to follow on Sunday at the W Hotel. (I’ll be part of the a.m. fashion careers panel— stay tuned). Last night’s catwalk presented a range of looks for holiday and spring 2008, from bridal-esque ball gowns to beachy resort wear. Check out my picks from the catwalk.

Carol Chen Carol Chen, an SF Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising grad, showed a creative rendition of the little black dress with her convertible design for the opening emerging stars student showcase. The satin evening gown has removable straps and the skirt’s lower tier can be snapped off and thrown over the shoulder as a cape.	Pink Elf Kaushie Adiseshan of Pink Elf designed a breezy, Bollywood-inspired collection of resort wear: tent tops, capri pants and wrap skirts in filmy metallic fabrics.
Vian Hunter My favorite look from Lisa Vian Hunter for Vian Hunter: a sleeveless silk cowl top and black-and-silver sequin skirt that’s wearable with a touch of  ‘50s glamour.	Emily Jane At least half of the collection by newcomer Emily Jane Barker focused on the clean and classic combo of black and white. Here, a white pima cotton pleated back top with grosgrain waist trim and black stretch wool gabardine skirt.
photography by Arun Nevader/Wireimage

Posted by Nerissa Pacio, on August 24, 2007 at 4:30 PM, PDT EMAIL THIS | LINK TO THIS

August 23, 2007

Fresh Faces for Spring

SF fashion insiders packed into the sold-out Regency Center last night for a glimpse of Spring 2008 collections by some of the best in emerging local design talent. At Gen Art's fourth annual Fresh Faces in Fashion showcase, the national nonprofit known for helping to launch the careers of such well-known designers as Zac Posen and Julie Chaiken, the high-energy crowd of more than a thousand cheered models who sashayed down the runway in hot pants, hoodies, frocks and smocks. Here, a preview of the buzz-worthy collections’ highlights.

Michele Janezic’s eponymous vintage-inspired line channels choirgirl meets club kid in this look featuring a belted gold dolman-sleeve smock top and super short shorts that let it (almost) all hang out from behind.	Academy of Art University grad Sara Shepherd shone with her whimsical collection of bias-cut dresses and skirts with curved seams inspired by Alice in Wonderland. Pictured, a tailored Peter Pan-collar jacket paired with a wool-and-silk-chiffon skirt that created beautiful movement.	Husband-and-wife design team Lauren and Josh Podoll showed a fresh take on the shift dress from their namesake label, Podoll, in this gorgeously draped white cotton dress with asymmetrical ruching.
Matty Merrill and Sep Kamvar of Distilled gave the crowd a good laugh with a cheeky presentation of casual menswear. Geeky models sported oversized glasses, bowties and striped tube socks with trim hoodies, denim shorts, seersucker blazers and skinny cargo pants.
photography by Heather Wiley for Drew Altizer

Posted by Nerissa Pacio, on August 23, 2007 at 7:40 AM, PDT EMAIL THIS | LINK TO THIS