Some things in life—and fashion—are simply meant to be.
For Suzanne Chu, a San Francisco native and seasoned beauty-and-style insider, opening her own boutique at 3625 Sacramento Street wasn’t just a career move—it was kismet.
This spring, Article took over the former Betty Lin space with a sharply curated assortment of pieces that could easily be found in the wardrobes of the city’s most stylish. The mix of cool denim, insanely buttery leather motos, edgy sunglasses, standout jewelry, and elegant dresses makes shopping here the opposite of a run-of-the-mill experience.
Article features a delicious blend of familiar labels, emerging brands, and upscale global designers.(Courtesy of Kevin Kitsuda)
By featuring a delicious blend of familiar labels, emerging brands, and upscale global designers you likely don’t know (yet), the store fosters a sense of discovery with names like Avant Toi, Sophie Bille Brahe, Lapointe, Lauren Rubinski, Edeline Lee, Odeeh, Plan C, Awake Mode, Peter Cohen, Magda Butrym, Sa Su Phi, Spinelli Kilcollin, and TWP.
Along with the fresh brand roster, Chu has a knack for gently coaxing clients into unexpected silhouettes, bolder colors, and new go-to uniforms. This focus on personal service and styling is most certainly a breath of fresh (shopping) air.
The store itself is a mood: 2,200 airy-yet-intimate square feet (the biggest on the block), wrapped in sexy black walls, pale cement floors, and warm shelving. The crown jewel? A mesmerizing black-and-gold-leaf mural with a floral-like design by Bay Area decorative painter Caroline Lizarraga that glows after dark, beckoning to passersby—exactly as Chu intended.
So how exactly did Article come to be? A combo of friendship and fate.
When Betty Lin—herself a Bay Area icon—decided she wanted to move on after more than 25 years in business, Chu was her top pick to take the reins.
Suzanne Chu, owner of the new Sacramento Street boutique, Article(Courtesy of Kevin Kitsuda)
The women met 30 years ago while working in the fashion-jewelry department of Nordstrom in San Francisco Centre. Both impossibly chic top sellers, they became fast friends and “used to be naughty and take lunches together,” Chu laughs.
Long before closing the store, Lin began regularly asking Chu if she would ever consider buying the business and making it her own. Chu always politely declined—at the time, she was VP at Benefit Cosmetics for Sephora and Macy’s, which followed her three-year stint as general manager of Bloomingdale’s in San Francisco. Then, shortly after the store’s liquidation sale at the end of December, Lin called again.
“I just have to ask you one more time before I walk away,” she told Chu. “You’re my most stylish friend. You know retail. You know the business. You love fashion.”
And just like that, Chu said Y-E-S: “Something inside me said I’ve got to do it.”
In short order, she went to work creating Article and officially waved goodbye to Benefit in April. The space already had great bones and didn’t require major renovations. In fact, Chu’s architect husband, Edmond Kuan, helped design Lin’s original store all those years ago.
Artist Caroline Lizarraga did Article's showstopping mural(Courtesy of Kevin Kitsuda)
“It’s definitely a full-circle moment,” says Chu. “We just zhuzhed it up a little, added new curtains and some other elements.” Reaching out to her artist friend Lizarraga was a no-brainer. The two women, along with Kuan, collaborated on the mural’s showstopping design.
Overall, Article’s reception has been a resounding thumbs up, with Lin’s clientele now shopping at Chu’s place. “Betty built this incredibly loyal list,” Chu says. “When her store closed, people compared it to Barney's shuttering. I was like—whoa! That's huge.”
Chu’s current mission is taking care of those devoted clients while also welcoming new ones. “My parents were small business owners,” she says. “Giving back to San Francisco is big for me.”
With Susan In San Francisco and McMullen boutiques just steps away, this block of Sacramento Street is punching well above its fashion weight. See ya in the ring.
// 3625 Sacramento St. (Presidio Heights), articlesf.com
Article on Sacramento Street(Courtesy of Kevin Kitsuda)
