THE SPRING ISSUE
San Francisco International Fashion Film Festival
A low electronic growl. A flicker of light across a black screen. A nude female figure, stark white, writhes in restraints, fading in and out of the darkness. The soundtrack sizzles and pulses, and the images grow choppier. Lightning strikes. Patterns fly across contorted struggling bodies—electric stripes, stark cross-hatching. Luminous purple cloth flutters in slow […]
Onuinu
Dorian Duvall, the artist known as Onuinu (On You, In You), calls his music Disco-Hop, a moniker that obscures as much as it reveals. While the energetic thump of disco and the erratic beats of hip hop are evident in his sound, the songs on Mirror Gazer, his striking debut, can’t really be tied down […]
We Women Warriors
“In Colombia, we are living in a war that is not ours.” This statement by Flor Ilva, one of the subjects of first-time filmmaker Nicole Karsin’s We Women Warriors, captures the striking premise of the documentary. The film manages to condense the multifaceted conflict of Colombia by focusing on the account of three women: Doris, […]
SOMA and TOKYObay Salute Top Mixologists
JON GASPARINI 15 Romolo, Rye, Rosewood, Rye on the Road – San Francisco Designer-turned-serial-restaurateur Jon Gasparini keeps busy. With three bars (15 Romolo, Rosewood, and Rye) and an A-list cocktail catering venture (Rye on the Road), Gasparini also acts as a consultant all over, from local distillers to brands like Jim Beam Global, and […]
Fashion for a Cause
A new collection by Bally Switzerland is always special. The company has been crafting luxury leather goods for more than 160 years and is known the world over for its beautiful designs, distinctive style and exquisite quality. The new Lips for Life capsule collection, however, is extra special. Bally has joined forces with DKMS […]
World of Style
In the search for the freshest in ready-to-wear, fashion has gone global. New designers are sprouting up, and the style-obsessed are taking notice, looking beyond their nearest fashion capital to curate truly international wardrobes. In the full promotion of fashion without borders, SOMA presents three of the most promising international designers. Sofie D’Hoore From […]
Street Pulse: New York City
1. What’s your connection to the fashion world? 2. What’s your most cherished accessory or clothing item? 3. What influences your fashion choices? 4. What do you think is the most fashionable city? 5. Pick one word or phrase to describe your fashion sense. Photos by Jena Cumbo Azra Red 1. Make-up artist 2. […]
Crème Brûlée On The Street
Castro and Market, a corner we San Franciscan’s are well familiar with, has another great reason to stop by. There, in the heart of leather and lace, sits what is becoming a sweet tradition. The Crème Brûlée Cart, with its array of growing flavors brings to life an adult’s fantasy of the ice-cream truck. With […]
The Modern Mark of White Chalk
Offering bespoke and ready-to-wear suiting from NYC’s Nolita neighborhood, White Chalk represents an international view of modern style. The humble shop on Mulberry Street is the brainchild of owner, head-designer and creative director Aaron Black. Black’s philosophy is to embrace traditional techniques, historical details and modern touches in moderation. His expertise lies in sorting through […]
Nicholas Kirkwood Dreams in Color
Award-winning shoe designer Nicholas Kirkwood dreams in color. And if you want to color yourself pink – or blue, yellow, white or red – you must visit his Meatpacking district flagship store. This museum-style store, alive with animated shoes that burst with rich, saturated hues, is a glorious Alice in Wonderland retreat for shoe lovers, […]
Swiss Miss – Akris
Valerie Steele’s new designer bible, Akris, follows the Swiss fashion house from the day of its inception in 1922 to present. Steele, director and chief curator of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, seamlessly bounces between the design points that Akris is known for. Architectural elegance, embroidery, rich fabrics, and high-tech graphics are […]
TOKYObay
San Francisco-based accessory company TOKYObay was born when Dory Isaacs, a British art and fashion design major, met Jun Kobayashi, a bass-guitarist and product enthusiast, as the two were passing through Toronto. Though from eclectic backgrounds and cultures, the two saw in one another what Isaacs calls “a great symmetry of aesthetic choices,” and knew […]
American Beauties
Assouline, publisher of beautiful, heavyweight coffee table books, focuses on the American woman for its latest title. American Beauty celebrates the fashionable spirit of the American woman through a series of stunning portraits. Photographer Claiborne Swanson Frank, a Vogue alumna, creates vignettes—accompanied by text from Genevieve Bahrenburg—for each of her subjects, styling them in their […]
Zaha Hadid & Suprematism
Zaha Hadid is not only the most distinct, successful and influential architect of her generation, she is also among the most intellectual. Her works are often described as fluid, curvilinear and organic, featuring unique lines and shapes and oblique inspirations. In this mesmerizing volume, Hadid’s creative narrative achieves a new level of clarity. Previous […]
Taken By Surprise
Cutting-Edge Collaborations Between Designers, Artists and Brands Over the past decade, designer collaborations have become de rigueur for brands to simultaneously attract attention and outsource innovation. Taken by Surprise does not chronicle how designers became the new celebrities and celebrities became the new designers, but it does offer the most conceptually and visually interesting examples […]
