Fashionably white: front row fashion show guests await the start of Snow 2012, hosted by the San Francisco Bay Area Fashion Network. All photography by Edric Itchon.

Copy as seen in the San Francisco Chronicle
Sunday, February 5, 2012

By Nerissa Pacio Itchon

Never mind the old-fashioned advice against wearing weight-adding white on camera. At the third annual Snow event, hosted by the San Francisco Bay Area Fashion Network, droves of picture-happy partygoers eagerly posing in head-to-toe white were as much a part of the entertainment as the white-themed fashion show.

Held at the unlikely venue of a SoMa auto-repair garage that was transformed into an industrial-chic catwalk Jan. 28, the evening drew about 250 guests dressed in everything from slinky gowns and feathered spectator hats to cheeky flight suits and fur chubbies.

“People are really getting into the white idea this year,” said Joseph Domingo, founding director of the trade and events group, whose mission is to connect members of the local fashion industry.

“The first year when we started this, people were asking me, ‘How can we ever find all-white outfits in wintertime?’ I said ‘You can find it anywhere – besides, it’s all on sale in January!’ “

Joseph Domingo's pleated A-line dress moved beautifully down the makeshift runway. Photography by Edric Itchon.

The 30-minute fashion show, produced by a crew of about 100 volunteers, featured six local designers and a range of aesthetics and skill levels. The lineup included veterans Cari Borja, Julie Schindler and Domingo, as well as emerging designers Violetta Vieux, Cana Klebanoff and Herbert Williamson.

Vieux, a native of Moldova who studied fashion in Paris, opened the presentation with three expertly constructed wedding gowns that converted into frothy cocktail dresses intended for the reception.

“This collection was inspired by snow before I even knew I was going to participate in Snow,” said Vieux backstage while working on last-minute fittings on her models.

“You can see my design of the snowflakes, flowers, feathers, all the organza, the ruffles, the icy rhinestones, and the skirts, which look like an avalanche.”

Violetta Vieux's convertible wedding gowns go from full-length to short in an instant. Photography by Edric Itchon.

Klebanoff, a student at City College of San Francisco who has worked as an intern for Domingo, kept things fresh with his G.I. Joe-meets-1970s-inspired menswear collection. Basic jersey T-shirts and turtlenecks paired well with trim, structured suits in white cotton twill and linen.

Recent Chicago transplant Herbert Williamson showed a somewhat disjointed collection of pencil skirts, voluminous blouses and an overworked evening gown that looked something like a bikini top attached to a ruffled column skirt.

Backstage at the Snow Fashion Event 2012.

Schindler, who began her career in the late 1980s designing coats at wholesale for stores such as I. Magnin, did what she said she knows best: outerwear. While the concept of her shiny, full-length jacket went awry with its quilted lab coat effect, Schindler also delivered more wearable pieces, such as structured overcoats in creamy white with bold, oversize collars and buttons.

Borja and Domingo were the clear anchors for the night. Borja delighted the crowd with a breezy loungewear collection in organic cotton, linen and tulle that she dubbed “boudoir to the beach.”

Her crinkled linen men’s pieces, her first foray into menswear, were sent down the makeshift runway in striptease fashion, to the crowd’s sheer delight.

A breezy resort-inspired menswear look by local designer Cari Borja. Photography by Edric Itchon.

“All of the pieces flow, they all move, which is how my collections always are,” said Borja. “It’s really for anyone who goes to the beach. I love the idea of being in New York in the midst of winter and flying down to a dreamy beach house in Jamaica.”

Domingo punctuated the event with an impressive seven-piece collection of meticulously constructed eveningwear, styled with piles of statement jewelry by local designer Saeia.

Domingo preps models backstage before the show.

An icy, sequined, long-sleeved backless gown seemed ideal for a wintry opening night at the Ballet, while a flutter-sleeve lace minidress epitomized the freshness of spring.

Joseph Domingo's shimmering, key-hole back gown, ideal for opening night at the Ballet. Photography by Edric Itchon.

“There are more restrictions designing in white because white can be very flat,” said Domingo, who was celebrating with a drink at the after-party. “The challenge is you have to add texture, jewels, details, flow and movement.”

Nerissa Pacio Itchon is a freelance writer. style@sfchronicle.com

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One of the amazing pieces produced during the four-week Arts of Fashion Summer MasterClass in Paris. The women's wear incorporated intricate pleating techniques that students learned from working under master pleat-maker Gerard Lognon.

Earlier this week I wrote about the Arts of Fashion’s 10th Anniversary Symposium at the San Francisco Art Institute and the winners of the international student design competition. I was so inspired by the creativity and high level of craftsmanship, achieved in a short amount of time, I had to bring you more photos I took of the exhibitions.

The set up reminded me a lot of the Hyeres International Fashion and Photography Festival in the South of France, where each emerging designer had on display their portfolios, including mini “mood boards” and original sketches, alongside the final pieces. Seeing the story of the work is often as intriguing for me as seeing the work itself. It gives me the chance to get inside a designer’s head for that brief moment and make the connection between the original inspirations and the final outcomes. The clothes ranged from beautiful and commercially sellable to odd wearable art—and everything in between.

With the sheer number of new beauty products that land on my desk at Sephora each day, something has to have that total wow factor to get me excited enough to blog about it. There are plenty of new products, and plenty of very good new products. But then there are those rare products that I fall in love with, obsess over, and must share with everyone I know.

L’Oreal Professional’s new Mythic Oil is one of those amazing newcomers—and it’s not even sold at Sephora (though I really wish it was!). I first discovered it covering backstage beauty in September at the Jenny Packham show during New York Fashion Week and have been using it daily ever since.

Today’s shift in weather reminds me that rainy season is on the way, making it the perfect time to stock up on this beauty wonder. Unlike other leave-in treatments that weigh down my hair, this lightweight blend of grape seed and avocado oils absorbs instantly—even on my fine, color-processed locks.

Use it on damp hair before a blow-dry to condition and prep your style, or smooth one to two pumps onto dry hair, concentrating on the ends, for instant moisture, frizz control and shine. The bonus?  Its delicious scent that’s refreshingly fruity and floral without being overly cloying. Get it on Amazon or salons that carry the L’Oreal Professionel line.

Designs by Xiaotian Zhang (Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology), winner of the Arts of Fashion Paris summer MasterClass award. Photo by Margo Moritz.

Held for the first time at the San Francisco Art Institute, the picturesque campus served as the ideal backdrop for a weekend of inspired creativity. The two-day event  featured fashion lectures by designers, educators, and industry experts—including the CFDA’s  Steven Kolb and Arts of Fashion founder Nathalie Doucet—along with fashion exhibitions by emerging designers.

Designs by Maxime Rappaz (Haute Ecole d'Art et de Design – Geneva), winner of the 2011 Arts of Fashion Anne Valerie Hash Award. Photo by Margo Moritz.

The main exhibit, held outdoors in the school’s Spanish courtyard, displayed 24 men’s and women’s wear silhouettes produced by students who participated in the four-week Arts of Fashion Summer MasterClass in Paris. The women’s wear pieces, first shown last summer at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, incorporated intricate pleating techniques that students learned from working under master pleat-maker Gerard Lognon. As a third-generation pleat-maker, Lognon has worked with Hermes—for the Plisse scarf collection—as well as couture houses such as Dior and Chanel.

Designs by Jo Eun A (Daegu University), winner of the 2011 Arts of Fashion Paris summer MasterClass Award. Photo by Margo Moritz.

Also exhibited were the 60 primarily avant-garde works entered in the non-profit’s annual international design competition, which encourages new designers to innovate and push conventional boundaries of fashion. Winners of this year’s contest, for which students created original designs with the guiding theme of “tension,” receive internships at renowned fashion design houses in the U.S., France, and India for four weeks to four months.

Designs by Alicia Declerck (Polimoda / Firenze), winner of the Manish Arora Award. Photo by Margo Moritz.

Announced at the awards ceremony on Sunday were this year’s winners. The list below includes their respective schools and awards:

• Elizabeth Barbaro  (Whitehouse Institute of Design / Sydney) – AoF Paris summer MasterClass
• Alicia Declerck  (Polimoda / Firenze) – Manish Arora Award
• Jo Eun A  (Daegu University) – AoF Paris summer MasterClass
• Miranda Kaloudis  (Inst. Fashion-Design – Basel) – Nice Collective Award
• Pavla Podsednikova  (Academy of Arts, Arch. & Design – Prague) – Jerome Dreyfuss Award
• Maxime Rappaz (Haute Ecole d’Art et de Design – Geneva) – Anne Valerie Hash Award
• Xiaotian Zhang (Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology) – AoF Paris summer MasterClass

Designs by Elizabeth Barbaro (Whitehouse Institute of Design / Sydney), winner of the 2011 Arts of Fashion Paris summer MasterClass Award. Photo by Margo Moritz.

Shoe design by Pavla Podsednikova (Academy of Arts, Arch. & Design – Prague), winner of the Jerome Dreyfuss Award . Photo by Margo Moritz.

Top from Charlotte Ronson Spring 2012 collection: Ultra-feminine and all about the details. Photography by Edric Itchon.

While London-born designer Charlotte Ronson has climbed the fashion rank for several years, with major collaborations with Sephora and Uniqlo pushing the brand out into the mainstream as of late, Ronson still manages to maintain that authentic indie vibe that suits San Francisco’s never-too-done aesthetic.

Sexy and sweet: denim print dress with peek-a-boo side cutouts from Charlotte Ronson's Spring 2012 collection.

Nevermind Ronson’s glossy connections as an NYC “It girl,” her infamous twin sister/DJ/singer dated Lindsay Lohan, and her older brother, who’s a famous Grammy-award-winning record producer. The clothes, fresh and feminine season after season, speak for themselves.

On Saturday, Azalea hosted an informal trunk show featuring the Charlotte Ronson spring/summer ’12 collection, allowing fashion followers to pre-order key pieces. Roomy cargo coats, colored denim and chunky cableknit pullover sweaters, reminiscent of pieces from her Uniqlo capsule collection, were shown for fall alongside lacey peek-a-boo and print pieces characterstic of her sexy, Victorian-meets-bohemian point of view. Look for the collection to start rolling out at Azalea in Hayes Valley by mid-November.

Bruno Mars at the Orpheum Theatre (Photography by Edric Itchon)

Bringing San Francisco’s fashion forces to their feet on Friday night at the Orpheum Theater, musician Bruno Mars headlined Macy’s annual Passport Presents Glamorama, the annual HIV/AIDS fundraising event that tours four cities across the country in September.

Mars dressed in his signature Bebop style.

In 2011, Macy’s, through Passport and other programs, will donate almost $1 million to HIV/AIDS organizations, according to Laura Gardner Smith, Macy’s Northwest media relations manager.

Mars performed three numbers backed by his energetic band, delivering with his effervescent personality and  short—but sweet—set that included hits  “Grenade,” “Runaway Baby,” and “Just the Way You Are.”

Far East Movement doing press before the show begins in the green room.

Far East Movement opened for Mars earlier in the evening, holding their own onstage with hits “Rocketeer” and crowd-pumping “Like a G6,” their Billboard Chart’s topping dance single that made them the first Asian-American band with a number one song in the country.

Far East Movement on stage on Friday at the Orpheum.

Shifting  in the direction of a variety show and concert in recent years, rather than the runway presentation formerly held at the Fort Mason Center, this year’s Passport still included a healthy dose of fall fashion.

In between song and dance numbers, as well as a tribute delivered by former model Kathy Ireland, in honor of the late Passport founding chairperson Elizabeth Taylor, models paraded across the stage in designer-focused segments.

Cute and tiny ballroom dancers

Former model Kathy Ireland

Winter white coat by Calvin Klein.

Trim men's suit by Calvin Klein.

Armani, Kenneth Cole, Rachel Rachel Roy, Tracy Reese, Calvin Klein, and Macy’s own private contemporary label Bar III were some of the featured collections, with the annual men’s underwear portion—featuring buffed-out, half-dressed models—inspiring high-decibel squeals and shouts of approval.

A collegiate Americana look by Tommy Girl (Tommy Hilfiger).

Channeling '70s retro with a printed maxi dress by Tracy Reese.

Pops of color by Rachel Rachel Roy.

Faux fur remains strong for fall in this boho chic look by Rachel Rachel Roy.

A casual weekend look by Kenneth Cole Reaction.

Tweed, leather, and lace looks from Macy's Impulse contemporary department.

]]> http://nerissasnotebook.com/2011/10/03/macys-passport-2011-bruno-mars-far-east-movement-and-fall-fashion/feed/ 1 Nerissa IMG_1778 IMG_1833 IMG_1789 IMG_0330 IMG_1110 IMG_0651 IMG_0925 IMG_0376 IMG_1587 IMG_1571 IMG_0720 IMG_1714 IMG_1545 IMG_1504 IMG_1409 IMG_0773 http://nerissasnotebook.com/2011/09/26/why-alexa-chungs-capsule-collection-for-madewell-should-be-called-things-i-like-to-wear-by-alexa-chung/ http://nerissasnotebook.com/2011/09/26/why-alexa-chungs-capsule-collection-for-madewell-should-be-called-things-i-like-to-wear-by-alexa-chung/#comments Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:00:31 +0000 Nerissa Pacio Itchon http://nerissasnotebook.com/?p=1100 Continue reading →]]> It’s always a curiosity meeting celebrities, especially ones you’ve already formed opinions of well before you’ve ever actually ever seen them in person or talked to them. I get a huge kick out of times when I expect someone to be one way, and they turn out to be completely another. Meeting stylesetter Alexa Chung  at Madewell on Thursday night was sort of in that “didn’t expect that” category.

Former MTV host, model, and designer/it girl Alexa Chung at Madewell in San Francisco. Photo by Michelle Drewes.

In town for a personal appearance, on a national tour,  to fete the launch of her sophomore capsule collection for the prep-meets-indie-hipster retailer, the 27-year-old model/host/designer/it girl surprised me with her quirky personality (at one point she was doing the Charleston in between signing autographs) and her rather relaxed attitude (she’s a New York transplant but didn’t seem the least bit rushed even as crowds were hovering during our couch interview).

Lines forming outside the store an hour before Alexa Chung's personal apperance at the Westfield San Francisco Centre Thursday night.

It turned out to be a fruitful evening: I managed to snag one of her silk polka dot ’70s-inspired blouses before my size got picked over by the masses. And I squeezed in a few fun questions about Chung’s style inspirations, her latest designs for Madewell, and her cameo at New York Fashion Week.

I snagged the silk polka dot blouse (paired with the pink cord shorts) on the right.

I’m still anxiously waiting on the brand’s online restock of the coveted leopard calf booties, which she was sporting that night, but until now they’re sold out pretty much everywhere and can only be found at twice the retail price on, where else but…eBay!

The high-waisted flare denim trousers, still on-trend for fall, were flying off the shelves that night.

Here’s a snippet of my Q&A with Alexa. The rest you’ll find on sfgate this Sunday.
Q: When’s the last time you were in SF?

A: I’ve never been here. Hey, I’m English! And unfortunately I leave at 4 am tomorrow morning.

Q: How do you think  this collection has evolved from the first one you did for Madewell last fall?

A: There are more items in it. From the experience of designing the first one, it was just an easier process the second time around. I knew the design team so well. It seemed like I could refer to things. I knew the names of things like a placket and fagoting. It was easier when I knew how to sketch things.

It’s also a little bit more mature. Last time it was more playful ’60s dresses with Peter Pan collars. This time I looked at the Madewell collection and saw what they were doing for themselves. It was business meets ’70s, with a relaxed vibe and things you might wear to work. So some of the silk striped shirts is kind of a Wall Street thing. And then things that are a bit more practical.

Q: Sounds like you had a big hand in designing the collection?

A: I designed the collection. I draw a lot. The image I drew on the “I’m serious” t-shirt was something I sketched. Obviously I don’t pattern cut. Kim the head designer helped me with that. But all the ideas were my own.

Q: Speaking of ideas, where do you draw your inspiration from?

A: I don’t know. There are just things that I like. Like the palm tree pajamas, which showed up in a dream. I like to zone out and daydream and imagine things that I’d like to exist.  …Other things are designed for women that I find brilliant, like Jean Shrimpton in the ’60s. I made that plaid Macintosh coat with the round collar because I imagined she might wear it back in the day. So yah, it’s quite sporadic. It’s a collage of ideas as opposed to one cohesive thing. When you analyze it, there’s no set era. It’s just “things I like to wear, by Alexa Chung.”

Q: Do you think you’ll create your own line one day?

A: I’d love to! Like I said, the designs are my own. But I relied very much on the team at Madewell to be able to realize them. So I’m not yet adept enough at design to totally do my own thing. I think this has been a wonderful learning experience.

Q: What was your favorite show at New York Fashion Week?

A: Unfortunately I only got out to one show because I was filming constantly that whole week. I got to see Proenza and it was brilliant. It was stunning. I really love those boys. They’re really really clever.

Q: What’s on your fall fashion wish list?

A: A Philosophy mohair, ’50s swing coat, which is so beautiful. Stella McCartney has a polka dot skirt that’s really really wonderful too.

Alexa being photographed with longtime friend and DJ Tennessee Thomas.

Q: What are you wearing right now?

A: Everything is from the collection. My friend Harley had a blouse. So I call this the Harley dress. The Bin Man coat. And the mohair boots. I’m most proud of these. They are exactly the way my drawing looked and I sort of guestimated the heel height that would be perfect for walking. They also come in black calf and sliver, which were also my favorite, but I didn’t get them and now they’ve already sold out!

Chung's animal-print booties, which I'm still searching for online.

Manhattan’s Lincoln Center Plaza was a veritable feast for the eyes throughout New York Fashion Week with stylish guests, who were busy on their smart phones or hailing cabs, dressed in bright pops of color and playful prints. Even in the unseasonably hot fall weather, a gaggle of industrious fashion bloggers—cameras in tow—lingered each day outside the theater awaiting the sartorial parade to begin.

Erin Gee, 27, Vancouver, and Niki Blasina, 26, Vancouver.

For the rest of this post, and more street style photos, click here.

Lashfully Lounge in Cow Hollow district, SF. Photo courtesy of Lashfully

Nerissa Pacio Itchon, Special to The Chronicle

 
Call it the Kim Kardashian effect.

National mascara sales are on the upswing; salons specializing in lash extensions are hitting critical mass; doctor’s offices and cosmetics companies are finding big business in lash growth serums; and semi-permanent mascaras are picking up steam, proving that women are willing to try almost anything to achieve the lush, defined, cheek-grazing lashes that the reality TV stars have helped usher in as the beauty standard for the Tinseltown set.

“It all started with the media and celebrities endorsing prescription Latisse,” says Liv Contreras, a veteran licensed aesthetician and co-owner of Lashfully beauty lounge in the Cow Hollow district. “Then the Kardashians were the ones to really bling out lashes, making strip lashes, extensions and the whole lash trend even more popular.”

As Hollywood-averse as San Franciscans may seem, city dwellers have been quick to jump on the lash bandwagon. Lashfully, which Contreras opened almost 10 months ago with former client Matana LePlae, is one of at least a dozen lash-centric salons that have popped up recently in San Francisco, feeding the growing demand for lash enhancements.

Since the opening of Lash Lab nearly two years ago, bookings at the Cow Hollow salon have doubled to an average of eight to 10 clients per day, says 31-year-old owner Judy Anderson. Her team of five full-time licensed aestheticians focuses solely on lash extensions, and appointments fill up nearly four weeks in advance.

Although lash extensions have been around for decades, the service is starting to go mainstream with increasingly more options available. For women willing to spend the time and the money, it remains a popular, if not a downright luxurious, service.

When done properly, the painstaking process requires a licensed aesthetician to use precision-point needle tweezers and medical-grade glue to attach synthetic, animal or real human hair extensions to each lash. Devotees say the results are worth it.

“I love getting a look I can’t get by simply using mascara,” says Elena Greco, director of brand relations at San Francisco-based online beauty community Beautylish, who visits a salon for lash extensions every two to three weeks. “Also, I like the option of waking up and walking out the door without having to apply eye makeup.”

To read the rest of this story, go to the Sunday Style section on sfgate.com.