Special Feature: Introducing Chic Fashion Week, Part 2

SW editor Cynthia met with the founder and the event production team behind the up-coming Chic Fashion Week.  This is part two of that interview. If you missed the first part  you can find it here.

Part 2: The Hard Facts of Local Fashion

Once introductions were over, it was time to get down to business.  As I looked at the seven people sitting in front of me I got a deep sense of their earnestness in wanting to bring the local fashion community together. But in a city where so many others have tried, and failed to do just that, is earnestness enough? 

Design Director Megan Heinen/Image: Style Wylde/S. Whittle"How do you plan to avoid the pitfalls that have plagued fashion-weeks past?" 

"There are two things that are really the cornerstones of our strategy." Director of Design, Megan Heinen began. "The first is community and the second is social responsibility, I will talk about community and I'll let Janice talk about social responsibility."

"The community in San Francisco is very strong, there just isn't an epicenter of it all, that is a lot of our philosophy, bringing everyone together." Heinen explained "We want to check our egos at the door. Our goal is bigger than each of us individually. Our goal is to put San Francisco on the fashion map.  To give local designers the credit they deserve globally.  That's why we do this. I am not sure about the past, but I think a lot of it might have been trying to go after it for their individual businesses, that's not what we are doing."

"Surely as the owner of a start-up events production company organizing SF Fashion Week isn't bad for your business?"

"Absolutely not, but that is back burner for us. I just want to see San Francisco have a  fashion week" Heinen explained.

Creative Backstage Director Ava Byrd/Image: Style Wylde/S.Whittle

"We are not just a platform for designers." Creative Back Stage Director Ava Byrd chimed in. "We are also a platform for upcoming artists, stylists, people who are working within the industry, and even students that want to intern, to learn more about the industry, this is the platform, the foundation for them to grow and learn within the industry."

"Bringing it back to the social responsibility aspect of our event..." Said Director of Operations Janice Bailon. "Something that has been missing from past Fashion Week events is something that we as San Franciscans are really good at, being atuned to the needs of other people." Bailon paused before continuing. "So with that in mind, we brought in Until There's A Cure, they will be one of our official benefactors." 

 Is there another charity involved with Chic Fashion Week?" 

Director of Operations, Janice Bailon/Image: Style Wylde/S.Whittle"A portion of our profits will also go to inner-city high risk youth that Mario has been so kind to train at his school." Bailon continued. "So there are a lot of great aspects to this event. We are a city of art innovation, of social responsibility and technology, why aren't we recognized for what we do, and the fashion we exhibit." 

Speaking of San Francisco style, where are you at with designers, can you let us in on who will be showing during Chic Fashion Week?

"Our official designer call will be on July 7th at Sapient Studios at 880 Harrison." Heinen answered.  "Right now we do have 6 designers that are set as our base, but since we want to go at it in the most democratic way possible, I am emailing designers as soon as I hear about them, to give them a chance to be at our designer call." Heinen smiled. "I think I've e-mailed 70 designers so far! In the end we probably won't go over 24 designers total, but I want to give everyone the opportunity to be at the open designer call."

Can you let us know who the already chosen six designers are?

"I think we will wait until after we relaunch our website to make that announcement." Said Heinen.

(Editor's note: Although during the interview organizers were reluctant to name the six official designers on the Chic Fashion Week roster, a source close to the group later confirmed the designers as Alexandria Von Brommsen, Danielle Pettee, Magdalena Trever, Invisible Hero Industries, Tosca Soroya, Steve Oo, and Swati Couture.)

What do designers who wish to participate in Chic Fashion Week need to show to you, to be included?

"There are many things we are looking for..." Said founder Mario Benton who up until this point had been noticeably quiet. "We are looking for very couture, very avant-garde designs.  We really want this to be a high-fashion, high-end show, especially for the Couture night, which will be on Saturday, with Sunday being the Emerging Designer Show."

Just for clarification, what level do the designers need to be at to participate in the show? What will you be looking for design-wise, or as far as construction? Do they need to have an entire collection finished?

 "We aren't going to be judging them. We don't want to stifle their creativity. We want to express the way the different designers produce style."  Said Heinen.   "That being said, we will have them come into the designer call with sketches or  pieces from their line, so that we can see what it will look like on stage. We aren't going to be the ones to decide what is stylish or what isn't, but  we do want  to make Chic Fashion Week to represent San Francisco Fashion, the best we can."

As we wrapped up the formal Q&A I turned again to founder Mario Benton and inquired about his school, Mario B's Productions, which will be one of the benefactors of Chic Fashion Week.  He began to tell me about the kids he works with on a daily basis, who so desperately need to build self esteem, and confidence as they head out into the world.  As he spoke, his entire face lit up like a proud father and again it was clear that his true motivation was all about the kids in the community. As I walked back out the front door of Pigment Cosmetics, and on to Market Street I found myself thinking even if the event doesn't achieve the lofty goal of "making San Francisco a fashion center beyond the likes of Los Angeles, Tokyo, Milan, London, Paris and New York" as stated on Heinen and Bailon's  Leather and Lace Events website, Chic Fashion Week is bound to make a positive impact on those kids who participate, and that in itself is a worthy cause.

Chic Fashion Week is scheduled to take place August 1st to August 8th, 2010. For more information visit the official event  website.