Local fashion heats up in August with a myriad of events

Alexandria Von Bromssen's dramatic presentation highlighted SF Fashion Week 2010/Image: S. Whittle for Style Wylde

Typically in August the entire US fashion industry goes into major prep mode for the event of the season, September's Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week where established and emerging designers from all over the country converge to showcase their Spring/Summer collections.  However, here in San Francisco where local designers and event promoters have always marched to their own beat, August itself  is the big month for shows, presentations and club-hosted parties. This year, the local-fashion August event line-up includes:

San Francisco Fashion Week August 8-14

Of all the various organizations that have attempted to throw a formal week-long showcase featuring local designers over the years, the San Francisco Fashion and Merchants Alliance (known locally as SF FAMA) appears to be one group that has a strong chance of making it happen.  The most frequent hosts of local events, including Pret-a-Porter, Fashion Feud, and The San Francisco Fashion Awards, SF FAMA has survived many roadblocks and setbacks including the contentious 2010 season when gossip, in-fighting, and widespread hostility threatened to undu the entire local industry, to comeback with more members and more sponsors than ever before.  This year the group builds on its 2010 Fashion Weekend event with multiple days of meet-ups, workshops and shows. Tickets for each night are available via Event Brite, with full descriptions and designer line-ups listed on the official event page.

Project Ethos at Supper Club August 11

What do Fredericks of Hollywood, recycling, and charitable giving have in common? Project Ethos, the self-proclaimed "fashion, music and art red-carpet event" producers will bring all three together at Supper Club on August 11th for their second San Francisco based event. As with the previous Project Ethos events, including the first in San Francisco earlier this Spring, the August offering will include a plethora  multi-media events including a Fredericks of Hollywood fashion show, a mini-on-site art gallery, live music performances and a live on stage fashion competition where local designers will upcycle discarded pieces into one-of-a-kind creations (similar to what is done at Discarded to Divine.) Tickets run $15-$40 via WANTTICKETS with $1 from every ticket sold going to the non-profit organization NEST, which "empowers female artists around the world through interest free loans, mentoring from established artists and designers as well as providing a market to sell their crafts, successfully moving women from poverty to self-sufficiency."

Marshall Nash Label Launch Party August 13

Oakland based Marshall Nash, helmed by local designer JaEvon Marshall, will debut its first ever available to the public collection at Evarize Fashion Cafe and Sewing Center in Berkeley. Event begins at 6pm; $5 cover at the door gets you access to the 2011 collection plus complimentary sips and nibbles.  For more information and images of the collection visit  the official Marshall Nash site.

 

The Collection, hosted by San Francisco Bay Area Fashion Network August 27th

A recently formed  trade association that includes some of the local area's more prominent designers including Joseph Domingo and Daniel Sudar, as well as founders of Black Halo productions, The San Francisco Bay Area Fashion Network  has already had success with last January's SNOW fashion presentation.  The latest event organized by the group is The Collection a "one-of-a-kind fashion show[that] will bring together three locally renowned San Francisco designers paired with top San Francisco Bay Area models, in three separate runway shows, one at 4pm, one at 6pm and one at 8pm." Designers set to participate are Joseph Domingo, Daniel  Sudar and Acta Non Verba.  Tickets are currently on sale for $25-$60 per designer showcase or $150 for an all day pass.  For more information visit the official SFBAFN site listed above.

J-Pop Festival San Francisco, August 27th and 28th

New People World and the Japan Town Merchants Association host this year's J POP Festival, a Pop-themed street fair that brings Japanese fashion, art and culture to the Bay Area. This year's event included a one-of-a-kind  runway show by famed Japanese designer h.naoto that will feature local models, stylists and make-up artists. For more information, or to volunteer as a model send an e-mail to hnaoto@newpeoplesf.com. 

Comments

[Samatha @ DKNY 2 button suits]

I thought Spring/ Summer collections are showcased on the month of August. Thank you for informing me that it's held on September. Good luck for this year's Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week!