Where Italian Jewelry Designer meets Eco-chic purses

Right after the Gaultier party,the same weekend, I got to go to a fabulous trunk show my dear friend Sara hosted  at her house (well done baby!). It was for an Italian jewelry designer Giulia Boccafogli and a Bay Area handbag brand - Zansus purses. Common thing for these designers: All their pieces are eco-friendly and all hand made.

Originally an architect, Giulia makes gorgeous jewelry pieces from recycled Italian leather, semi-precious stones & metals in unique shapes and styles. Ruffled leather collar necklaces and fringe leather necklaces are her signature pieces also she makes fab hair pieces, earrings and rings mostly from leather. Giulia's designs are worn by Italian celebrities and recently her work was featured in Vogue magazine in Italy  and I made sure to have the same leather fringe necklace shown on Vogue so that I can show it off on my neck here in San Francisco :) It was a real treat meeting her here (she lives in Italy) and I loved her work so much that definitely visiting Giulia in Italy next time I land there!

And the other wonderful line was Zansus Purses. Eco-minded designer and owners Naz & Sushanta (they are also interior designers)  explained that the materials they use are discards that come from the upholsterers table and before they are placed in the landfills they are turned into fashionable purses with their magic touch of creativity. How cool is that! I definitely made my eco-chic fashion statement by getting one of their beautiful clutches in red & leopard fabric! and can't wait to rock it with my leopard heels :)
Also I look forward to seeing their piece on Discarded to Divine which is a charitable event showcasing the talents of professional and aspiring designers who transform discarded, donated clothing into one-of-a-kind couture creations and exquisite home décor which are auctioned to benefit those overcoming poverty, homelessness and domestic violence.

And some pics from the trunk show! Thanks for the pictures Sushanta!

Giulia Boccafogli jewelry pieces

Zansus purses in different fabrics and in color blockings

Giulia and myself-I am wearing her Erinni necklace

had to pose with my new Zansus purse

and my girls modeling with the pieces they got at the trunk show, Marie, Melissa, Sara, Giulia and myself

Jean Paul Gaultier Exhibit Opening at de Young

The big buzz of last week was the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit opening at de Young museum! OMG (triple that) what a night! A very stylish & creative crowd gathered to celebrate the iconic French couturier's exhibit featuring beyond amazing, unique, edgy, controversial & provocative 140 pieces that he created over the last 40 years. From haute couture to RTW pieces they all make you want to stare at them in awe till you digest and after you get over your admiration (or not) move to the next piece if you can. BTW those mannequins can talk, just brilliant!! I definitely will go back and check out the exhibit couple of more times! 

OK back to the party, what an amazing set up that was! From so delish food (including sushi and ceviche) to crazy shows & band (called Extra Action Marching Band) and a runway with models in his designs, the sexy DJ and the fabulous guests who showed off their style in their most possible creative way!  Wanted to bow! I lived my own fairytale in my gorgeous gorgeous Verrieres & Sako red ball skirt with ruching and topped it with a simple striped tank top and a jean jacket I got years ago from Urban Outfitters. Ohh I didn’t want this special night to end.

JP Gaultier made an appearance to the party with his muse Dita Von Teese. It was a night to remember and the best part was to celebrate and acknowledge this iconic designer while he is still alive! 

It is a must see exhibit if you are in SF! 

Sailors are one of his biggest inspirations and he is crazy for stripes

Calligraphie gown, from Cages haute couture collection fall/winder 2008-2009-time needed to create: 295 hours

famous Madonna cone bra corset he designed for her Blond Ambition Tour in 1990

Strapless velvet dress with cone bra cups, Barbês colletion, Prêt-à-Porter fall/winter 1984-1985

Immaculata gown, Virgins collection, haute couture spring / summer 2007, worn by Kylie Minogue in her "Like a Drug" video

Mermaids are another big inspiration and theme in his collections

Circe ensemble from Buttons haute couture collection, spring/summer 2003, time needed to create 110 hours

 famous perfume bottles he designed

my entourage- with Sara, Enzo & Marie

only for San Francisco

with models wearing JPG

from the Sidewalk to the Catwalk

with designer Daniel Sudar and model, Alex, wearing Daniel's winning design picked by JPG

cool DJ

loved all the graffiti details at the bars and on bartender jackets

with a serious sailor

a stylish guest

Ahead of the Fashion Event

Another fabulous event I got to be a part of in March was Ahead of the Fashion. It is an accelerator program for tech start-ups, fashion and retail industries. It was held at the beautiful Julia Morgan ballroom at the Merchants Exchange building in San Francisco early March. I was part of the Daniel Sudar team, who is a wonderful SF designer mostly known for his unique tailored menswear and recently started his women’s line. His designs were worn by celebrities including James Franco, celebrity chef Art Smith and Lady Gaga’s new restaurant in NYC.  Daniel was one of the presenters of the night and he showed his line to the panelists and got some feedback from these very experienced people that one of his jackets ended up on Kent Deverell (one of the panelists, CEO of Fluid)  because he liked the jacket a lot.

It was a well-organized event with an appearance from the SF mayor, North Face founder Kenneth Klopp and an impressive crowd with panelists including Enrico Beltramini (he is the co-founder of Ahead of Fashion) who used to be a board member of Gucci and some other investors and executives with very strong backgrounds.Fashion presenters were Daniel Sudar, Alphyn Industries, Boditecture and BlacMera.

Some pictures from the event. Photography by Warren Difranco.

Daniel Sudar team and models

Models in Daniel Sudar

Gorgeous couture line from BlacMera

Model in Boditecture - a convertible dress, converts from cocktail dress to a gown