Coming Up - Gen Art Fresh Faces in Fashion Show

Gen Art's biggest fashion event, Fresh Faces in Fashion, returns to San Francisco on Thursday, October 30th. The group's anchor event has been a showcase for some of fashion's biggest emerging talent - Zac Posen, Philip Lim and Rebecca Taylor have all shown their designs on the GenArt runway. This year's event features cutting-edge Womenswear, Menswear and Accessories designers who will have the opportunity to showcase their work on a 60-foot runway in front of key industry people. This promised to be a fashion-packed night with a VIP reception and an after-party with live music to celebrate the fashion ingenues.

The event is at the Regency Center at 1300 Van Ness @ Sutter and starts at 7pm with a runway show at 8:30. Advance tickets are no longer available on the web site, but can be purchased at the door in cash for $50. For more information on the event and other GenArt programs click here.

Appel & Frank Eco-Chic Shopping Event This Thursday

Don't miss a chance to shop with friends, sip wine, and get a complimentary makeover at the Eco-Chic Shopping Event on Thursday, October 23rd from 5-9pm at the Regency Center. Over 65 eco-friendly designers will be there with their stylish goods and a portion of the ticket sales will go to Friends of the Urban Forest. Tickets are $10 per person at the door or 2 for $15 if you purchase online. And the first 300 guests receive a reusable goodie bag filled with all kinds of eco-friendly products. For tickets and more information click here

Capsule Design Takes Over Hayes Valley

On a brisk and cold Sunday in San Francisco I decided to check out the Capsule Design Festival in Hayes Valley Park. Capsule puts on a number of design happenings throughout the year, but the autumn event spanned the length of almost five blocks and included fashion, jewelry and handbag designers plus a variety of other artists selling their handmade crafts. And with DJ's spinning music all day long, shoppers and design enthusiasts bundled up and came out in droves. It doesn't hurt that Hayes Valley is also the center of some of the most innovative boutiques in the city.

My favorites were from local jewelry designer Colleen Mauer and the fabulous wool coats from De Novo, designed by Elizabeth Holliday. Given the type of day we were having, I gravitated straight into the coat rack. Her coats are made of the most plushy warm fabrics from Europe that she gets through designer overstock. So you could be wearing the same wool as Burberry, but have a coat that is designed and manufactured in the Bay Area. If you're looking for a classic statement piece with a modern edge check out the De Novo collection.

Colleen Mauer's collection of delicate chain necklaces and stacked metal rings had an elegant simplicity and refinement that stood out among some of the more outlandish designs at the festival. Colleen spent a great deal of time traveling before she ventured out on her own with the business and it's clear that her travels gave her a broad scope of vision. If you missed her at the festival, her designs are sold in San Francisco at The Mission Statement, Secession Art and Design and The Chrissy Bee.

It must be getting close to the holidays because there is yet another eco-centric shopping event coming up this Thursday. Appel & Frank host an Eco-Chic Shopping Event at the Regency Center from 5-9PM at 1270 Sutter Street.

The Eco-Fashion Epicenter of San Francisco

Welcome to the blog spot for The Innovative Fashion Council! We are a not for profit fashion trade organization in San Francisco dedicated to promoting sustainability and environmental awareness in fashion design. Our mission is to bring together like-minded designers and to create a fashion district in the center of San Francisco dedicated to eco-fashion. Call us the "slow food of fashion" if you like. Just don't call us boring. Our goal is to show you that sustainable fashion is not only chic, but also more meaningful than what you'd find in a mainstream store.

In addition to attending our monthly networking events, IFCSF supporters can connect via our Facebook page or at local events posted on this blog. We'll also be posting interviews with local San Francisco designers and information on who's doing what and where. As our group expands, so will this blog. We'd love to hear from you, even if you are based outside of the San Francisco Bay Area. And if you travel to faraway places let us know what's happening in those communities. It's time for San Francisco to take its place in the industry as a center for sustainable fashion.