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Arthur Louie

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occupation: co-owner of The Archive in San Francisco, manager, and merchandiser

“I love the hidden details about the clothing I have and that I sell in the store. You may not see it, but I know that it’s there, and that’s why I enjoy wearing it.” Arthur Louie

Arthur was on course to be an optometrist, which makes sense when you hear how deeply he sees through (like x-ray vision) the construction of his clothes. With the perfectionism of an architect, his clothes fit his body like a luxurious glove, whether the “C”-shaped skinny jeans, blazers with the highly accentuated cuts in the arm pit, or the extra-long sleeves on his sweaters. He talks with fervor about the boiled wool lining of his jacket, the raw edges of his pullover, and the excitement of being able to wear something inside out when it’s so well-made. But most daring (and such a great tip) is the magic that happens to the shape and texture of a leather jacket when you throw it in the washing machine. However, Arthur’s prolific, almost museum-worthy boot collection (mostly made up of the sadly defunct Carpe Diem brand, (the white Augusta ones by designer-Simone Cecchetto, former Carpe Diem shoe designer, are a standout!) is for me, what defines him most of all. They are impeccably rugged, and their take on an Eduardian silhouette adds the ideal amount of theater to his skillfully understated and impactfully refined and laid-back wardrobe.

If you like Arthur, you might also enjoy Stephan Jenkins, Geoffrey Young, and Mack Dugan.


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Erika von Petrin

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occupation: vintage clothing and accessories buyer and dealer

“[I'm inspired by] C. Jere brass, Brutalist lighting, La Belle Epoque, Art Deco-era opera coats, skin, fur, feathers, Sandor Marai, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Margiela, the Industrial Revolution, architectural ruins, the Bloomsbury Group, old school hip-hop, Dolly Parton, and really expensive hosiery.” Erika Von Petrin

Erika had me when she said so humbly about her staggeringly enchanting vintage collection, “alittle bit of glamour in a pedestrian life.” She is so on point, genuinely knowledgeable and contemporary while authentic. When Erika goes searching for the current trendy spikey jewelry on Ebay, she ends up with ancient Indian bracelets, unlike anything you have seen. A sensualist to the bone, she collects loads of Miriam Haskell jewelry (the best!), wraps herself casually in an almost edible 70’s bronze dress and in keeping with her uncommonly good taste, wears it with one of her cherished Margiela boots, the black ones with the painted pink toe. Ballet Russe comes to mind, in the rich colors and textures of her coveted multi colored sweater dress, 40’s slavic fez and worthy of worship fur sleeved outer-wear number. Fringe, feathers, opera and cocoon coats, enameled and gilded bags, Erika sniffs out the “gloriously beautiful.” Like an exquisite hand-made piece of porcelain behind glass in a museum, Erika wears only one of a kind and she is one of a kind the way she wears them.

To learn more about Erika, click on the detailed captions page.

If you like Erika, you might also enjoy Ellen Fisher or Tziporah Salamon


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Domonique Echeverria

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occupation: designer, costumer, and couturier

“My favorite thing about fashion is that fashion is a game. Think of the characteristics of a game and think of fashion. You can play pretend, play it real, make a move for cause and effect. It helps you learn as you play along (about yourself, about the past and about the future). And like some games, you must find partners to help you play along.” Domonique Echeverria

Six feet tall, “loud, Latin, and curvy,” Dominique is not afraid to embrace all of her. She is all passion and fearless in all of her incarnations of “Liza-inspired glitz,” whether by using sequins, fringe, and now buttons, exemplified by one of her newly designed all-button bustiers. Not short on a lineage of “hutzpah,” her mother once bought her a fur coat just to piss off PETA, and Dominque feels “she rules the world” in her Erte-inspired ruffled coat. I love her body-conscious floor-length black dress with the Prada pumps that she wears to the grocery store. In it, she is commanding and reminds me of her fascination with the black widow spider (who eats her mate), all “shiny and chic.” Shredded tights are Domonique’s torn jeans and tees, but made even more emboldened by the gypsy tattoo peeking through on her thigh.

To learn more about Domonique, go to the detailed credits page.

If you like Domonique, you might also enjoy Shea Daspin, Nikole Ramirez, or Contessa Stuto.


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Mark Hester

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occupation: lover of life, sex club worker, artist, writer, and mysterious man of your dreams

“Clothes shouldn’t stop you. They should help you, and they should exemplify what you’re going for. They should enhance, they should be what you’re doing constantly, they should be your voice, in a sense. They are. It’s your non-verbal ‘putting everything out there without saying anything.’” Mark Hester

I feel as if I am on an archeological dig uncovering gems who’s voices are not being heard and should be. Mark is a graduate of Georgetown University in sociology (he is “fascinated by others”), is a voracious reader of the classics from an early age (Nietzsche, Proust, Freud, Chekhov, and Bronte), a product of a family who moved a lot and as a result, has lived all over the world, and was free enough to rid himself of all technology for a year and live in a tree house. He looks like a character in a Shakespearean play in his romantic blouses, fur capes, velvet two-piece ensembles, and tights. And he is a Renaissance man in his wide-open curiosity for life. Mark was born on “the day of wonder,” and says that he refuses to live in a defined box. He is as thoughtful at putting himself “out there” in a “non-verbal” way in his style as he is with his words, while remaining completely unpretentious and a genuine class act.

To learn more about Mark, go to the detailed captions page.

If you like Mark, you might also enjoy Houman Farahmand, Terry T., or Marika Wilson.


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Lauren Rassel

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occupation: co-founder and designer of the clothing and accessories line FLAWK

“My favorite spot in my house has always been the junk drawer. Glue, tape, rubber bands, safety pins, staples, you name it I did it. I’ve stapled my finger a million times.” Lauren Rassel

Wonder Woman, Lauren in her executioner-style over-the-knee medical tights, bejeweled with birth control packets and worn with a dress that was a skirt but is now “boned” (looks bullet-proof), made into a halter with a telephone cord and intensified with a fur shrug made from a jacket, is a warrior for turning everything in your junk drawer into couture. I didn’t have an “Invention Convention” in third grade, but I am now wishing I did. Lauren started her spat-making then, the yellow ones made from caution tape to protect from the snow and ones to cover a cast. Either are fair game for Lady GaGa, especially for when she jumps out of the wheel chair to fend off the paparazzi. In her current streak of dominatrix chic, Lauren just whipped up her Bond look out of an old onesie, with the hood made from an old dress from a Christmas dance and and a purse that she never wore. Noble to the core in her effort to reuse and max out resources, while remaining conceptual and artful, what I love is that Lauren is doing it with so much flair. No hippy dippy going green here, for her the big picture is exploring consciousness with fantastical design. Hussein Chaylayn II?

To learn more about Lauren, go to the details captions page.

If you like Lauren, you might also enjoy Alexa Winner, Tiziano Mazzilli, Lauren Edelstein, or Aki Goto.


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