StyleLikeU » San Francisco

Liz Baca

'Funminitemi Oluwadare — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 17:27:01 +0000

Liz has an inner radiance that is echoed in her beloved happy face Moschino bag. She says of dressing in her different fashion personalities, “I am still in touch with what I was doing as a child… it makes me smile and it makes me different than you.” She can transform from what she calls a “sophisti-clown” in a purple gauzy jumper and spray paint can cap necklace to Parisian demure in a sheer white ruffled blouse, Chanel trousers and ’40s platforms in the blink of an eye and own it. Her obsession with multifaceted genres makes her as comfortable in ’80s art teacher’s pattern-on-patterns with a Joan and David saddle shoe as she is in a classic three-piece suit with wide-leg trousers.

Clothing is art for Liz, who is the product of a long line of antique dealers and vintage collectors, including her grandmother, who worked for the Salvation Army. “By dipping into history, you are predicting the future,” Liz says. Everything she wears could be hung on a wall, like the embellished Mickey Mouse sweatshirt that she sewed sequins on, a la Dolce & Gabbana and her ’50s Red Line Levi’s. I love the hint of colorful graffiti street influence from her Bay Area hometown that emerges when she adds a neon Chanel bag to a Disney motif and the original boyfriend jean. She has “always been attracted to items that are marketed towards the advanced.” History does not repeat itself as much as it is the basis for evolution when interpreted by the ones who get it and wear it as if it was better than brand new, like Liz does. “I am not trying to rush towards growing older, but I do welcome it with open arms… full of Bakelite bangles.”

Check out the online magazine that Liz co-founded.

If you love Liz, you may also like Lindsey Caldwell, CC McGurr and Shail Upadhya.

Ali Lovell

'Funminitemi Oluwadare — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 22:28:17 +0000

Ali loves Doris Day, Auntie Mame, Judy Garland, jazz, being alone, watching the History Channel and wearing Aerosoles to the Goodwill so she can hunt with a fervor for vintage finds. She’s a beautiful, stylish nerd who wants to be a wedding planner for gay couples because she lives for the romance in life. Although I am convinced that she should be on the stage, Ali doesn’t need one because she is so immersed within her own imagination – life is her stage. “The best thing in the entire world is when you see someone walking down the street, and you see the wind blowing in their hair just the right way, and suddenly, it’s a scene, and it’s so perfect.” Ali’s a showstopper in a red and black plaid prom dress, Ralph Lauren style. But what makes it so outstanding is the way she poufs it up with crinolines, throws a leopard hooded cape over it and adds extra detail with a random piece of black lace over her shoulder.

Great taste is in Ali’s genes – her mom’s hand-me-downs include a custom Commes des Garcons plaid twisted skirt that Ali wears as a tunic and a sequined rabbit fur trim jacket that Ali wears over a vintage bathing suit. When she wears it, she pictures herself being “really pretentious, at the beach and reading a FDR biography.” The truth is that Ali is as unaffected as they come. She is as much her charming, real self in jeans, Cole Haan loafers and a big sweater as she is in her grandmother’s beaver fur hat, “running through the train station. You find your love in this hat,” she says. Knowing Ali, she’d be running in her beloved $9 Ross pumps. She thinks she’s not an original, but she is.

If you love Ali, you may also like Sophia Lamar, Rachel Lena Esterline and Miao Ran.

Dana Suchow

'Funminitemi Oluwadare — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:23:43 +0000

Dana told me that a lot of people tell her she comes off as a very strong person and can be intimidating to people. I look at it like she knows herself well, so I am fascinated by her resolute point of view. It is bold, but in the most comfort-in-your-skin appealing way. Her confidence in a vintage kaftan and gold wedges, when the world considers the best dressed to be the same bland variation of a factory made mini dress and black ankle booties, is what makes Dana stand out. She is not a “dress” girl, but likes to “wear the pants.” Dana does so often, with a pair of black palazzos, that everyone should own. They are so classically cool. She wears them with assurance in suspenders and a big floppy hat, a la Diane Keaton, one of her idols. I love Dana’s black leather high waisted shorts that stand in for the customary “dress” as well. Along the lines of confidence, I admire the unpretentious honesty with which she wears Talbots and even Jessica Simpson accessories, making them look ultra refined, as she is. Dana seems to have zero regard for the jungle of trends and labels. Instead, she freely wears what she loves most, alot of which is from her mom’s closet of ’70′s and ’80′s and her actual equestrian riding jacket. Whether her drop dead mane of hair is swept up into a bun with a black one-piece or wild and loose with a colorful printed jumper, this is a girl who gets clean and sophisticated. Dana is self assured, which can be threatening.

If you like Dana, you may also enjoy Christina Mannatt, Kimmie Aaberg and Karen Blanchard.

Jeffrey Ying

'Funminitemi Oluwadare — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 22:15:22 +0000

For all of the SLU viewers who are passionate about the intellectual and historical context of dressing, Jeffrey is your guy. I am passionate about the past and authenticity, but I will mix that in the most random, uninformed, impulsive and torn up kind of way, which Jeffrey would never be caught dead doing. It doesn’t get chicer than Jeffrey in his custom Mao suit, that is identical to the one worn by the Chinese populous from the ’50′s through ’70′s. He says that he has “always been attracted to the notion of uniforms because it surpresses the identity of people.” Ironically, when worn not en masse, it heightens Jeffrey’s individuality, especially when the “uniform” of today is about as blandly opposite and unthoughtful as possible. Thoughtful is all about Jeffrey, he says that he has “thematic notions that guide and organize each outfit.” For example, lately, he is drawn to looking like, “a Texas oil trader, who goes to England to buy suits.” This can be seen in the very conscious combination of his custom ’70′s Hickey Freeman suit (that he proudly feels is less conservative with the wide lapel), with a ’60′s necktie from one of my favorite stores, Turnbull and Asser, his vintage “LBJ” beaver,”open road” stetson and a Navajo turquoise and silver pendant that he wears over his tie. Though, I dress completely out of context, he and I are twins when it comes to the perfection of details, like big wide cuffs on button down shirts and antique, intaglia rings. “God is in [these] details,” he says, and I agree.

If you like Jeffrey, you may also enjoy Cator Sparks and Tucson John.

Drue Kataoka

'Funminitemi Oluwadare — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:22:01 +0000

I love how Drue approaches life with the feeling that “we have a limited time to create” and as a result, there is an imperative to act on our impulses and intuitions, instead of just theorizing them. At the end of her video, she graces us with one of her many talents, and plays her handmade gold flute. The moment and the music leave you filled to the brim with emotion and wanting more. The flute, like Drue, is a “beautiful instrument” with which to communicate your thoughts and feelings and with her, self-expression is always aligned with a deep appreciation for quality and craftsmanship. In addition to being an accomplished musician, she is also a consummate painter. True to her Japanese and American roots, her art reflects her attraction to contradictions and to her position as a social and cultural bridge between the Eastern and Western influences that have shaped her. The style mixes the ancient art of Japanese brush painting with a typically American subject matter of jazz musicians, some of whom she has worked with, like Wynton Marsalis. Similarly, Drue’s fashion aesthetic is from deep-down in her core – she has a Zen-like, uncluttered, and globally, sophisticated sensibility. I imagine that Drue’s attention to detail and polish (which she attributes to her Asian heritage) turns heads everywhere, especially in Palo Alto where she lives – her indomitable Louise Brooks hair cut, bold red lips, and powerful thick brows (not to mention her screaming vixen YSL ankle booties, daring silver Burberry trench, and elegant, whimsical minature Selima top hat and veil). In Drue’s usual keeping of breaking and remolding of traditions, she is the last descendent of the Kataoka Samurai family line – she was ceremoniously handed the family sword by her father, when it is only supposed to go to a male heir. And if this isn’t enough, one of her blogs addresses the merging of Buddhism with technology. Something tells me she can fit the bill as a carrier of her family name with the honor it deserves, boxes of Prada shoes and all.

If you like Drue, you might also enjoy Sielian Lie, Leo Cerezo, Kate Roling, or Sarah Hamilton.

Rachel Lena Esterline

'Funminitemi Oluwadare — Fri, 14 May 2010 04:26:44 +0000

“I would rather dress in a costume,” says Rachel, and I find her wide-open enthusiasm for self-expression intoxicating. She is a stream of innate creative consciousness and is refreshingly unattached to any of the typical trappings associated with fashion, like keeping up with or even knowing who’s who, or buying into the credo that you need years of school (or any classroom experience) to train your eye. Rather, Rachel sticks confidently to her moods and intuitions in all things she does, including dressing, and is drawn to the other “random crazies” whom she loves, “the few that do speak [her] language.” She says that she is “too honest. That’s kind of my tag line. I’m the first kid in class to raise my hand and say, ‘No, actually that’s not true, this is how it happened.’” Currently, her craze is channeling Salem witch and Japanese gothic, with “big weird dresses that have lots of volume, layered with lace and heavy skirts.” And maybe iconic at this point are her ultra-authentic military spats that she wears every day – they turn all shoes and ensembles into theater. A Gemini and Cancer “on the cusp of magic,” Rachel has two sides that she feels are reflected in her spats. The left one is “distressed” (her “crazy” side), and the right is “pristine” (her straight side). Altogether, Rachel has a huge heart and very generous nature, and after seeing my enthusiasm for these spats, she went out of her way to get me a pair. Obsessive about her work, there is no distinction between it and life, for her. Combine this drive with her huge spirit, and in my opinion (just as she said about one of her own idols, Vivienne Westwood), Rachel just “fucking gets it.”

If you like Rachel, you might also enjoy Lauren Boyle and Leo Cerezo.

Arthur Louie

'Funminitemi Oluwadare — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:02:32 +0000

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.

Erika von Petrin

'Funminitemi Oluwadare — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:27:30 +0000

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

Domonique Echeverria

'Funminitemi Oluwadare — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:06:33 +0000

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.

Mark Hester

'Funminitemi Oluwadare — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:42:26 +0000

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.