California Apparel News

SAN FRANCISCO—New fashion designers and independent boutiques are setting up shop on Valencia Street in San Francisco’s Mission District, but chain retailers are not allowed into this burgeoning scene—not even the cool ones.

Last year, San Francisco’s city planning commission unanimously denied American Apparel a conditional-use permit to open a boutique at 988 Valencia St. A crowd of Mission District activists urged the commission to reject the Los Angeles–based company’s permit because they feared an appearance by the more than 280-store-strong American Apparel would attract other chain retailers to the indie street.

Given the San Francisco location, it was no surprise that the protest welcomed eccentricities. Many of the protestors showed up wearing American Apparel fashions, according to San Francisco Chronicle writer C.W. Nevius. Perhaps a bigger surprise was many of these protestors were devoted to the American Apparel brand. One protestor, provocateur and former mayoral candidate, Chicken Joe Rinaldi, told Nevius that he wears American Apparel every day.

San Francisco is home to three other thriving American Apparel stores. But the Mission District protestors got their way because the street is prepared to fight to keep its independent identity, said Sasha Wingate, the founder of the Bell Jar lifestyle store, located at 3187 16th St.

“I want the neighborhood to be a shopping district,” said Wingate, who attended the protest. “But I want it to stay a musicians’ and artists’ community. It keeps it different.”

A historically Latino immigrant section of San Francisco, the Mission District has become a hipster enclave over the past decade. It has become the home of a bohemian bookstore scene, an adventurous restaurant scene and a rich bar scene. It also has become the address to the studios of fashion designers with growing cachet. Westonwear, Dema, House of Hengst and Sunhee Moon all run ateliers with boutiques in the neighborhoods.

Back in 1997, Dema founder Dema Grim was one of the first designers to open a fashion atelier and boutique in the neighborhood, opening at 1038 Valencia St. “I got accused of gentrifying the neighborhood,” she said. “You always get accused when you try something different.”

But Mission locals as well as shoppers from around the region were won over by the designers developing products that were designed and manufactured locally. “If it’s organic and local, some people are willing to pay more than $100 extra,” Bell Jar’s Wingate said of the neighborhood, where shoppers can be price-conscious.

Women also are looking for fashion with an antique look. “San Francisco is a vintage town,” she said. “If it has a vintage look, people will buy it.”

At Bell Jar, women were buying the “Tier” dress from Quail, a label based in Long Beach, Calif. It retails for $230. Also popular is the “Nina” dress from San Francisco organic label Mr. Larkin, which retails for $300, as well as Los Angeles–based McGinn label’s “Strong Shouldered” dress, which retails for $290.

Dresses are the top sellers at Candy Store Collective, located at 3153 16th St. According to owner Jennifer Jones, popular items include rompers from Rachel Comey. Core price points range from $150 to $400. The collections of Hyden Yoo and Serial Cultura also do well at the store. The top range of these collection’s price points is $250.

At the Dema boutique, the house label’s “Marni” dress has been selling well. It retails for $178.

Also doing well at the Dema store are tops by Michael Stars, which retail from $38 to $44. Tops by Los Angeles–based Fluxus also are popular. Prices range from $38 to $90. Art T-shirts from Poketo also sell well. Its core retail price is $32.

Siblings Danielle and Luke Teller opened their Afterlife boutique on May 1 in the space that was originally slotted to be the Valencia American Apparel boutique. Afterlife focuses on vintage concert T-shirts. One well-preserved “Rocky Horror Picture Show” T-shirt retailed for $250. The store offers other vintage fashions and some new collections, including Swedish brand Cheap Monday. The most popular jeans at the store were the Cheap Monday “Tight” style. The black jean retails for $68. Also popular is Cheap Monday’s “Wide” shirt. The chambray, woven shirt also retails for $68. Cheap Monday’s “Alex” T-shirt retails for $38.

Self Edge might be the Valencia boutique to break the neighborhood’s price resistance. Located at 714 Valencia St., the boutique offers Japanese denim and workwear inspired by mid-20th century American fashion. Co-owner Kiya Babzani said most of the brands offered are not sold in North America, and Japanese brands manufacture exclusive runs for his shop.

Self Edge’s top-selling items are the “SE05 DST” slim, tapered jean from the Flat Head label, which retails for $315. Also popular is the “301S” slim, selvage jean, which retails for $350, from the Iron Heart label. The “106BSP,” a slim, straight jean from Real Japan Blues, sells for $320.

Self Edge is on the move. In September, it will open a 1,700-square-foot boutique in Los Angeles, Babzani said. In 2009 it opened a New York boutique. But this guy’s heart will remain in the Mission. “The Mission District is the best part of San Francisco,” Babzani said. “There’s so much life here. Everything is sort of fringe.”