With three young boys to raise, a fashion blog to keep up and a new e-tail business to run, Dawn Miller is hardly your average soccer mom. In fact, you're more likely to find Miller organizing a fashion show fundraiser instead of a bake sale, or coaching a game sporting a pair of city shorts and 4-inch stack-heeled penny loafers, not sneakers and sweats.
It's that love for fashion - and being involved in her community - that led Miller, a former personal shopper, to launch Alice andIsa.com, an online fashion boutique dedicated to Bay Area designers.
"I had this little 'aha' moment, " said Miller, 33, recalling a fruitless search for locally made belts for a former client nearly a year ago. "I knew there were some boutiques in the city that focused on local designers, but a lot of times they carry avant-garde stuff. There was really no one place you could go to buy clothing and accessories you could wear every day and that were made in San Francisco."
Named after two distinct, fictional style personalities who encapsulate the range of San Francisco style, the Web site features a range of designs and price points. Shoppers who dig the refined and retro-inspired Alice aesthetic might go for a leather Kerouac satchel in chocolate brown by 49 Square Miles ($600), a vintage barkcloth jacket by Sourdough ($300) or a delicate pair of glass bead-trimmed hoops by Jennifer Tuton ($95).
Those who gravitate toward the edgy and modern Isa vibe, on the other hand, might snatch up a pair of leather and chain-link spats by Ashes and Empires ($157), cozy, striped knit Cho-Cho arm warmers ($25), or a leather screen-printed belt by Project TransAction ($65).
Since its launch in June, the e-tail site, which Miller operates out of a tiny first-floor studio in her Outer Richmond District home, has increased from 30 unique visitors per day to an average of 300 to 600 unique visitors daily. Adding to the collection of about 25 mostly San Francisco designers, Miller has begun introducing interior design goods to the mix. She also plans to upgrade the site in the coming months with detailed biographies as well as video interviews of the designers working in their studios.
As a one-woman operation, traffic has slowly increased through Miller's own publicity efforts on social networking sites Facebook and Twitter, and the occasional coverage on fashion blogs such as SF Indie Fashion and Polyvore. Miller also plugs Alice and Isa on her own personal style blog, Mom Wore This (momworethis.tumblr.com), where she posts daily photos of herself in her decidedly non-soccer-mom outfits. "It's fun but silly!" Miller said. "My kids take my photos."
Emerging designer Annie Wilson, 32, has found the Web site to be a helpful platform for getting the word out about Sourdough, her new line of handmade jackets, and connecting with other local designers.
"There are sites out there like Thrillist and Daily Candy about the local goings-on, and you can shop local on Etsy," said Wilson, a Laurel Heights resident, "but the designers you find on Alice and Isa are all really well-branded and of higher quality than ones you find in the craft world - some of whom I've only discovered after getting involved."
Although Alice and Isa has a ways to go before matching the popularity of Daily Candy, Miller seems happy to be keeping it manageable enough to still have that personal connection to her shoppers. She's even been known to fulfill same-day order requests by showing up on customers' doorsteps free of charge, something she jokingly refers to as Alice and Isa's word-of-mouth-only "white glove service."
"This city has always been a place where people want to know the owner of their local coffee shop or who their grocer is down the street, but the recession has brought that idea of knowing where your products come from even more into focus," said Miller, who donates 10 percent of sales toward the San Francisco environmental organization For the Bayou.
"The point of Alice and Isa is to be that place you can go to find something special that's locally made, so that the money stays within our community and you're supporting designers who live here."
Six great shop-local holiday events
If you're looking for additional places to find locally made gifts for the holidays, check out these upcoming sales and events:
Accessories in Action Fashion Fundraiser
What: Hobnob with local fashion industry professionals over cocktails and art while supporting Soles4Souls, a nonprofit organization that donates footwear to those in need in more than 125 countries.
Don't miss: '70s-inspired Love, Melody handbags, Frolick jewelry, and feather and leather accessories by Serina Coscina.
Info: Fri., noon-6 p.m. 111 Minna Gallery, 111 Minna St., S.F; (415) 974-1719; 21 and over. General admission is $8, $5 for those who donate a pair of new or gently worn shoes.
S.F. Design Center 27th Annual Holiday Sample Sale
What: More than 150 exhibitors will offer deep discounts on jewelry, paper and leather goods, beauty products, home accessories, toys and apparel.
Don't miss: Hobo International leather accessories, womenswear by Margaret O'Leary and whimsical PJs by the Cat's Pajamas.
Info: Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; next Sun., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 635 Eighth St. S.F.; (415) 490-5800. Admission is $6 per person at the door; discount admission using ad from The Chronicle's Nov. 22 Datebook.
Chillin' Productions
What: Soak up music by local DJs, live painting, photography, art and video installations - all while you mingle and shop.
Don't miss: Hand-forged, geometric jewelry designs by Elizabeth Lass, men's shirting by Saaz Designs and one-of-a-kind clothing by Momoca.
Info: Dec. 5, 8 p.m.-2 a.m. Mezzanine, 444 Jessie St., S.F.; 21 and over. Admission is $8 at the door. chillinproductions.com.
Appel & Frank Stockings & Stilettos
What: Enjoy complimentary drinks, hand massages and skin consultations while you peruse clothing, accessories, home accessories, beauty and baby products from more than 70 independent vendors.
Don't miss: Womenswear by Effie's Heart, Helena de Natalio's leather handbags and a colorful assortment of Stella & Dot jewelry.
Info: Dec. 10, 5-9 p.m. The Regency Center, 1270 Sutter St., S.F.; RSVP in advance for free general admission or $10 VIP tickets that include a gift bag; $10 general admission at the door. appelandfrank.com.
The Crucible's Holiday Art Sale and Open House
What: Observe more than 70 Bay Area artisans in their natural habitat as they blow glass, cast metal and throw pottery at this kid-friendly event.
Don't miss: Handmade headwear by O'Lover Hats, streetwear by Fiftyseven-Thirtythree, soldered metal jewelry by Shaya Durbin and a rare visit from Santa.
Info: Dec. 12-13, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The Crucible, 1260 Seventh St., Oakland; (510) 444-0919. Free admission. thecrucible.org.
Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Sale
What: The DIY movement goes big time at this expo of more than 150 indie craft designers selling everything from ceramics and posters to onesies and tea towels, all under one roof.
Don't miss: Free raffle prizes from Chronicle Books, Jenny Hart's Sublime Stitching and Faythe Levine's Handmade Nation.
Info: Dec. 19-20, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Fort Mason Center Herbst Pavilion, Marina Boulevard and Buchanan Street, S.F. Free admission and one hour free parking. renegadecraft.com.
Style Cinema S.F.
What: Hosted by local fashion bloggers Annie Wilson and Catie Nienaber and Dawn Miller of online boutique Alice and Isa, this monthly fashion film screening delivers free movies, a smattering of shopping and plenty of socializing.
When: 6:30 p.m. Jan. 14
Don't miss: The double feature, which includes documentaries "Unzipped" and "Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton." Swing by the designer table to pick up a few accessories by 49 Square Miles, Vivi Dot and Jennifer Tuton after the show.
Info: Free. Velo Rouge Cafe, 798 Arguello Blvd., S.F. (415) 752-7799 or facebook.com/stylecinemasf.
Nerissa Pacio is a contributing fashion and beauty editor at 7x7 magazine. E-mail comments to style@sfchronicle.com.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/22/LV6C1AK7H9.DTL#ixzz0XeMQ8QNO
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Six great shop-local holiday events
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