Her first attempts at jewelry making were all done by hand. She eventually moved past laborious soldering and sanding. Now she designs her jewelry on Autocad and makes the molecule charms from molds. Her meticulous packaging comes with an easy to understand molecule story and a serotonin tattoo.

Read more about Raven’s Made with Molecules on Chemical & Engineering News. I can see many geeks go ga-ga over her line of silver jewelry and accessories!

Have you had your daily dose of caffeine in the form of a keychain, cuff link, necklace, or earrings?

Daily interaction with your lady? Was she full of estrogen?

Are you happy go-lucky?

One article announces the marriage of San Francisco Fashion Week producer Erika Gessin. Her husband has this admiral quote about her self-made status and ambitions, “She’s beautiful and talented at what she does. But picking up and moving from New York to California, not knowing anyone, having no network or friends, and pioneering and creating San Francisco Fashion Week — it was great to meet someone with a great spirit about them, who just wanted to take on the world.” That quote gives relief to San Francisco fashionistas. To Erika’s credit and aggressive training of fashion designers from Academy of Art, San Francisco will become a fashion powerhouse in this decade.

Whereas, the article about the self-promoting Diana Lu highlights the opportunistic “must conquer all” attitude. It is disgusting. I can not believe Ms. Lu celebrated her 40th birthday by sending models down the runway with her dramatic and ugly formal wear to tout her fashion inexperience and early demise. Some rich people who extend themselves in unfamiliar territory with no humility and lost dignity, need a reality check. If she opens up a clothing store at the Embarcadero and if I have to walk near it, I will duck my head in shame.

When one person makes a huge difference for the San Francisco fashion scene, it takes another person to give a swift kick to damage the scene again.

Photo credits: Erika Gessin prepping for 2006 San Francisco Fashion Week from SFGate.com and Diana Lu’s catwalk from SFGate.com, taken by Byamy Sullivan and Heather Wiley for Drew Alitzer.

BCBG Max Azria brown satin dress
Free People creme silk tank
Banana Republic white boucle coat
Nordstrom silk red fade away scarf
Kate Spade hot pink clutch
Liz Claiborne pale gold mod necklace
Vintage gold leaf earrings
Antik Denim wine mohair and brown leather trim pumps

I was very pleased to have matching accessories — purse, scarf, and shoes — in the same spectrum of red, burgundy, and hot pink. Those accessories help pull the outfit away from looking too much like chocolate. I threw in the stunning white coat, but in retrospect, I should have worn my cream long coat!

If you can not get enough of the U.S.’s PR, then watch Canada’s Project Runway season 1 hosted by Iman.

So now I am in search of a sewing machine. Since I am a beginner, I am not picky about the unit. New or used, give me good references for functional machines!

My hobby is moving at a snail pace. Hopefully I will upgrade to my grandmother’s industrial machines in this lifetime!

There were a few times when I felt like deja vu. Vendors at SF Craft Mafia Winter Trunk on October 21st were also at the Capsule fair the prior week. Read highlights after the cut.

Made with Molecules

Being pre-med in undergrad, I have a heighten sense of biology, especially biochemistry. So when I met Raven Hanna’s MWM collection, I went ga-ga over her well made silver jewelry reflecting the best biochemical compounds that circulate in our bodies: serotonin, caffeine, testosterone, estrogen, and endorphins! This \reminded me of my testy organic chemistry days, building molecules with the balls and sticks model set.

Raven makes the science experience visually appealing (which is better than figuring out whether you were attacked from behind in a SN2 reaction or forming multiple bonds with electrophilic pounces. Haha, I can not believe I still recall this. Okay, I really looked it up on Wikipedia. But I still have the keywords SN1, SN2, E1, and E2 ingrained in my mind. That and Professor Vollhardt’s constant self-promotion about being on the IUPAC committee, self-accolades from his textbook, and pride for his prime on campus parking spot for his Ferrari. Some of you know who I am talking about.).

Raven’s creative geekiness transformed this protein into a card for the holidays! Which protein is this?

My Windup Bird

I recognized one of the designs of a limited edition shirt! My friend has this bold blue shirt with a white screen print of a silhouette of the back of a girl with a flower in her hair, knee high boots, short skirt, and bike. My friend said that Wendy Fong, the talented designer, took a picture of this gal on the streets of Japan. Pretty neat to have a story behind the shirt. When I mentioned that I knew someone with the shirt, she immediately asked who because of its limited production, only those she knew had this shirt. Again, I am surprised how everyone knows each other in San Francisco.

When I last checked the website, Wendy had a great business strategy to sell t-shirt subscriptions, a shirt for every month, over 3 month intervals. Get a wardrobe update once a month! Neat!

Porcelynne Lingerie

Porcelynne Lingerie is one my favorite independent designers. As I re-read a review I wrote 6 months ago for Jennifer’s lingerie designs, I was gushing with enthusiasm and professing my adoration for her lingerie. And that feeling has only intensified.

“It has been a while since a local business has excited me so much that it demanded a same day review! Jennifer has found a wonderful niche market in handmade lingerie. You can get a glimpse of her production back room through the door that connects the store to her studio. She went from only 5 designs last year to 25 designs this year, an impressive 5 fold increase in her intimate store.

For today’s dilemma, I was torn between getting this sexy black sheer temptress lingerie or the purple silk & sheer matching top and bottom with black lace. Jennifer convinced me of the latter because she echoed those words I love to hear, “It’s one of a kind.” And I walked away with a beloved one-of-a-kind lingerie sets for my friend’s bachelorette party gift. It was very obvious that Jennifer puts in a ton of love in designing and producing these items because she seemed sad to part with the piece but also happy that she’s making a killer sale. The latter of course contributes to her customer’s enjoyment of her wonderful creations, which is why designers design right?

Jennifer’s glimmering eye, quick wit, and personable conversations give her rock solid credentials in marketing. Her selection of fabrics, detailed craftsmanship, and flirty designs lend her to rock the casual undergarment business. I can see her talents evolve & diversify and eventually encroach on the fine lingerie powerhouses such as la Perla and Aubade.”

I convinced my friend to purchase a beautiful set, as featured in the photo.

The Soi Company

The SOI company seemed out of place because its goods have a large presence in many states. Regardless of the non-indie company, I purchased a large 16oz jar of spiced chai, a 2oz tin of gardenia, and another 2oz tin of amber and sandalwood. The 2oz tins did a wonderful job with restroom fragrance. And my kitchen smelled of yummy chai latte. Unfortunately, there is not enough essential oils to mask heavy cooking odors, like fish. Burning soy is more green than burning paraffin wax:

“SOI Candles are hand-poured using 100%, FDA approved, kosher soy oil and burn cleaner than paraffin-based candles. Available in a variety of sizes, our candles burn about 140 hours (about 40% longer than wax candles), are soot-free and do not emit any harmful toxins (like Benzene) into your home. Unlike wax, soy oil burns coolly at 106º into a reflective pool of soy that always remains warm to the touch and will not burn little hands.

Because SOI Candles are created from natural soy, the melt pool can also be used as a skin moisturizer that can be massaged into any dry or irritated areas. It can also be applied as a soothing remedy to sunburned skin, eczema, psoriasis, and poison oak!”

I am not sure why I am so hesitant of using the melted soy as a moisturizer, but let me know if the claims are valid!

Stitch Lounge

Stitch lounge was in full force promoting its latest subversive seamster sewing book. I picked up one of these complimentary mending kits. It is the perfect business card!

What: 28th San Francisco Ballet Auxiliary Fashion Show and Luncheon (includes reception, raffle, lunch and fashion show)
When: 11am on Friday, November 16, 2007
Where: Grand Ballroom of the Westin St. Francis, 35 Powell Street (between Post and Geary), San Francisco, CA
Admission: $175

Saks Fifth Avenue is generously sponsoring the Fashion Show for the 12th year, and the Ballet is excited to welcome the iconic designs of Christian Lacroix’s Spring 2008 Ready-to-Wear Collection as well as six looks from the Winter 2007 Haute Couture Collection.

What: Thread, holiday sales from indie designers
When: 11AM-6PM on Sunday, December 16, 2007
Where: San Francisco Design Center Galleria, 101 Henry Adam Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
Admission: $10 @ the door, $7 with online RSVP

Perusing through the contestants’ bios, the majority are experienced designers pitted against a handful of barely graduated design students. This season’s experience includes designers that have vaulted in the limelight dressing up Pink, fashioned at GenART, and graduated magna and summa cum laude. This class of designers is extremely competent on paper.

Carmen already makes cool street wear with “Sistahs of Harlem.” If my memory serves me correctly, the Fab Five from the Queer Eye for the Straight Guy featured her clothing! And right after she graduated from design school, she interned in Paris with Christope LeMaire who studied under Christian LaCroix.

At 44, Chris hits a soft spot for San Franciscans. He is the costume designer of San Francisco’s longest running cabaret musical, “Beach Blanket Babylon.” I am counting on him to be a positive representation of Ess Eff. All I ask Chris to do is to please not pull diva like Jeoffrey or go frou frou with the big hats and cheesy costumes in the same manner Kayne went pageant a-wol.

Then there is frat Jack at 38, a Cal alum. GO BEARS! He has had an all-American lifestyle as swim jock and has worked under all-American labels such as Tommy Hilfiger. And lastly, he is openly HIV-positive and lives his life to the fullest!

The young Kit has a conceptual mind to predict trends for Mauro Taliani Design Studio. She is a brainiac with a worldly mind. I wonder if her international travels will give her a solid footing in any impromptu international flights to Parsons de Paris while wearing her own jet set designs.

These contestants look great on paper. I hope to be surprised by those with skills that speak louder than words.

Four out of the five contestants are Parsons grads, granted one of them is from the Paris branch. I always wonder if the contestant’s familiarity of Parson’s environment has a slight home court advantage.

In the famous Tim Gunn’s motivational ‘tude, “Carry on.” * Sweep sweep * with the fingers.