It’s no coincidence that Josh and Lauren Podoll, the husband-and-wife team behind the eco-chic label The Podolls, first met at a San Francisco boutique dedicated to the art of handcrafted apparel (the North Beach denim institution AB Fits).

She was already a fashion industry veteran. He was a painter with a proposition to make organic cotton tees.  In 2003, the South Bay native (her) and the Iowa transplant (him) turned the idea into a reality; their line of modern, textile-driven womenswear was born swiftly thereafter.

Today, the multitalented couple also helms a children’s collection called the Podots, as well as two stores (Noe Valley and Burlingame) where Josh, 42, displays his woodworking skills and Lauren, 38, enhances their eponymous creations with denim, sweater and accessories pieces culled from independent designers, many of them local (“we enjoy providing our customers with a rich experience of community and discovery,” explains Lauren).

While he personally sticks to basic ensembles of CLOSED denim and button-downs by Engineered Garments, she’s game to play with layering. Hard at work on a custom candle scent, the Noe Valley residents are also scheduled to debut a much-anticipated collaboration with a fellow SF design team next month.

Style icons

Her: Ali McGraw, Kate Moss, Grace Kelly, my grandmother

Him: Basquiat, Ossie Clark, Yves Saint Laurent, Francoise Hardy

Classic SF experience

Her: Walking along Crissy Field to the Golden Gate Bridge—it never gets old, fog or shine.

Him: Ice cream sundaes at Ghirardelli Square

Household essential

Her: Our Bertoia Bird Chair. It's minimal, timeless, and so comfortable. Sitting in it and gazing out the window at the end of the day works like a charm to restore my energy. 

Him: A teak dining table we found on our honeymoon in Bali

Escape

Her: I adore a good soak in the pool at Indian Springs. I swear the water drains away all stress.

Him: I love anywhere I can surf—from camping in Big Sur to renting a house near San Onofre

Dream client

Her: A three-generation family of stylish ladies—from toddler to grandma

Him: I would love it if we could dress someone super-chic, like Charlotte Gainsbourg.

Day-off

Her: Yoga class, lunch at Outerlands with my boys, an afternoon at the de Young.

Him: Take Dashiell to the park, and then Linea Café for coffee and waffles.