You probably haven’t heard of him—yet. But we’re convinced Christopher Collins will be a designer to watch in SF’s growing fashion circle. On Tuesday, Collins presented his sophomore Spring 2009 collection before a packed invite-only crowd at Deep Down Sound in SoMa. Co-produced by Elise Friedman, Phoebe Rubin, Rachel Esterline and Julianne Moeller, the energetic shindig attracted a smattering of social butterflies, fashiony hipsters and curious media, who gathered for a flash of fashion and post-work mingling over sushi, cupcakes and glasses of sparkling rosé.

Christopher Collins Spring 2009 Fashion Preview from 7x7 Magazine on Vimeo.

Collins, a San Francisco State grad who cut his teeth as an assistant designer at both Tadashi and Dina Bar-elin L.A. before recently moving back to the Bay Area, says his design aesthetic can be described as “romantic with attention to detail and a fit that every woman can approach. … with reference to historical periods.” The collection shown this week, for instance, gives a nod to 1950s luxury and Elizabethan tailoring in its structure and rich use of textures.

While Collins isn't selling in stores in San Francisco yet (most of his sales thus far have been in Southern California), he’s doing custom work for individual clients in the area and he's hoping this week’s show will give him exposure to local buyers.