Fiat Lux announces its Squint Games design competition + more local style news.
One of the entries in Fiat Lux's jewelry design competition. The theme? Optical illusions. (Courtesy of Fiat Lux)

Fiat Lux announces its Squint Games design competition + more local style news.

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This weekend, get your hands on When Simon Met Ralph's one-of-a-kind pieces at reduced prices. (This rarely happens).

Plus, Fiat Lux’s annual jewelry competition is here, and you get to vote for the winner. Taylor Jay opens shop in Union Square, and many more fabulous things.


Red alert! Simon Ungless and When Simon Met Ralph are having a very big sale this weekend.

Fashion folk, you’d be remiss if you didn’t hit up Sausalito this weekend. Inimitable printmaker-designer-icon Simon Ungless and his partner in life and (When Simon Met Ralph) label Jody Niederkohr are having a big sale in their Marin studio.

You’ll find one-of-a-kind fall collection styes for men and women, along with archive pieces and select spring/summer items. Ungless’s iconic prints, as well as faded, felted and rubberized worn-wear (made with vintage, deadstock, and discarded garments) are on tap. A sample of what you’ll find:

  • Men's shirts for $250 (originally $400)
  • Blazers for $500 (originally $700)
  • Dresses for $900 (originally $1200)
  • Coats for $900 (originally $1200)

Happy (big sale) shopping. Also, sending heartfelt congrats to Simon and Jody on their recent nuptials.

// 10am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday, January 25th and 26th; Marinship Studios, 1265 Gate 5 Road (Sausalito), simonungless, whensimonmetralph

Fiat Lux’s jewelry competition is on! Vote for your favorite and score a chance to win the champion bling.

One of the entries in the Fiat Lux Maker's Competition. (Courtesy of Fiat Lux)

Let the games begin! SF jeweler Fiat Lux is back with its eagerly awaited (ninth) Annual Maker’s Competition where jewelry artists battle until one brilliant piece is declared the victor—decided by your votes. Twelve artists have entered this year’s Squint Games, a theme based on optical illusions. Through Sunday, February 9th, fresh (blind) submissions will be dropped on FL’s Instagram.

Voting takes place February 10-12, and the winner will be announced on Thursday, February 13th. Along with being treated to a veritable feast of sparkly creativity, a vote scores you a raffle ticket for a chance to win the Squint Games champion bling. Want even more raffle tickets? Shop. Through February 12th, spend up to $1,000 on any purchase (including piercing jewelry) for an additional entry and spend more than $1,000 for two more entries.

To celebrate the conclusion of the games and artist/raffle winners, Fiat Lux's Mission store is hosting a party on February 13th (5pm to 8pm). Join the fun for jewelry discounts and first dibs on purchasing the other SG entries—plus more surprises. RSVP here.

// Fiat Lux Mission is located at 3169 16th St., fiatluxsf.com.

With help from Vacant to Vibrant, Taylor Jay opens a storefront in Union Square.

Taylor Jay in front of her new Union Square store. (Courtesy of SF New Deal)

As big fans of Taylor Jay—the woman and the sustainable brand—we’re happy to report you can now shop the elevated, comfy and inclusive women’s clothing at 220 O'Farrell Street in Union Square. The long-term pop-up is the first of a handful of new stores to open as part of Vacant to Vibrant’s latest initiative to rev up Union Square’s retail activity while also helping small businesses, artists and entrepreneurs.

Needless to say, Jay, a SF native, is ebullient about her brick-and-mortar offspring. “I’m thrilled to bring fresh energy to Union Square with a focus on comfort, confidence, and sustainability,” she says. “I hope to inspire people not just with my designs, but with the welcoming and inclusive space we’re creating.”

The opening of a bright and beautiful boutique just before Christmas was a wonderful ending to a rough year for Jay: Her two Oakland stores were broken into multiple times in 2024; ultimately, she decided to close her Rockridge location while the Broadway flagship remains open.

Jay continues to ooze positivity and hopes to inspire others: “Vacant to Vibrant is more than an initiative to support local small businesses like mine—it’s a movement that shows what’s possible when creativity and opportunity collide. This feels like the perfect alignment for my vision and values, and I’m grateful to be part of such a forward-thinking initiative," she says.

// 220 O'Farrell Street (Union Square), taylorjay.com

Got (brow) milk? Rye Beauty’s new brow tint is a real eye opener.

(Courtesy of Rye Beauty)

Like its thirst-quenching namesake, Tinted Brow Milk ($32) does a body good. Brows of all types (and shades) will, no doubt, benefit from soaking up Rye Beauty’s gel-pomade hybrid. The just-launched product tints and fills the windows to the soul with a few quick swipes and contains conditioning, growth-supporting and strengthening peptides and plant extracts. The creamy formula thickens and colors eyebrows for an effortlessly polished result. The hold is both strong and soft.

After much time in development, the Bay Area’s premier eyebrow guru and RB founder Michele Holmes is thrilled to finally introduce her baby. “Tinted Brow Milk is my dream luxury tinted brow product," she says. "It fills and fluffs with the perfect amount of color and doesn’t flake or dry out. We tried dozens of different wipers and brushes to get the right deposit-making application a breeze.”

TBM is available in four shades based on the most popular colors Holmes mixes for clients in her Corte Madera studio: Cool Blonde, Soft Brown, Medium Brown and Black-Brown.

// Tinted Brow Milk sells for $32 and is available for purchase online and at Credo Beauty, ryebeauty.com

Celebrate Lunar New Year in style at Westfield Valley Fair’s fashion-meets-florals exhibition.

(Courtesy of Fleur de Villes)

The only thing better than fashion and flowers? Fashion in flowers. From Wednesday, January 29th to Sunday, February 2nd, that’s exactly what you’ll see (and smell) at West Valley Fair’s free-to-attend immersive exhibition, Lunaire. More than a dozenmannequins dressed in couture-like modern designs and constructed entirely of fresh blooms are ready to blow your mind. (You’ll never look at those supermarket bouquets the same way again.)

The living sculptures, inspired by Lunar New Year traditions and the Year of the Snake, showcase the work of 15 talented Bay Area floral artists. The San Jose show is produced by Fleurs de Villes. Its mission? To celebrate top local florists, designers, growers and nurseries via bespoke events bringing creative community together in cities around the world.

P.S. If you’re interested in watching the florists build their masterpieces, hit up WVFl on Tuesday, January 28th.

// 2685 Stevens Creek Blvd (Santa Clara,), westfield.com

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