One of San Francisco’s few high-profile annual runway fashion events will likely be a no-show come fall. When the schedule for Gen Art Fresh Faces in Fashion 2009 was released last week, San Francisco was conspicuously missing from the list of cities slated to welcome the arts organization’s anchor program showcasing the work of emerging designers.

While Los Angeles, Chicago and New York will have Fresh Faces events that coincide with their respective fashion weeks this fall, San Francisco – which currently lacks a fashion week of its own – will not.

In recent years, designers selected to participate in Fresh Faces in Fashion San Francisco have included Sara Shepherd, gr.dano, Louisa Parris, Serial Cultura, Christopher Collins, Distilled Clothing, Bryna Nicole, Verrieres & Sako and others.

Last week’s announcement calls the schedule “preliminary,” so there may be hope yet – but, frankly, we doubt it. Our calls and email requests asking for more information sent to Gen Art contacts in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York went unanswered. 

Without a viable fashion week or Fresh Faces event on the horizon, will anyone step in to fill the void? These folks are trying...