That's big news for a couple of boldface Bay Area brands.
Plus Seldom Seen and AB Fits launch a tee, Cuyana's on fleek for spring, and DWR opens at Marin Country Mart.
Rent the Runway's new Union Square flagship takes no prisoners.
With two stories encompassing 8,300 square feet of beautiful space, Rent the Runway's brand-new West Coast flagship is its largest brick-and-mortar (aka dreamiest closet) to date. This location of the famously disruptive women's clothing-rental company/subscription service rotates 3,000 apparel items and accessories on the daily. Along with the colorful and covetable goods, the space is home to super convenient self-service checkout areas and drop-off stations. But, miladies, there's more, much more, including: a beauty bar with Dyson hair dryers, stylers and hair products, as well as Juice Beauty skincare products; a complimentary coffee bar with java and refreshments from Bluestone Lane; and work and lounge areas with free WiFi for members. In case you're wondering, RTR's previous pop-up spot on Post Street is no more. (You definitely won't miss it...now.) // 228 Grant Ave. (Union Square), renttherunway.com
Yeah, cool things happen when two SF boutiques get together.
(Courtesy of Seldom Seen)
Those who appreciate a really good, plain white (or black) tee: get thee to North Beach's AB Fits or Seldom Seen in Hayes Valley. You will find your new favorite men's and women's cotton crews ($48). A year in the making, the medium-weight tees were conceived with keen attention to fit and fabric by AB Fits founder (and institution) Howard Gee and Seldom Seen's co-founders Natasha Wong and Daniel Lee. The quality shirts—made in San Francisco from fabric milled in Cali and pre-washed in a North Beach laundromat—are neither ultra fitted nor baggy; rather, they land in that sweet spot in between. Clearly a labor of love for both brands, another collab in the future would not surprise us. C'est la vie tee. // AB Fits, 1519 Grant Ave. (North Beach),abfits.com; Seldom Seen, 522 Octavia St. (Hayes Valley),seldomseen.com
Cuyana is seeing red for spring and summer.
(Courtesy of Cuyana)
Cuyana has recently released a slew of new products in sunny hues and bold shapes, ideal for warmer climes. Tops on our we-can't-handle-the-chicness list: the semi-circle bag ($235) in blood orange (also available in mango, caramel, and black). We can already see ourselves carrying this sleek leather beauty just about everywhere, no doubt stealing the spotlight from our go-to white jeans-and-tee summer uniform. Other fresh pieces sure to zhuzh up modern wardrobes: The sweet and sexy seersucker twisted shoulder top ($165) and dress($195). The pieces come in daffodil, black and white (shirt only). And for those who simply can't resist easy-breezy muumuu-y things, the deep V-neck maxi caftan ($165) has your name all over it. The comfy-chic number is available in three colors: lipstick, daffodil, and black. // 291 Geary St., 2nd floor (Union Square), cuyana.com
DWR just made things easier for home designphiles in Marin.
(Alfred Yan Photography for DWR)
Design Within Reach (DWR) just opened a glorious 6,000-square-foot retail studio in Larkspur's Marin Country Mart. This marks the 21-year-old Stamford, CT company's fourth Bay Area store. (The others are in SF, Berkeley, and Palo Alto.) "We love California and are proud to increase our presence in the Golden State. We can't wait to engage the community and share our passion for modern design," says CEO John Edelman. The stunning light-filled space is home to 20 fully styled rooms for indoors and outdoors, featuring sofa collections, dining chairs and tables, beds, dresses lamps, rugs, desks, home accessories, and more. It's also chockfull of classic designers and designs from the likes of Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller and Eero Saarinen, as well as DWR-exclusive collections by Norm Architects, Egg Collective and Jens Risom. // 2801 Larkspur Landing Circle (Larkspur), dwr.com
Allbirds lands flats for spring.
(Courtesy of Allbirds)
Enter the Tree Breezer, a take on the classic ballet flat. Allbirds' first decidedly feminine silhouette (avec tomboy tendencies) was born as a direct result of asks from the its loyal and vociferous customers. You see, the community loved their runners and loungers but wanted another option to wear to work, and with dresses. The Tree Breezer delivers on all fronts, style to comfort. The upper is made from cooling tree material, the padded insole is crafted of merino wool, and the SweetFoam outsole comes from Brazilian sugarcane. Currently, the flat is available in marine blue and three limited-edition shades of gray, turquoise, and mauve. Don't freak if the $95 beauties are sold out when you try to purchase—a little, ahem, birdie told us fresh inventory is expected by Memorial Day. // 57 Hotaling Place (Jackson Square),allbirds.com
