If it's a fashionable way to spend, and happening in the Bay Area, we're talking about it on Shop Talk.
Wake up your inner Martha tonight at Gather in Hayes Valley where crafter Rebecca Saylor will be teaching a workshop on DIY watercolor pillows. Drinks and snacks will be provided to fuel your inner artist, and you can save 10 percent on any purchase at the shop. // 7pm Thursday, Aug. 27 at Gather, 541 Octavia St. (Hayes Valley); get tickets here, gathersf.com
(Courtesy of Electric Bridal)
No two brides are the same, and neither their dresses should be. Enter Electric Bridal, the recently launched online spin-off of Electric Blanket, a brick-and-mortar vintage shop and art gallery in the Misison. The new site offers pretty vintage bridal dresses in every shade, length and style for under $1,500, and there are glorious headpieces and accessories too. An easy return policy guarantees you'll keep only the wedding garb of your dreams. // Electric Bridal, electricbridal.com
If shopping all the knicknacks in Chinatown is your dream way to spend the day, head over to the 28th Annual Oakland Chinatown Streetfest for a Year of the Ram celebration. The district will be brimming with more than 200 booths stocked with Asian arts and crafts, food, and two stages with live entertainment. // Oakland Chinatown Streetfest, Saturday Aug. 22 and Sunday Aug. 23, 10am to 5:30pm; from 7th St. to 11th St. between Broadway and Harrison (Oakland), oaklandchinatownstreetfest.com
When the downtown Oakland shop Viscera took on UC Berkeley fashion design graduate Yang Qu as an intern, they soon discovered they were onto something special. Qu's focus on form, texture and clean lines made her work a perfect fit for Viscera's aesthetic. Now, both are pleased to launch the Yang Qu for Viscera collection. It's romantic, with inspiration in nature and human emotion, yet still chic and edgy. // Viscera, 1542 Broadway (Oakland), viscerastudio.com, yangqudesigns.com
Fans of Naked & Famous raw Japanese denim won't want to miss this trunk show at Azalea. Meet founder Brandon Svarc, sip some beer, try on the latest styles, and take home denim origami with your purchase of brand new jeans. // Saturday Aug. 22, noon to 5pm at Azalea, 411 Hayes St (Hayes Valley), azaleasf.com, nakedandfamousdenim.com
Haute design nuts should pack their handbags for two amazing trunk shows coming up at Neiman Marcus San Francisco: On Aug. 21 (10am to 4pm), shop the latest and greatest from Alexander McQueen in the designer sportswear department; then, check out chic Tom Ford heels in the Shoe Salon Aug. 25-30 (10am-6pm). // Neiman Marcus, 150 Stockton St (Union Square), neimanmarcus.com
(Courtesy of GoGo Craft)
We can always count on Etsy for finding unique treasures. This Sunday, shop more than 30 local artisans at the SF Etsy Summer Pop-Up Market, in the courtyard of Bayview's All Good Pizza, and take a DIY bowtie workshop taught by Amelia Strader of GoGo Craft. // Etsy Summer Pop-Up Market, 11am to 5pm Sunday, Aug. 23 at All Good Pizza, 1605 Jerrold Ave (Bayview), sfetsy.blogspot.com
No more shedding tears over the San Francisco closure of Midcentury Mobler—the fabulous furniture store, specializing in vintage Danish Modern and Midcentury wares from the 1950s and '60s, has just opened a bigger (7,500 square feet) and better showroom in Berkeley. // Midcentury Mobler, 1075 Ashby Ave (Berkeley); Saturdays 10am to 6pm, Sundays 11am to 4pm, Weekdays by appointment, midcenturymobler.com
