Votive Issue No. Five

FROM THE STAFF

Editor Letter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Meet the Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4About Georgiou & the Hub . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

DESIGNERS

GB Shrive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 (www.gbshrive.com)Danielle Pettee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 (www.daniellethedressmaker.com)Daniel Sudar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 (www.danielsudar.com)Zoe Hong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 (www.zoehong.com)Kayo Mitsuyama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 (www.kayoanimeclothing.com)DeeFind Footwear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 (www.deefind.com) Suzy Tamimi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 (www.suzytamimi.com)Crisanta Malig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 (www.crisantamalig.com)Swati Couture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 (www.swaticouture.com)Ken Chen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 (www.kenchensf.com)Larisa Lavladi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 (www.lavladi.com)Violetta Vieux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 (www.violettavieux.com)Platinum Dirt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 (www.platinumdirt.com) Tokay Artwear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 (www.tokayartwear.com)

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ON THE COVERModel: Teresa SinclairMUA: Lisa TellerHair: James Griffiths of Salon BluFashion Designer: Gail B. ShrivePhotographer: VinCentG. for The Candy Factory Studio

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D E A R R E A D E R S ,We’re changes a few things up here at Votive this time around. This month we are featuring fifteen of the top designers in the Bay Area, California. Each has their own unique style that is sure to hit it off with fashionistas all over the world, and we wanted to give each of them a chance to tell you who they are, not only as designers, but as individuals.

We encourage you all to support them as they climb the ladders of the infamously critical fashion indus-try. We believe each of these artists has a chance to “make it big” and will be updating you on their progress over the next coming years.

Be sure to visit them all at the HUB in Sausalito, CA. They each have their own mini boutique locat-

ed in a quaint Victorian retail space on the popular Bridgeway with views of the Bay and San Fran-cisco. The area has everything you could possible want for a Saturday getaway including walks along the water, scenic public parks, and all the shopping and dinning options you could possible dream of.

The Votive team would like to give a special thanks to Gail Ballesteros-Shrive and George Georgiou for making this issue possible. We hope you have enjoyed this experience as much as we have and look forward to many successful collaborations in the futre.

HANNAH BOONE- EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/

DESIGN DIRECTOR

Hannah M Boone

e d i t o r l e t t e r

SONIA CHOPRA- ASSISTANT EDITOR

KARLA NOVELO- BEAUTY EDITOR

LAUREN HOELLE- WRITER/ COPY EDITOR

OLIVER AUSTRIA- FASHION EDITOR

m e e t t h e t e a m

Georgiou | Page 5 | Votive Magazine: Issue Five

&T H E H U B

George Georgiou, though a native to the is-land nation of Cyprus, graduated from the University of San Francisco, where he ob-tained degrees in economics and mathemat-ics. Georgiou quickly worked his way up in the corporate world, but soon began to crave

other outlets for his creative talent. In 1974, he opened a small retail shop on Union Street in San Francisco and there he had his first encounter with fashion in the form of Hippie apparel and artifacts.

Though George was growing to love his retail business, he felt that the products he offered could be better and began to create some of his own fashion designs. With a desire to bring his new sketches to life, George sent them to his mother in Cyprus who made sample garments that were welcomed with enthusiasm from Georgiou’s custom-ers. Soon, George found himself falling in love with his designs and continued to grow as a businessman as well as a designer, eventually decided to quit his corporate job altogether.

Today, Georgiou’s seasonal collections are created under his direction at the Georgiou Design Studio in San Fran-cisco. According to Georgiou, “The design team focuses

a r t i c l e b y h a n n a h b o o n e

Georgiou | Page 7 | Votive Magazine: Issue Five

Photography: GeorgiouModel: Nicole LynnMUA: Oxana Bjornsen

on the feminine figure, ensuring a chic European-inspired style that gives the customer superior fashion and a comfortable fit. Each collection reflects up-to-date color trends, fabrics and con-temporary styling, appealing to customers who live both a so-phisticated and casual lifestyle. Season to season, pieces can be mixed and coordinated to enhance and build a wardrobe.”

Thirty years later, George’s hobby has transformed into a nation-wide brand, GEORGIOU. With over 20 boutiques throughout the United States, it is safe to say George created his own success story. Now he is giving other designers the chance to do the same for themselves. Georgiou recently opened his flagship store’s doors to Bay Area designers and dedicated the second floor mezzanine to showcas-ing their designs. Here, under Georgiou’s guidance “The HUB” was born. In collaboration with Gail Shrive of GB Shrive Designs

who acts at the HUB’s Project Manager, Georgiou searches for and hand picks all of his showcased local designers. (You may see him at some of the top rated fashion shows in San Francisco.)

The concept behind the HUB is to give generous space to each designer to create their own mini boutique and the oppor-tunity to market their label. Within the next year, the HUB also plans to transform the loft area above their reserved mezznine into a showroom where clients who would like to make special orders for couture pieces can have fittings and work personally with the designers to create their own wearable works of art.

Gail B. Shrive and all of the designers at the HUB, would like to give a huge thank you to George Georgiou for believing in them and making their dreams a reality.

G B S H R I V E

VFashion wasn’t Gail Ballesteros-Shrive’s first choice when she began school in England. The now designer orginally planned to be an architect. She attributes her love for design to a Foundation course where she was able to

explore all kinds of art for the whole year. The goal at the end of the course was to choose the form of art that best suited each student. Living in one of the fashion capitols of the world, Gail was quickly influenced by British style and decided on Fashion Design as her major and eventu-ally her career.

Gail’s very first design was a school bag made out of sack and hessian fabrics. She customized the bag with com-partments for her every day necessaties such as pens, a phone, her wallet, a water bottle, etc. Gail graduated from Nuneaton Art & Design College where she received a BTEC National Diploma in Fashion. After graduating the artist moved to London and earned her BA Degree in Fashion Design with Marketing from University of East London in 1999. Gail describes her experience, “During my 3 year course at East London, I had the opportunity to work with Morada lining company and was one of the fi-nalists to showcase my designs at London Fashion Week in 1998. We also traveled to Paris as part of our field trip where we purchased all our fabrics for our final collec-


Photography: Vincent GottiModels: Gail Ballesteros-Shrive, Teresa Sinclair & Kalila ShriveMUA: Lisa TellerHair: James Griffiths of Salon BlueGail’s Shoes provided by deeFind

Photo: Doug BirnbaumModel: Teresa Sinclair

MUA: Arlene ColemanHair: James Griffiths of Salon Blue

tion that we showcased at the London Graduate Fashion Week in 1999.

Gail is influenced by world-reknowned fashion design-ers such as Thierry Mugler, Issy Miyake, Gaultier, Dexter Wong & Alexander McQueen. These designers make her feel that “anything is possible when it comes to construc-tion of garments.” Likewise, Gail describes her workas in-novative and very versatile. “My customers are confident, independent and know what they want. You will find a lot of fabric manipulation on my garments.”

After working for more than a decade in the fashion in-dustry, Gail offers this advice to designers hoping to build their brands: “In my experience, it is important to not just have a fabulous collection on the runway but also design your entire show including venue, models, performers, and materials that you choose to use. Whatever you do on the runway will impact whatever you do at your boutique. It’s part of brand building. I can’t showcase my edgy, punk look on the runway and when [customers] come to my store, my collections are all floral and conservative. It will confuse my market. Gotta keep the flow.”

Anyone who knows Gail, knows that the designer is al-ways on the move. Not only is this creative woman a de-signer for GB Shrive she is also a full-time mother and Creator/Project Manager for GEORGIOU’S “The HUB”. On top of that, Gail also produces events all over the Bay Area including her own Evolution [of Fashion]. EVO a fashion show produced bi-yearly with EVO 3 & 4 sched-uled later in 2012.

Anyone in the fashion industry will agree that having a firm group of supportive individuals can go a long way in helping one succeed. Gail’s husband, Damon and her boss, Mr. Georgiou among many others constitute her support system. “Georgiou is very supportive of all local fashion designers and I’m forever grateful for him trusting me to run the HUB and for giving all of us local designers the opportunity to showcase our collection at his flagship store in Sausalito.” Gail would also like to thank all of her fellow designers at the HUB for being constant sources of support and inspiration.

GB Shrive is currently working ambitiously on two Fall 2012 collections. GB Shrive’s kids collection will be show-cased at the Fashion 4 Charity event on the 27th April in San Francisco. The Fall collections will be showcased at The Black V event which is coming up in May. During the same month, The Women in Business Social Networking organization (or WIBSN) will be flying Gail to Philadel-phia to do an exclusive show for their event. If that isn’t enough, Gail’s EVO 3 show is scheduled for June where the featured designers will be raising money for the char-ity, “Heaven’s Door”.

With so many upcoming projects and artistic collections, we expect to be seeing a lot from GB Shrive in the future. To view more of this artist’s work, visit www.gbshrive.com.GB Shrive | Page 11 | Votive Magazine: Issue Five

Model: Hana Lynn Lively @ ELITEMUA: Krystal GarzaHair: Josette Vigil-JelvehFashion Designer: Gail B. ShriveWardrobe Stylist: RJ Rivera and Prince KaleoPhotographer Assistant: Scott NoblesPhotographer: VinCentG. for The Candy Factory Studio

s w i m w e a r

Photo: Kat SilanModel: Kim dela Rosa

k i d s w e a r

GB Shrive | Page 13 | Votive Magazine: Issue Five

Photography: Kat SilanModels: Breanne, Izaiah, Junio, Kalila, NevaehMUA: Lisa TellerHair: Brendnetta Danielle AshleyKidswear Location: Lonetree Ranch

Photo: Doug BirnbaumModels: Shai White, Teresa Sinclair& Kalila ShriveMUA: Arlene ColemanHair: James Griffiths of Salon BlueJewelry: LaVladi

This is just the beginning for Danielle, as she plans on expanding her collection of bold, unique, and colorful dresses across the globe. She admits that people in the Bay Area embrace her artistic designs much more than in New York or LA, and she continues to discover great resources within her area. One of which is the HUB in Sausilito, which holds Pettee’s line. She loves the loca-tion’s beauty, and the space is very inviting. We all know Ms. Pettee from her artistic designer per-sona, but what about after hours? While she loves be-ing a designer, she enjoys decorating her house, helping friends with productions, traveling, and experiencing new cultures. Her biggest addictions are dancing and karaoke.

The future looks promising for Danielle The Dress Maker. She is currently working on a circus themed collection, coming out in the summer of 2012. In ten years, she sees herself owning a internationally recognized brand cater-ing to women who really want to break the mold. Votive looks forward to seeing where her collections of beautiful dresses will take her next.

You can purchase a custom made dress at www.daniellethedressmaker.com, the HUB, or her studio in San Francisco, CA.

Danielle Pettee is a self taught designer based out of San Francisco, CA. While she has only been designing for three years, her brand has made quite an influence on the fashion indus-try thus far. You can see her looks on the run-way of several major fashion productions such

as LA fashion week this past season. Her inspiration for her designs lies within the fabrics she finds at a donation center. “People purge and donate all things artistic, including a plethora of beautiful fabrics! These vintage fabrics inspire me so much!” Not only do her custom vintage styles set her apart from many other designers in the area, but she also uses recycled materi-als to make elegant and beautiful dresses. This powerhouse artist is not only confident in her design-ing abilities, but she is extremely comfortable in her own skin. While she does agree that the industry can be ex-tremely competitive, Danielle has not felt the need to alter who she is. “I’ve always stayed true to who I am, I don’t want to change. I’ve just learned to communicate better.” Danielle’s positive communication has heavily contributed to her success, as every model, photographer, or client that has worked with her is eager to help spread the word. She really enjoys having a personal relationship with her customers, stating that making a custom made dress for a client, is a beautiful experience.

D A N I E L L E P E T T E Ea r t i c l e b y s o n i a c h o p r a

Danielle Pettee | Page 15 | Votive Magazine: Issue Five

Photography: Tim EngleModel: Shai White, Melissa Lewis, Faith Garcia, Chelsea Dixon & Monika KaHair: Heather BirdTanera Lashaye the Hair GeekMakeup: Mystie Rodriguez & Lisa Teller Jewerly: Fig and Faun (Shai is wearing bracelet and earrings)Bracelets by Emily Sause Necklaces by Miz B

Sudar, whose friends describe him as “hard [working], persistent, consistent and detail oriented,” is currently working on his summer 2013 men’s and jewelry collec-tions. On top of his design work, he still makes time for hobbies including photography, cooking and supporting children’s charities. He loves living and working in San Francisco, particularly for the HUB’s team atmosphere and their commitment to “ecologically friendly materials and responsible production.”

“No matter where you are, if you are a good designer, people will find you,” adds Sudar. “For example, celebri-ties from all over the nation have been looking for me to design garments for them.” However, he adds, he is open to moving wherever the business requires him to be in order to achieve his goal of being a nationally and interna-tionally recognized designer.

D A N I E L S U D A R

E ight years ago, Daniel Sudar was working in a kitchen as a chef and there was an ac-cident. As he watched hot oil melt half of his face, a voice screamed in his head: “What do I do now? What will be my second life?” After some time off, he debuted his first design col-

lection at a small charity fashion show. It was there that celebrity chef Art Smith, former private chef to Oprah Win-frey, spotted Sudar’s collection and requested Sudar de-sign his wedding suit. Shortly afterward, People published pictures of Smith in Sudar’s design and Sudar has been an in-demand designer ever since.

Despite his harrowing accident, Sudar says it’s still food and utensils that inspire many of his designs (as well as other designers such as Roberto Cavalla and Calvin Klein). He describes his brand as “mod, sleek and chic, in-dividualistic, and smart) and believes his designs convey “a zest for life, a love for fashion and [strength].”

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Daniel Sudar | Page 21 | Votive Magazine: Issue Five

Photographer: Stuart LocklearMake Up: Maile Mercado

Hair Stylish: Hilario HufanaModels: Alex Baldwin @ JE, Jesus Pena,

Lauren Sinatra, Sarah Em

is “Building Future Heirlooms.” She describes it as “anti-fast fashion,” reminiscent of the culture where “grandmothers handed down a mint condition origi-nal 1950s Christian Dior suit, much to their [grand-daughters] glee, smugness and awe.” In order for that to happen in the future she says everything must be designed and made correctly today.

Hong says that it’s both everything and nothing that inspires her to create and “the compulsion to design is at [her] fingertips around the clock.” Would her friends describe her as a compulsive then? Hong isn’t really sure. “I don’t really ask them what they think of me,” she says. “They are a loving, support-ive lot so they’d probably have some nice things to say.” She adds, “Mostly they don’t understand why I don’t want to be on Project Runway.” What kind of designer does she describe her as then? She says her work is defined by a combination of the audience she caters to and her experiments with

Z O E H O N G

HUB Designer Zoe Hong wants you to know: “This is no whim, there is no ‘plan B,’ there was never anything else I loved more than designing.” Even though it’s

such a tough industry? Yes. When she was only ten years old she had her first job working in her father’s grocery store where she was paid in fash-ion magazines. “In retrospect, if my father’s Eng-lish was more proficient, he probably wouldn’t have let his ten year old read Cosmopolitan,” she jokes. “But honestly, I just liked the photos of the clothes.”

She received her BFA in Fashion Design at Otis College of Art and Design in the heart of Los Ange-les’s fashion district, an area she lovingly describes as “a mishmash of design studios, showrooms, fac-tories, fabric jobbers and bacon-wrapped hotdogs.”

After working for different designers for a few years, she launched her own brand, the motto of which


Zoe Hong | Page 27 | Votive Magazine: Issue Five

Photographer: Joshua LaCunha (lacunha.com)Model: Lisa Standing

Photographer: Henry Alfonso Navarro (lensexposure.com)

Models: Sara Cecil and Brandon ParisHair: Terri Brown-Gilbert

Makeup: Maya Chancelade

leather. “I dress women, not teenyboppers, and not all women subscribe to a saccharine beauty ideal.” She particularly loves playing with this concept by hitting what she calls the “splice on the scale between femi-ninity and androgyny.”

It’s not just leather Hong experiments with – in fact it’s the ability to experiment with every aspect of the design business that she loves most about being part of HUB. For Hong, the HUB is the perfect place for “trying new things, seeing what sells, seeing what doesn’t, trying to figure out the disconnect between try-ing something on and not buying it, working out what my price ceiling is, stuff like that.” In an age where her brand and her name become completely entangled in cyberspace, she also appreciates the simplicity of still having “a brick and mortar space to send customers.”

When she’s not designing, Hong is teaching Fashion Design 1 at the Academy of Art University to who she describes as “the fresh, unjaded, hungry minds” – a

phase of the designer’s career she loves and enjoys mentoring. Does that mean her years in the business have toughened her up? Not in the slightest. “I don’t have a thick skin at all. What I am is resilient. People knock me over with all manner of rude or bizarre be-havior all the time. I’m very good at getting back up and getting back to work.”

But what’s her secret? “I’m very good at telling my-self to get over myself.” Ten years from now, she’ll still be creating her award-winning designs, playing with boundaries and committing to quality. Always she sees herself “working on interesting projects with a good amount of creative freedom,” says Hong. “I want to live my life with people I love. I want enough money to pursue my interests and love of travel.” Anything else? No, she says. “The rest is window dressing and details.”

Kayo Mitsuyama | Page 33 | Votive Magazine: Issue Five

it intersect with music, arts, and fashion.. feels of wonder-land, something mystical, dreamy but relaxing..How would your friends describe you both as a designer and as an individual?I hope they will say “Kayo is a best designer in the world!” if they are my friend. :) What do you think sets you apart from other Bay Area designers?What do you like best about the HUB?I feel young talented energy - I like it.What have you been doing to promote your work?A lot of fashion shows, trade shows and travelingPros and Cons of living in the Bay rather than LA or New York?Pros - high vibes from underground talentCons - limited souse of factory, fabrics What sort of projects do you have going on the side? Any other hobbies?Yoga, Meditation, running - to calm down from daily stress!:)Favorite charity or cause?Most say the fashion industry requires you to have a thick skin. Do you agree? Have your interactions with people changed at all in response?

K A Y O M I T S U Y A M A

V I have been designing since when I was a lit-tle, taught by my mother. Most of my clothing was made by me since when i was about 14. I decided to go fashion college in SF 1999.What inspires you to design? (fabrics, art, oth-er designers?) Nature, photography ,textiles.

costume from tribeWhere would you like to see yourself in 10 years time?Somewhere nice,and being super happy with what I do.Do you plan to stay in San Francisco or branch out to other cities?Not sure but I love SF:)How would you describe your brand?KAYO anime clothing is to represent bridge from reality to non reality - I believe fashion is something to make you feel different. For exsample, when you feel down, wear something col-orful to bring you up, when you feel weak, wear something to make you feel strong....I want to introduce clothing that makes people different when they wear it.Choose either boutique or runway venue? Given unlim-ited resources, how would you design the space?I would design the boutique and try to make space where


Headdress: Miss GMake up: Kara Emily & KayoStyling: Nikki FlamingoModel: Kara EmilyPhotographer: Faern, Faernworks.com

Dierdre’s one-of-a-kind pairs are manifestations of herself looking forward. She describes her line as “Conceptually Futuristic.” Modern architecture has always appeal the designer, “dynamic angles, bold lines and audacious structural gestures” she adds. Dierdre is a San Francisco native, “I love our artsy city for its liberal and anything-goes mentality.” She appreciates working within a smaller community, while trying to build her institution. As a true com-munity supporter, Dierdre donates a percentage of their profits to institutions like the Literacy for Envi-ronmental Justice, every season. Currently, Dierdre is working on the promotion and launch of her 2012 Spring/Summer collection and is in the beginning stages of designing her Fall/Win-ter collection. Following her dream has not been easy for Dierdre, but the outcome has always been gratifying. She continuously reaches out to hopeful artists and en-trepreneurs to chase after their dreams, “do not let the voice of fear hold you back – the rewards of a worthy pursuit will carry you all the way.”

D E E F I N D

There’s a natural chemistry between wom-en and shoes, no question. But the pur-poseful conceptions of Dierdre Wallace are not commonly seen as the ideal foot-wear. The passion behind every unique

pair is a bit of an eye-opener. An unrelenting wor-shiper of fashion, Dierdre found herself distraught while trying to find the pair of shoes that would best fit her. With a goal to create iconic and suitable shoes, especially for sizes eleven and up, Dierdre launched deeFind. Dierdre describes her brand as one ‘immersed in the things that make women really special: vibrant energy, grace and – of course – feminine ferocity. These works of art are much more that drop-dead sexy shoes, they are utilities for accomplishing goals and chasing dreams.” The name “deeFind” originates from Dierdre’s nick-name, Dee. The artist also comments, “My designs are how I choose to define myself. They’re my finds, hence the name deeFind. I want women to use them how they would define themselves.”

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deeFind | Page 39 | Votive Magazine: Issue Five

Photography: Josie Perez-RamondettaModel: Jennifer Stahl

Unsurprisingly, critics were captivated with Suzy’s in-novative textile designs. She develops and manipu-lates her fabrics based on her own artwork and original ideas. “I believe that fashion is a form of expression which has the power to transform, and is very liberat-ing,” Suzy adds. Suzy is currently working on a Middle Eastern inspired collection, “I want to shed some light on the rough con-ditions and expose the beauty underneath the ugliness of the war,” explains the artist. It is her dream to lib-erate the people and represent through her work the richness of their culture. Suzy believes in the balance that separates the outcomes of the war from the beau-tiful, positive origin of the country, explained through her work.

Votive readers can view more of Suzy’s work at www.suzytamimi.com.

S U Z Y T A M I M I

Suzy Tamimi is about more than just fashion: at heart, she’s a celebration of creativity. A fashion and textile design graduate from the Academy of Art University in San Fran-cisco – who truly pushes boundaries when

it comes to the pursuit of art – Suzy was a finalist for both CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) and ITS (International talent Support) in Italy. More than what meets the eye, Suzy Tamimi’s beau-tiful prints originate from and are inspired by deeper emotional backgrounds. Few designers can transform their creations from one stimulation to the next: “I am inspired by people’s pain and suffering – the potential beauty in all things and my desire to bring positive change through my designs,” Suzy explains. A well-appreciated enthusiast, Suzy has been known for her remarkable passion towards beauty – both literal and concealed.


Suzy Tamimi | Page 45 | Votive Magazine: Issue Five

Photography: Hannah Marie BooneModels: Michelle Wilson @ Scout

& Laila HayaniHair & Makeup: Suzy Tamimi

Photographers | Page 15 | Votive Magazine: Issue TwoSuzy Tamimi | Page 47 | Votive Magazine: Issue Five

Suzy Tamimi | Page 49 | Votive Magazine: Issue Five

Hoping to grow even further as an artist, Crisanta gladly accepts criticism with an open mind, which she says actu-ally inspires her to work harder and thus prove any critics wrong. Crisanta offers a little advice and direction of her own as a teacher as well. She offers free after school pro-grams in her studio, where she has transformed herself from a “self made fashion designer, into a mentor.”

Her goals for the future include influencing the local youth in various areas and expanding her label. Crisanta sees herself active in teaching, while sharing her experiences to those who may feel discouraged or lacking in oppor-tunities within the cut-throat fashion industry. As you can see, her true purpose goes beyond personal success, but dives into the realms of inspiring young professionals. “My love for fashion transformed my life beyond my imagina-tion.”

You can follow Crisanta on Facebook or go to her website: www.crisantamalig.com/ for more information.

C R I S A N T A M A L I G

VCrisanta Malig is one of the self-taught cre-atives whose designs are showcased at the Hub. She started designing at the age of five, and began sewing and pattern making by elementary school. Her knowledge and skill are apparent in her clothing line encompass-

ing pieces that are versatile, elegant, and wearable for a range of occasions. She has been known to take any piece of fabric and turn it into a beautiful top, utilizing geo-metrical shapes as her main inspirations. In comparison to many other local designers, she has the natural ability to be resourceful with her materials, and the creativity to constantly “think outside of the box.” Crisanta loves being a part of the San Francisco fashion industry and cannot imagine residing anywhere else. She describes the atmosphere in the Silicon Valley as interac-tive, fresh, and friendly. So why choose the Hub to display her designs? She feels that the Hub is a great location to promote not only her work, but her cause of inspiring emerging artists. She plans on expanding her line by us-ing local community events, and has put together several successful fashion shows in past years.

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Crisanta Malig | Page 51 | Votive Magazine: Issue Five

Photography: jinggo Montenejo & Vincent GottiModels: Erika Soto @ Look,

Jesse Perkins, Christian Perkins,Raechelle Astudillo & Angelica Astudillo

Hair & Makeup: Arlene Coleman

Crisanta Malig | Page 53 | Votive Magazine: Issue Four

Crisanta Malig | Page 55 | Votive Magazine: Issue Five

While she would love to expand to Europe and the Middle East, she would first like to dress every woman in San Francisco, before branching out. She is cur-rently working on a club-wear tunics collection, where one could throw her designs over jeans or simply wear them out as a dress.

Beyond being a fashion entrepreneur, who is Swati? During her free time, she loves cooking and home im-provement. She is a full time mother, and absolutely adores the experience. She is a strong, focused wom-an, motivated to triumph over any hurdle and explore her many purposes in life. “SWATI has made a difference in the hearts and the lives of several women, and is known as a trendsetter and a pioneer of Indian origin fashion for Americans. An integral, respected part of a revolution, standing unique and bringing a sensibility of fashion that never existed before.”

You can support Swati Couture via www.face-book.com/SWATICouture or directly at www.swaticouture.com.

S W A T I K A P O O R

What inspires SWATI is her muse- “The Bay Area woman who is multicultural, whose beauty knows no boundaries, a woman who has the desire to look and feel beauti-ful.”

Swati Couture is based within the San Francisco Bay Area and focuses on Indian origin and fusion fashions. The woman behind the beautiful and unique special occasion clothing, has been passionate about fashion since her early childhood. She used to dress up dolls, as her grandmother organized fashion for charity, while her aunt owned an organic cotton line. Born in India, Swati Kapoor studied graphic art as an undergraduate. She eventually graduated with a masters in design from the Academy of Art in San Francisco, CA. Originally an artist with a graphic design background, she transformed into a fashion entrepre-neur after the economic downturn.

Using luxurious fabrics and custom embroidery, Swati is able to create styles that combine traditional and modern elements for Bay Area women. She commis-sions Indian designers to create pieces for her line.


Swati Kapoor | Page 57 | Votive Magazine: Issue Five

Photography: SebastianModel: Samiha

Photography: David Art at KandidzMannequins: www.Mannequinmadness.com

Photography: David Art at KANDIDZModel: Aubrey


Photography: David Art at KandidzModel: Hanna

Photography: David Art at KANDIDZModel: Aubrey


Photography: Marc AvilesModels: Shilpa & John

mood boards are very clean and organized, which can sometimes get me trouble in school. They pre-ferred it if I was a bit messier.”

These traits might chalk up to a heightened sense of competition, but Chen says he doesn’t active-ly try to be different from his peers. He believes unique qualities come out naturally with designer. “Each one of us is an individual and we share the community,” says Chen. “Like anything else, every designer has strengths and weaknesses.”

There is no room for mistakes or second chances in the fashion industry, but Chen doesn’t let him-self get dragged down with worry. “Being a design-er can be a tough process to go at alone and the advice or even just support of others is extremely helpful. Together we find solutions and execute them, which [is] ultimately how to be successful in any endeavor.”

Chen describes his brand as bold yet minimalist luxury everyday wear for men and women. He con-siders fit to be the most important element in a de-sign. He also puts an emphasis on materials and

K E N C H E N

I t all started by happy accident. There was one instead of two – advisers, that is. Ken Chen’s agreement to accompany his friend to an interview at an interior design school resulted in a pivotal mo-ment of his own when the school mis-

took him for a prospective student and assigned him an adviser too. Chen told his surprise adviser that he wasn’t really interested in fashion, despite her suggestion that it might be a perfect match for him. He agreed to design 12 looks for her anyway. After that, he was accepted into their program. Chen studied at a few different institutions before ending up in the four year program at the AAU – San Francisco, where he is currently finishing his courses.

What was it about Chen that makes for a talent-ed, professional designer? It’s about attention to detail, he says. It’s about making sure work gets done quickly and perfectly. It’s about always think-ing of the steps ahead. It’s about a strong sense of style that he describes as elegant, modern and a little formal. “As a designer, I might be described as calculated and methodical,” says Chen. “My


Ken Chen | Page 63 | Votive Magazine: Issue Five

using high quality wool and leather. He says his 2012 collection was inspired by the relationship “between human development and the balance of nature in our cities, social constructs, and our bodies.” He says he was particularly inspired by architects, buildings, biol-ogy and human bodies and that this conversation be-tween the constructed and the organic can be seen on his runway in the pairing of solidly-structured jackets with the organic movement in his dresses.

Chen says his fall and winter 2013 designs will evolve the brand by incorporating more new colors and tex-tures. Further down the road Chen hopes to have his own design house and open stores in New York, Lon-don, Paris and Taipei, and of course, San Francisco. “The San Francisco fashion community has been en-couraging and we certainly owe it to many different people that we’ve been as successful as we are,” says Chen about the benefits of operating in the HUB in Fog City. For updates on Chen’s career and to view his en-tire collection, please visit www.kenchensf.com.

She finds that people are more grateful for jewelries that have stories to tell, “There’s poetry in my pieces, and there’s always a background to every [piece of] jewelry.” When asked about her upcoming collection, as well as her collaborations, and how to pinpoint what exactly differentiates the LaVladi jewelry from the others, LaV-ladi comments, “My new line, Japanese Dreams, was created in memory of the disaster in Japan. I will be collaborating with Crisanta Malig, a brilliant designer who works with Filipino-inspired traditional gowns. The profits from my collection will go to the Tsunami Relief Fund.

LaVladi is currently selling her pieces on Etsy at www.lavladi.com.

L A V L A D I

Japanese art meets gothic architecture for LaVladi’s jewelry pieces: from cardinals to peacocks, glass-blown baubles to feather-like gold and ornate crosses that are intri-cately arranged into powerful compositions.

LaVladi was raised in the theater. Her father was a stage and costume designer. From this, she grew to appreciate the arts and started conceptualizing on ideas for costumes that would best describe specific characters that she saw on the stage as a child. “Everything happened organically,” LaVladi explains. What sparked her interest was the innate stylistic need to completely represent a wardrobe. Additional inspi-rational influences are mostly found from repurposed objects that she finds innovative and less traditional.


LaVladi | Page 69 | Votive Magazine: Issue Five

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women, who love fashion but don’t like to follow the trends.” Violetta’s wedding gowns are versatile, in that they can be transformed into short cocktail dresses for the after parties. Brides are able to customize their dresses with fabrics, colors, and accessories. Violetta describes her dream boutique as simple and very modern. “Dresses would be displayed on trans-parent mannequins of glass. I would install a large touch screen, on which brides will be able to mix and match their own dresses using specially developed software to accessorize their look.” While she may not be able to create this idea just yet, she loves the overall concept of the HUB. She appreciates this venue’s abil-ity to bring emerging designers together who cannot afford to have their own boutiques yet. In addition to designing several collections within her brand, Violetta is also a mother and part time instructor at FIDM in San Francisco where she teaches draping and couture sewing techniques.

You can view Violetta’s newest designs at www.viogemini.com.

V I O L E T T A V I E U X

V ioGemini by Violetta Vieux is an exquisite brand based out of Fremont, CA. The de-signer behind the the wedding and evening gowns has credited her style to her strong European background of living in Moldova Republic, moving to Romania (where she

took her first sketching class), and also studying at ESMOD - a prestigious fashion school in Paris, where she graduated with her Masters of Arts Degree. During her studies, she interned at the Dupre-Santabarbara Couture house, where she learned how to work with fur and French lace. Violetta’s dream of designing first appeared when she was six years old, when her grandmother taught her to knit and crochet. At the age of 13, she was creating clothes and accessories such as embroidered hand-kerchiefs and knitted sweaters. Before long, Violetta was taking orders from friends and family who predict-ed that one day she would become a fashion designer. The artist lists Paco Rabanne and Jean Paul Gaultier as constant sources of motivation for her designs. VioGemini as a brand, focuses on wedding gowns and evening dresses. “Both are created for young and chic


Violetta Vieux | Page 75 | Votive Magazine: Issue Five

as well as the melodies and rhythmns of music. When it comes to choosing his materials, Page says he will not use a fabric if it doesn’t “feel right”. To him, texture is key to a wearable piece.

Not only is Platinum Dirt inspired by nature, but it also works to protect her. “My signature product is my VIN Jacket™ . The jackets are reclaimed leather from vehi-cles such as Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, Lincoln, BMW, and Volvo. Each jacket has the VIN (vehicle identifica-tion number) plate from the automobile. They are ac-cented with a hood ornament on the zipper pull, and hand crafted with style and precision. Using fine fab-rics and silk brocade material for liner and pockets,” explains Page. His plans for the future? Dustin tells Votive, “I would like to see a Platinum Dirt production house here in the Bay Area employing 100+ people. Helping to bring the garment industry back to the U.S. while changing the way we produce clothing and ac-cessories in the world to a more sustainable business model, making products built to last, made locally, sourced locally and environmentally sustainable. Con-tinuing to up-cycle and repurpose resources that would end up in a landfill somewhere.”

Read more about Platinum Dirt and their practi-cal, sustainable products at PlatinumDirt.com.

P L A T I N U M D I R T

Dustin Page of Platinum Dirt was always fas-cinated with the sewing machine growing up, but never had access to one. Always a creative and crafty person, Page decided in 1995 that he wanted to start a snowboard-ing clothing line, but again could not find the

means to do so and put it on the back burner. Then, in 2004 Dustin began designing tee shirts for fun. Several friends offered to buy them and that’s when Page real-ized he could finally form the clothing business he had spent years dreaming of. The designer bought an in-dustrial sewing machine in 2006 on Craig’s List for one hundred dollars and buckled down to refine his craft.

Page originally went to college to study mechanical en-gineering, but three years in decided his heart wasn’t in it and began studying art instead. After teaching him-self to use Adobe Photoshop, Page was hired at Public and Hal Riney in San Francisco as an art assistant. It was here that he developed his love for graphic de-sign. This combined with his skills in technical drawing made pattern making come easily and soon Platinum Dirt was born.

Now, Dustin works full time (and then some) on his clothing line. He gets most of his creative inspiration from nature with all of it’s colors, shapes and functions


Platinum Dirt | Page 81 | Votive Magazine: Issue Five

Models: Jenna Breeanna Crowley, Sigrid Harvey, Chelsea Bobowicz

& Conrad RobertPhotographers: Kat Silan

& Neil “Youngson” Harris

healthy balance between artistic and practical applica-tions.

Be on the lookout for Tokay artwear in the near fu-ture, as Bobby has become focused on expanding the men’s apparel. The new collection will build on the deconstructed, post-industrial feel of his previous line. The designer says, “It’s important to have your envi-ronment be a comfortable place, to allow the creative juices to flow.”

Bobby’s room mate agrees that the designer has been very lucky thus far, but deserves the credit for his achievements. “Bobby Lee’s designs have the same mix of pragmatism and whimsy as he does. Some-times I think Bobby is the luckiest man alive. He sort of falls into things that are exactly right, things you never would have thought of until it happens upon them.”

You can view Bobby Lee’s designs at www.To-kayartwear.com and LIKE his page on Facebook.

T O K A Y A R T W E A R

Bobby Lee has been designing since 2010, where he began to notice he had his own interpretation of what fashion could be. He began designing men’s clothes based on what he favors within his own personal style. Tokay Artwear also caters to women,

with collections of women’s jackets, specifically fleece. “I was hearing a lot of women in San Francisco com-plain how unstylish but practical fleece was, and so I thought it would be a fun challenge to make fleece sexy.” Bobby describes the women who wear his line as “conscious, independent, yet have an edgy and con-fident side.”

Throughout his lifetime, Bobby has experimented with many different forms of art such as photography, paint-ing, and interior decorating before deciding to go into fashion. “Whether it is bricks, mortar, fleece or silk. In many ways, these things are equivalent to me.” This versatile artist grew up with Bob Ross as his inspiration (the host of a painting show on PBS). Now, he feels that intricate and eccentric design inspires him, with a



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