The Textile Arts Council presents celebrated Bay Area fiber artist Lia Cook. One of the first weavers to employ digital photography in her work, her recent weavings look like photographic enlargements of faces, but dissolve into a maze-like surface upon closer inspection. She was interested to see that viewers were so emotionally invloved with the pieces that they were often moved to touch them.

Long interested in the science of the brain, and curious about these reactions to her art, Ms. Cook was invited to participate in the TREND program at the University of Pittsburgh’s school of medicine. This program invites an artist to take residency for collaboration with neuroscience researchers. Through this collaboration, Ms. Cook was able to map the responses in the brain showing areas of touch and emotion when viewing the art. Lia Cook’s work is in the permanent collection of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco as well as the collections of many other institutions and private individuals. She has exhibited her work internationally and is a respected teacher.

WHEN: Saturday, January 21, 2012 – 10 am

WHERE: Koret Auditorium – de Young Museum

Free to TAC members, $5 for museum members & students, $10 for non-members

Finding myself with an unexpected layover for an entire day in the German city of Munich, I took advantage of this otherwise dreadful event. Immediately after stepping off the metro at Marienplatz, the city square, I was greeted by below freezing temperatures. Yet all around me, the residents looked undeniably chic in their long parkas. Cinched at the waist and puffy in just the right places, these Germans knew how to keep warm while staying stylish. I on the other hand, stood out like a sore thumb with my bright pink pea coat, much more suitable for the milder San Francisco weather.

Stemming from the square, the Maximilianstrasse royal Avenue is known for luxury boutiques, small designer shops, fine jewelry stores and decadent cafes. One in particular immediately caught my eye, Marion Heinrich. With its big white letters against a solid black background, I knew I had found a designer treasure chest. The window display was in cohesion with the sign; with black and white separates contrastingly arranged to bring attention. This once small boutique opened by Marion Heinrich herself in the 1970’s has grown extensively. At the beginning, she housed designers like Thierry Mugler, Claude Montana, and Brigitte Bardot’s first and only fashion collection, ‘La Madrague’.  Currently, Ms. Heinrich has dedicated separate rooms within the two-story boutique to her favorite designers, Azzedine Alaïa and Manolo Blahnik, which she exclusively stocks herself. In addition, she houses other sought after designers like Lanvin, Givenchy, Balmain, and Tom Ford to name a few.

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Dawn Olivieri, who has had roles in House of Lies and The Vampire Diaries, wore a dress by Sara Shepherd, 2005 B.F.A. Fashion Design alumna, to the InStyle Golden Globes after party.

Dawn’s stylist, Hellin Kay, knew it was the one instantly:

“The Sara Shepherd dress fit Dawn like a glove so we knew the second she put it on that was the dress! I love the simplicity of it, it’s formal without being over the top and has just the right amount of edge in the details…”

This is not the first time that one of Sara Shepherd’s dresses has been worn for the red carpet – Livia Firth, Colin Firth’s wife, wore one of her beautiful designs to the London premiere of A Single Man.

Congratulations Sara!

Photo Courtesy of David Bailey.

Filmmaker John McKay has been working on a new biopic that follows the famed photographer David Bailey on a trip to NYC with an as yet undiscovered Jean Shrimpton. This video from NOWNESS takes viewers behind the scenes as McKay and the film’s stars wander the streets of New York, recreating the iconic images. The photo shoot was revolutionary at the time, showcasing the grittier aspects of New York and embodying the liberated spirit of the decade.

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In today’s Alumni Update, we take a minute to catch up with Jeremiah Perez, who graduated from the School of Fashion in 2003 with a BFA in Fashion Merchandising. After working in the fashion journalism industry in New York, he switched gears and began his career in politics. Read on to find out what he is up to now!

You graduated from the School of Fashion in 2003 with a BFA in Fashion Merchandising, and then moved to New York and worked as a freelance editor. What was that experience like?

Working in New York was fantastic. When I moved to New York I took writing classes at MediaBistro and networked like crazy to break into magazine journalism. I worked for InTouch Weekly, Glamour, MORE magazine, and was an intern for Glenda Bailey, the editor-in-chief of Harpers’ BAZAAR. Working in the editor-in-chiefs’ office was eye-opening. I learned a lot about the magazine business and the importance of relationships.

What prompted your move to the realm of politics?

I have always volunteered for non-profits since college and been politically active. I was freelancing in New York, and started Amputees in Motion – an activities based non-profit for people with limb loss. I am a below the knee amputee so I am passionate about raising awareness and helping the disabled community. Then a job opportunity in Washington, D.C. surfaced to be a national advocacy specialist for the Amputee Coalition where I worked to make sure amputees receive proper access to health care. I have been involved in politics and management consulting for years. And in 2011, I obtained my masters in Legislative Affairs from George Washington University.

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Last night at the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards, the big winner of the evening was The Artist, taking home three statues. The movie is a pastiche of the silent film era – and follows the career of a fictional star as talking pictures threaten to make his art form a thing of the past. For today’s edition of Monday Morning Photos, we were inspired to take a look back at the true stars of the silent film era, our country’s original Hollywood Icons.

Greta Garbo. Photo Courtesy of SNAP/Rex Features.

Charlie Chaplin. Photo Courtesy of Allstar Picture Library.

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Photo Courtesy of Deviant Art

Just yesterday, Coachella released their 2012 lineup via Facebook and Twitter. The headliners are The Black Keys, Radiohead, and Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg. The much anticipated return of French electro-duo Justice is not to be missed, we can’t wait to hear their new rock-infused sound, as well as the reunions of Mazzy Star and At the Drive-In, and new material from The Shins. And Florence + the Machine is sure to have a stellar performance as well.

But – like any music festival vet knows – the real gems are the lesser known acts, the fine print if you will. Neon Indian always puts on a great show, as do The Vaccines, Metronomy, and Lissie. One of our personal faves and probably one of the most talented artists out there right now, Gary Clark, Jr. also made the cut – we fell in love with his bluesy sound during a private concert at John Varvatos in SF. Other notables: Santigold, Beirut, The Weeknd, Gotye, Bon Iver, M83 – okay this could go on for days, and we’ve barely even touched on the stellar electro artists on the roster (Swedish House Mafia, AVICII, David Guetta, Clavin Harris – just to name a few). We do have to take a moment to saluate the Bay Area bands holding it down this year – tUne-yArDs, GIRLS – though we wish there were more.

Let the countdown begin – only 93 days until weekend 1! Who are you most excited to see? Let us know in the comments below!

P.S. Tickets go on sale this Friday, January 13 at 10 AM – they’re sure to go quick! And if you hadn’t heard, Coachella will run for two weekends this year. Weekend 1 is April 13-15, and Weekend 2 is April 20-22.

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President Obama with First Lady Michelle Obama in a dress by Jason Wu at the Inaugural Ball.

The 2012 Presidential campaigns are well under way, and it looks like President Obama will have the most fashionable campaign – EVER. Twenty-two designers have partnered with the Obama campaign initiative Runway to Win, for which designers will create merchandise to help raise funds for the President’s 2012 Reelection Campaign.

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For our last post in the year 2011, we thought it only fitting that we take a look back at the events that made this year memorable. Iconic wedding dresses, collaborations causing a craze, a teen queen takeover, the Occupy Wall Street movement, and more. What were your favorite fashion moments in 2011?

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Designer Zandra Rhodes. Photo Courtesy of WWD.

British designer Zandra Rhodes recently assembled a traveling exhibition “Zandra Rhodes: A Lifelong Love Affair With Textiles,” which is currently in San Diego. As she discussed the new exhibit, Zandra explained her textile-driven design process to aspiring designers: “The print dictates the dress cut, not the other way around.” The designer went on to say that she wished that textile designers, whom she dubbed the “Cinderellas of the business,” were given more credit for their role in the design process. And we wholeheartedly agree – especially with so many talented textile designers in the School of Fashion!

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