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

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!

This Saturday, January 21st, Simon Doonan will be at Barneys in Union Square! He’ll be at the store from 2:00 to 4:00 PM promoting his new book, Gay Men Don’t Get Fat, and you can snag yourself a signed copy. Even if you’re not willing to give up your carbs or guacamole, you’re sure to lose a few pounds as you laugh your way through Doonan’s satirical statements and revelations!

You can RSVP to (415) 268 – 3500.

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.

Follow the jump to see more! Read more…

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.

Follow the jump for the full lineup! Read more…

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.

Follow the jump to read more! Read more…

The first few pieces from Jason Wu’s capsule collection for Target have been released – and we have to say they definitely have us excited! The pieces are signature Wu, flirty and feminine, and also take direct inspiration from French New Wave films and actress Jean Seberg – what Wu calls “gamine chic.”

“My goal was not to duplicate anything from my main collection,” the designer explained. “Instead, I designed completely new clothes and accessories that reflect my taste and have a voice of their own.”

The collection will hit stores February 5 – and let’s hope that Target learned their lesson from the Missoni debacle!

[Source: Glamour.com]

Follow the jump to see more! Read more…

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?

Follow the jump to see more! Read more…

Event Co-Hosts Nadine Weil and Zem Joaquin.

On December 6th, 2011, Global Green celebrated its 7th annual Gorgeous and Green gala and fashion show at the Bently Reserve in downtown San Francisco. Guests were entertained by musical guest Michelle Branch, as well as the dinner theatre performance, and of course – an eco-fashion show featuring designs from Karen Caldwell, Oliver Tolentino, Minolya, and our very own Sara Sheperd.

Sara graduated from the School of Fashion in 2005 with a B.F.A. in Fashion and Textile Design. She now teaches at the University, and has her own collection. Co-host for the evening, Nadine Weil, also wore a dress by Sara for the event, a gorgeous black silk gown. The goal of the event is to expand the perception of what it means to be truly sustainable without sacrificing style – a mission we totally support. Bravo!

Follow the jump for fashion show photos! Read more…

The New Generations: Student Showcase is looking for talented student artists to be featured in this year’s show. The theme for the showcase is Matter! – think of it as a one word manifesto. Matter! is the stuff of our lives, the goods that surround us, the fibers we wear, and the atoms of which our bodies are formed. Artists and designers have, in recent years, called for a return to Matter!, new investigations of material culture, a re-invigoration of distinctly handmade objects, and insistent materiality. In an age characterized by post-studio art, others might argue that what matters most today is something immaterial, something social, an artistic form of anti-matter.

Matter! is a serious call for your creative contributions. Weigh in with your own submissions of work to be considered by our jury of art professionals.

Public Programs at the de Young Museum invites you to submit proposals of visual art, film, music, or performance art, for “Friday Nights at the de Young” on Friday, April 20, 2012. Members of the de Young Museum’s New Generations Student and Faculty Advisory Committee will jury the proposals.

HOW TO APPLY: Please send the following required information to the address or email listed below. Read the instructions carefully, submissions will be returned if applicants do not meet the following requirements.

• Participants are limited to 2 submissions
• All disciplines are welcome
• This is a one-night event. Space is limited and all artwork must be ready to hang or be displayed.
• Sizes are restricted to 50” in height and width and weight is restricted to 20 pounds

Follow the jump for more info! Read more…