A scene from Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette starring Kirsten Dunst. Playing on Sunday, April 8th.

This year, San Francisco is getting it’s very own fashion-centric film festival – appropriately named (what else) the San Francisco Fashion Film Festival! The festival, founded by three local fashion bloggers, will present a curated selection of independent, documentary, and dramatic films that provide a new perspective on what it means to be stylish in the cinema. Think classics like Barbarella and Ziegfeld Girl, and new comers like Miss Representation and Marie Antionette. The festival will be held on April 7th and 8th at the Roxie Theater – you can check out the full schedule and buy tickets here!

They are also having a few pre-festival events that you won’t want to miss! A seminar on Disposable Film 101 on Sunday, March 25th and a screening of Falbalas in conjunction with The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk on Friday, April 6th.

All nine designers from the Academy of Art University Fall ’12 Fashion Show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week were featured on Metro Velvet! The fashion forward website brings readers the best of the best from fashion weeks all over the world, and we LOVE that our designers were included. Below is a preview of the post, but head over to Metro Velvet’s website to read the entire thing!

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Fashion Editors in the Front Row. Photo Courtesy of Getty.

 Calling all fashion writers! Mark your calendars for Sunday, March 25th for an event that is sure to inspire your fashion journalist potential!

“This workshop is very much a hands-on affair. No details will be spared,

all pertinent secrets will be revealed.” – 826 News

826 Valencia is holding a Fashion Writing Seminar where you will learn tips and tricks from a handful of writers and editors from your favorite fashion sites: Katie Hintz-Zambrano (Refinery29), Laura Vrcek (ModCloth), Lorraine Sanders (Sf Indie Fashion & San Francisco Chronicle), Gina Pell (Splendora & Joyus), and more! They will be discussing the ins-and-outs of fashion writing and how to get your work published.

The event will be held from 7:00pm-9:30pm at the 826 Valencia Writers Lab. You can buy your discounted student ticket here for $35, general admission is $50, and all of the proceeds will benefit free student writing programs at 826 Valencia.

For more information, please contact Yalie Kamara, 415-642-5905 ext.204.

 Written By: Ashley Castanos

Today’s Industry Interview is with Tia Walker – Publisher and Fashion Blogger at The Quest for “it”. Tia is a constant figure at fashion shows, industry events, and on the red carpet – bringing readers exclusive content straight from the source. You can always find her backstage at our shows at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, interviewing designers and fashion-savvy celebs – but today, she’s answering some of our questions! Read on for some of Tia’s most memorable moments and advice on breaking into the world of fashion journalism.

You began your website years ago, before websites and blogs had gained popularity and credibility – what drew you to the on-line medium and did you think it be as influential as it is now?

Online has always been the most easily accessible and cost-effective route for an independent journalist. I think had I not created The Quest for “it”, the success of a few other blogs–no names–would be very, very different. Forming The Quest for “it” in 2005 set the tone for a lot of similar sites–we’re definitely at the forefront as a “how to” and “go to” resource of what should be reported on in fashion and society. We’ve also always had a celebrity component. Proud to say that I started The Quest for “it” the same year as Celeb Blog behemoths Perez Hilton & Just Jared.

In terms of credibiltiy I’ve never had too much of a problem. I’ve always believed in quality, select reporting–we don’t just throw anyone or any photo up for the sake of volume. As PR firms began to understand and trust the role of a blogger and blogs in terms of getting a story told, I was already out there. I was what I like to call accidentally lucky. Had I planned to be a blogger and have a well respected blog it may not have worked. Commercial success is something that can be attained rather quickly but credibility and being well respected comes from quality and time.

What originally drew you to journalism?

I was destined to be a journalist of sorts I think. As a kid I was always writing poems and short stories and reading them to my family, it made me very, very happy. This led to being both an honors English student and an honors History student in high school. Eventually I grew bored of the honors English track, it was too much reading of very long novels, and I ended up flunking out due to never completing my assignments.

I entered college as a Communications major where I took courses like Intro to Mass Media and Techniques of Interviewing–again I grew bored. I changed majors and ended up getting a degree in History with a minor in Art History. All the writing in my major and minor made me a natural to be a journalist or blogger in my opinion. So what drew me to journalism has always been the same– the thrill of writing and sharing information with the masses.

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Ever wondered what it takes to be recognized as a true French couturier? Jean Paul Gaultier has spent his career stunning audiences and creating a name for himself in the world of fashion. Nowadays, the word couture is too often used and can represent anything from a meticulously crafted ball gown to a pair of velour sweatpants. It is only when we take a closer look at Gaultier’s work that we can recognize the true art form of what haute couture really is.

The De Young Museum will be showing its fourth designer exhibition this March and Jean Paul Gaultier is the perfect subject. Audiences can expect to be shocked by his provocative styles and wowed by his amazing design skills. He may be the shyest one in the room, but his personality is sure to shine through his collections.

Nathalie Doucet, founder and president of the Arts of Fashion Foundation, gave a lecture at the Textile Arts Council this past weekend. We learned about the life and career of Monsieur Gaultier, as well as the history of some of the most famous French couture houses in history.

Growing up in the suburbs of Paris, his life was far from glamorous. He spent much of his time watching television and reading fashion magazines. He was fascinated with the female body and intrigued by the idea of making it look more beautiful. Gaultier began experimenting by performing makeovers on his first mannequin, a stuffed teddy bear.

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Photo Courtesy of Ed Alcock for the New York Times.

New York Times writer Eric Wilson just published an article on Jean Paul Gaultier, looking back on the designer’s career as he celebrates 35 years in the fashion industry – and his 60th birthday. The article follows Gaultier as he prepares for his Spring 2012 ready-to-wear show in Paris and discusses the museum exhibit showcasing his work, The Fashion of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk. The enfant terrible of fashion, as we was dubbed, is known for his ability to take classical elements of fashion and turn them into something completely subversive. Apart from his wicked sense of humor and wit, he is lauded for his craftsmanship, which he brilliantly displays at the couture shows each season.

When asked if he still felt appreciated, he replied:

“Yes, not as much as before, but yes. I am no more the flavor of the month, or the year, or the decade, but it has been 35 years. I can say in some way I am lucky, when I look at the people who were there with me at the beginning, and I am the one who is still here. I am still appreciated, but not for the same reason as before.”

One thing we’re sure of – we can’t wait to appreciate his iconic work in the flesh – when his exhibit opens at the de Young Museum in San Francisco! From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk will run form March 24th, 2012 to August 19th, 2012. For more information, visit the de Young Museum website.

To read the entire New York Times article (truly a must read), click here.

There’s something about fashion shows that just never gets old. You feel like a kid in a candy shop and sometimes you really don’t know where to look because you’re torn between multiple moments that beckon your attention.

The Academy of Art University show was bursting with those moments.

From the team backstage employing their artistry with hair and make up to the outstanding collections the design graduates produced, the show was a smashing success. I agree with Diana Vreeland that “fashion must be the intoxicating release from the banality of the world,” for fashion and style are a duet of inspiration and feeling that certainly distract from the dreary day. Once the runway is before you, you can’t help but be taken over by fashion. The Academy of Art University show was full of this kind of intoxication.

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Issue No. 6 of 180 Magazine will officially drop tomorrow! Show goers were given a preview of the mag at our Fall ’12 Fashion Show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, and we can’t wait to show all of you!

This edition of 180 takes readers on a journey through the past, present, and future – celebrating techniques that have been practiced for centuries and embracing new movements that will preserve them for generations to come. It’s packed with amazing photo shoots and insightful stories, so be sure to pick up your copy tomorrow!

UPDATE: The issue will now drop next Tuesday, February 28th. Sorry for the delay!

The Academy of Art University Fall ’12 Fashion Show was featured in this Sunday’s San Francisco Chronicle! Looks from Farida Khan, Wu Di, and Donghyuk Dan Kim graced the cover of the Style Section, and a two page spread featured behind-the-scenes photos, runway images, and interviews with the designers. Here are a few highlights from the article!

Working with black and ivory, Amy Bond’s intriguing collection was full of complex, sensuous shapes, particularly an ivory silk dress with a bustled hem.

Donghyuk Dan Kim gave military uniforms a wearable twist, combining oilcloth cotton shirts with tailored wool pants that mixed fabrics, most memorably in wool plaid pants and jackets with leather grid-like accents and stripes.

Kate Y. K. Lee’s layered wool and leather pieces, ranging from a luxe quilted leather jacket with a stand-up collar to pants and leggings, were a modern take on suiting.

Jade Juanyu Liu presented lightweight, menswear-inspired pieces crafted from Swiss bonded wool, as well as terrific vests and coast in a fur-like copper fabric that added texture and dimension.

Deanna Pei-Ju Lo worked leather into pleats, and also used two saturation of navy along with black and velvet blocks – a subtle take on color blocking and fabric mixing.

Congratulations designers!!

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