bay area designers

LHC Couture is San Francisco’s fashion treasure

 in Bay Area Fashion / General Fashion / Local Designers  tagged bay area designers / dresses / interviews / lhc couture / summer 2011 by

The San Francisco Bay Area has a fashion secret that will not stay quiet for long-LHC Couture. Created by Bay Area native Lauren Hyde Crafford, the line is unique and perfect for the West Coast climate. Lauren Hyde Crafford uses only the highest quality modal jersey and matte jersey for her designs. The high quality jersey fabrications allow LHC Couture designs to be elegant, slim and drape well while being comfortable enough for everyday wear; fabulous!

Designer Lauren Hyde Crafford grew up in the Bay Area, in Los Gatos, Ca. After high school, she ventured south to Loyola Marymount to earn her undergraduate degree. After earning her bachelor’s degree, Crafford enrolled in FIDM in order to earn a degree in merchandise product development. Crafford’s keen eye for design landed her a prized position at Bebe where she worked in textile design. After Bebe, Crafford worked for Levi Strauss in the Dockers Division. While working for the legendary inventor of denim jeans, Lauren Hyde Crafford began working on her own line. Eventually, she left her full time position in order to concentrate on the launch of LHC Couture. 

LHC Couture launched its’ first line in fall of 2010 with a second collection in spring 2011. The incredible line offers prêt-a-porter as well as full-fledged couture. LHC Couture is all hand-made by either Lauren herself or by highly skilled seamstresses who work in her studio. The designs by LHC Couture take inspiration from Grecian fashion as well as taking avant-garde looks from the European runways and bringing them into reality. Love it!

The fabrications used by LHC Couture are the highest quality jerseys on the market. LHC Couture uses modal jersey and matte jersey; the new line for fall will include silk modal. LHC Couture also creates incredible bridal attire for both the bride and bridesmaids. The bridal gowns are couture and the bridesmaid dresses can be customized to suit the taste of the bridal party.

LHC Couture is priced between $75-$120 for tops, $120-$200 for gowns and couture gowns vary by design. To learn more about LHC Couture, please visit LHCCouture.com. Click on “Contact” to request a couture consultation.

*Special Thank You to Lauren Hyde Crafford for taking the time to speak with me. She is truely an inspiration!

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HOT Local Jewelry Designer!

 in General Fashion / Jewelry / Local Designers  tagged bay area designers / kathy kamei by

The runways in Milan, New York and of course Paris were filled with the hot new jewelry designs for Spring 2010. Of course large and chunky jewelry, a throwback to 2009, still dominated the models on the catwalk, but one trend that really stuck out and looks to be a favorite of fashionistas is the gold cuff.

The gold cuff was on the arms of models in almost every fashion show. There were different styles of gold cuffs from the simple, Tiffany style of polished and sculpted gold to the outlandish such as Louis Vuitton. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, we are a more understated bunch. Although we pride ourselves on being anything but conservative, bay area fashionistas like to keep the flash to a minimum; it’s just how we roll. In order for fashionistas here in the bay to follow this trend we need to look further than our own backyard. Local jewelry designer Kathy Kamei designs jewelry not for the sake of fashion but for the health of the soul. As Kathy explains on her website, she wishes to empower women and have them give meanings to their passions. Inspired by her time in Bali, Kathy Kamei designs her jewelry to open the hearts of the wearer, remind them to be mindful and also reach spiritual fulfillment.

Kathy Kamei’s designs can be found in earrings, necklaces, bracelets and of course the most important piece of jewelry of the season; the gold cuff. Her “Large Life Circle Cuff” for $365, is a stunning piece in gold with silver trim along the sides. This handmade work of art features many small circles in varying sizes pieced together to form a fabulous cuff that is unique yet understated. Not only is this cuff extremely of the moment, it is a fabulous jewelry piece that can be worn season after season. Cuff’s come in and out of the forefront of fashion, so this cuff is the perfect fashion investment. Every fashionista in the Bay Area should own at least one piece of Kathy Kamei designs. Not only are her designs timeless works of art, they represent everything bay area residents encompass from an internal point of view.