Ladies and gentlemen, creatures of all shapes and sizes, persuasions and intentions, allow me to introduce to you A Swankety Swank Fairy Tale!
Narrator STORM tells the tale
Once upon a time in a deep dark forest, there lived a princess who created original handmade faerie fashions. She and her friends loved to dress up in the clothes they made, dancing and storytelling until the early morning. Continue reading
San Francisco summer is in full effect…. just barely warm days, brisk, chilly nights and lots of fog. Every San Franciscan knows that layering is the way to get through this season gracefully. If you don’t know them already, we’d like to introduce you to our answer to the San Francisco summers: the arm warmer. The arm warmer is the perfect thing to slip into your bag in the morning to wear later when the fog rolls in. We have a diverse selection of materials: knitwear, lace, cotton, velvet, some stripped and so much more. It is a good way to add some style to your ensemble, and add some coverage to bare arms when it gets chilly. We also recommend the arm cuff. These pretty little things keep the wrist and upper hand warm, all while making the wearer look super cute. Swankety Swank carries arm warmers and cuffs for ladies and the fashion forward lad.
Modeling a selection of arm warmers and other items available at Swankety Swank are STORM and Anna, our summer love birds. At least for this story…….
I met a boy, cute as can be. Anna in Zunique black lace arm warmers ($46) and Darina Drapkin lace shirt ($160)
I met a girl, crazy for me. STORM in Novy t-shirt ($24), Project Transaction belt and leather cuffs ($42-$56), Palas Key Necklace ($70) & Anna in Zunique ($46)
Summer lovin, happened so fast. STORM in Novy t-shirt ($24), Project Transaction belt and leather cuffs ($42-$56), Palas Key Necklace ($70) & Anna in Zunique black lace arm warmers ($46) and Darina Drapkin lace shirt ($160)
Summer lovin, let's use our flasks. DAS leather corset flasks ($48). Anna is gibbous hat ($60), Wysterium Wear cuffs ($22) and STORM in Novy shirt ($24), Zero Necklace ($80), and DAS top hat ($400)
Summer lovin, he's making a pass. DAS leather corset flasks ($48). Anna is gibbous hat ($60), Wysterium Wear cuffs ($22) and STORM in Novy t-shirt ($24), Zero Necklace ($80), and DAS top hat ($400)
Anna with DAS corset flask ($48) and Wysterium Wear cuffs ($22)
He got friendly, holding my hand. STORM in Novy t-shirt ($24), gibbous button arm warmers ($40), Hannah Ruskin Key necklace ($22) and Anna in Wayward Shiftys striped arm warmers and Eileen hairpin ($30)
Summer fling, don't mean a thing. Anna in Wysterium Wear cuffs ($22), Eileen hair pin ($50) and STORM in DAS top hat ($400) and Zunique arm warmers ($50)
I told her, when the summer ends, we'd still be friends. STORM in DAS top hat ($400), Novy t-shirt ($24), and DAS cuffs ($56) and Anna in Eileen hair clip ($50), Wysterium Wear cuffs, ($22)
Then we made, our true love vow.. STORM in DAS top hat ($400), Novy t-shirt ($24), and DAS cuffs ($56) and Anna in Eileen hair clip ($50), Wysterium Wear cuffs, ($22)
Oh, those summer nights. STORM in DAS top hat ($400), Novy t-shirt ($24), and DAS cuffs ($56) and Anna in Eileen hair clip ($50), Wysterium Wear cuffs, ($22)
And here’s a few solo shots with Anna solo showing more varieties of our selection of arm warmers.
Anna is Wysterium Wear cuffs, ($22)
Anna is Wysterium Wear cuffs, ($22)
Anna wears Zunique black lace gloves ($46) and Darina Drapkin lace top ($160)
Photographs and writing by Aurelie Sandrine
As usual, it was an exciting week at The House of Swankety Swank. A warm, mostly sunny afternoon brought lots of shoppers and artists to Saturday’s Trunk sale. Old favorites and new guest artists provided a variety of unique, handmade products for our customers. If you missed July’s trunk sale, fear not! Just stop by Swankety Swank Tuesday through Sunday to shop these artists and many more! While you’re here, check out some beautiful new pieces from Yabette, Rykovich, and gibbous. We’d love to see you, so come on by.
Trunk show street view with Kim of Krafty Kitten
Trunk Sale wrap-up
One of our longest working artists, Amy Barrios of ICJ designs, with us from the first year in our old shop on McAllister Street, brought out some of her beautiful, classic jewelry. Amy is a self-taught artist and former English teacher! In fact, the name of her line is a play on words related to her past profession. ”ICJ’s name (Independent Claws Jewelry) is an allusion to grammar because the strands are just like independent clauses – they work independently or with dependent clauses (the pendants and clasps.) The hooks on the ends of each strand are called lobster claws; hence the name.” Using high-quality materials and stones, Amy’s necklaces can also be worn as bracelets or seamlessly combined with other strands to create your own unique, beautiful combinations. If you didn’t get a chance to see Amy’s work at the Trunk Sale, please stop by and check out her jewelry at Swankety Swank.
Amy Barrios of ICJ designs
Table detail Amy Barrios of ICJ designs
We also had several talented guest artists participate. Katya Khan of Urbanomad with twine jewelry and other accessories, and Tiana Saul of Sayuri Designs (below with feather hair clips) both brought more unique and beautiful accessories to Swankety Swank’s customers.
Trunk sale guest artist Katya Khan of Urbanomad
Pretty display by trunk show guest artist Tiana Saul of Sayuri Designs
Adrian of Salvaged and Stitched brought these super cute salvaged pillows in whimsical designs. Salvaged and Stiched is a local family-run business. His pillows “are made with upholstery remnants, and have either upholstery or apparel fabric appliques. Vintage buttons are used for eyes, leather or suede for beaks and thick wool or mohair yarn for delightful long slender legs.” You can now find his work everyday at Swankety Swank.
Adrian of Salvaged and Stitched now found in Swankety Swank.
Kim of Krafty Kitten, makes the cutest, sassiest, bones and flowers hair accessories. A recent graduate of Art Institute of CA-San Francisco, Kim has been making work as Krafty Kitten since 2007. She calls her grandparents her inspiration since they fostered her passion and skill from a young age. Her grandfather passed on sewing skills he learned as a young man in Mexico, so her work continues a line of family tradition. Some other inspirations are rockabilly, cholabilly, psychobilly, pin up, punk and mexican culture. You can find more of Kim’s Krafty Kitten work at Swankety Swank.
Kim of Krafty Kitten helps a customer
Krafty Kitten table
New furniture by Yabette, clothing and accessories from gibbous and Rykovich
Yabette recently finished a lovely new table. Turquoise blue with a hand-painted, green leaf adorns the top. This piece, like all Yabette’s work, is a well-built piece of furniture that was in need of some TLC and refurbishment to bring it back to life and ensure it’s use long into the future.
Yabette Blue table with hand-painted green leaf, $250
Yabette Blue table with hand-painted green leaf, $250
Artist Kurtis Rykovich’s pop-surrealist style fits perfectly at Swankety Swank. Kurtis has participated as both fine artist and a designer, and now he has some beautiful one of a kind, hand painted summer blouses and t-shirts, each with a custom, removal broach. His hand-painted t-shirts come in sizes from Small to 3X.
Rykovich embellished blue blouse, $98
Rykovich embellished blue blouse, detail removable pin, $98
Rykovich sandy giraffe tee, $75
Rykovich sandy giraffe tee, removable pin detail, $75
Rykovich orange silk blouse, $80
We had heard that the designers at gibbous were passing a summer cold between them, so we were extra surprised when they re-stocked the store with quite a few newly created pieces. When design calls, nothing can keep the designers at gibbous from answering! We hope y’all at gibbous will be getting back to %100 soon.
gibbous calls themselves “a miniature fashion house of hearts and hands” that collects cast-offs of the past to create your re-newed, favorite, how-did-I -live-without-this fashion pieces. I should warn you; much like a tatoo, once you get your first gibbous piece, you’ll want more and more. The collective of 4 designers re-uses a variety of materials, victorian clothes, stained silk slips, buttons, coins, keys, to re-fashion material menageries, sans patterns, into unique items you’ll never find in any department store. like all of our designers, gibbous creates pieces you can wear with pride. they strive to undermine disposable fashions manufactured in far-off sweat shops one stitch at a time.
gibbous hat, detail 1, $60
gibbous hat, detail 2, $60
gibbous Hannah Patch Skirt $180
gibbous white blouse with pink details, $60
And a final reminder, stop by to see the Team Valor show, curated by STORM, before it closes. This is your opportunity to see some original artwork by some of the Bay Area’s best comic book artists.
Team Valor show opening
Photographs and writing by Aurelie Sandrine
Still haven’t found the perfect gift for Dad for Father’s Day? Swankety Swank has got you covered! We carry some amazing hand-made art, fashion, and decor pieces that any dad will love and use for years to come. Check out our gallery of great pieces any dad will be happy to receive. And remember, shopping local supports not only artists, but the entire community. The folks at the 3/50 Project have discovered that for every $100 spent in local establishments, $68 of the money stays in the community, versus $43 spent at a national chain. Another great reason to shop for Dad at Swankety Swank!
Photographs and writing by Aurelie Sandrine
I recently stopped by Swankety Swank to check out Yabette’s new work for TONIGHT’S Lyres & Lace: Music and Fashion Show, tag-lined “Music and fashion of the romantic and bizarre” at the Swedish American Hall. As usual, the store was looking dreamy, but the vibe was electric with creative energy. Yabette was paiting and finishing up her work for the show. She’ll be showing her hand-made and hand-painted designs and Swank-styling all the models for the fashion show. Some of your favorite Swankety Friends of all sizes will also be modeling in the show. It’s great to see Yabette’s rich painting style and aesthetic used in another way. The new pieces are beautiful; I can’t wait to see them on the Monsuiers et Madamoiselles tonight. Are you free? You should join us at the show. The other designers showing are: stargarten x Daughter Earth (Isabelle Le and Katy Tanis), Claire Wheat-Fong, Leticia Huerta, The Street Collective, Black Lotus, and Lecon de Vetement. There will also be all-acoustic musical performances by Mariee Sioux, Foxtails Brigade and Judgement Day with surprise guests. The event is hosted by Mary Van Note.
While Yabette was painting, Eartha Goodwin was busy finishing up Swank Speak! 4, which is looking really good. Make sure you pick up your issue of Swank Speak! 3 while you still can. Swank Speak! 4 will be released on June 18th at the Team Valor Reception.
I noticed quite a few new pieces, so I snapped some pix of a few. There are so many beautiful new things…some really special pieces sure to make anyone much happier (and for much longer) than another a la mode item from Forever 21. Yabette recently finished a lovely Blue and Gold French Bergere chair, perfect for relaxing with a friend over a cup of tea. Tres Bien.
Stop by and see us some time.
Photographs and writing by Aurelie Sandrine
Hey fabulous folks! Do you enjoy art, good food and shopping? Would you like to be a part of the exciting evolving renaissance of Divisadero Corridor? Make sure you mark Thursday, June 3rd on your calendar because it’s time once again for the Divisadero Corridor Artwalk and Swankety Swank is the first stop!
DJ Rio will be spinning funkadelic tunes all evening and STORM (SF Weekly’s Best X-Men Tarot Reader) will be reading 3 card spreads for ten dollars from 7pm to 10pm. This a good opportunity to get a taste of the X-Men Tarot X-perience which is an hour long reading for only forty dollars!
Come check out the amazing artwork we have on display! The painting above is titled “Nesting Among Lemons” and was created by the fantastic Kurtis Rykovich! We have two more pieces by Kurtis and you simply have to see them in person to experience their exquisite sweetness! We also have gorgeous oil paintings by Simone Coulars, men and women’s clothing by amazing designers like DAS, gibbous, Wayward Shifties, Zunique, Wysterium, and many more, feather hairpieces by Eileen, leather cuffs and belts by Project TransAction, and SF Weekly’s Best Local Skincare Line By Nieves! There’s much more to see and experience at Swankety Swank, so come on down to the Divisadero Artwalk and see for yourself! Thank you for supporting local handmade goods!
All of us at Swankety Swank simply adore spring time! We love the sights and sounds of the city coming to life, we love to clean out the dusty corners of our closets and under our beds, and we love to present the best handcrafted goods that we can! We do our best to present a different experience every time you step inside 289 Divisadero St. When was the last time you visited Swankety Swank?
Here’s a glimpse of what Swankety Swank is showcasing today! In front, Yabette’s fabulous sideboard dresser is adorned with painted tree blossoms and natural orchids (center) by Laura Parson. Beyond that is more amazing one of a kind chairs, tables and dressers beautifully handpainted with love (and sealed with a top coat)!
The glamourous glittery painting is by Kurtis Rykovich (who has three awesome pieces in our store right now), the handcarved fish are made by J.B. Ward, and the Ode to the Neverwas Haul buffet is by Yabette. The mannequin stands at permanent attention in a hat & bolero by DAS+OWL, bustier by gibbous, skirt by Wysterium, and leggings by Miranda Caroligne. Check out the detail on that skirt! I don’t know if that mannequin appreciates the solid construction she’s wearing, but I certainly do!
Celebrated spray paint artist, Jeremy Novy has envelopes, talismans, socks and shirts (not pictured here) for sale.
Superstar artist Phoenix has miniature paintings for sale. These three celebrate the Zodiac signs of Pisces, Libra and Gemini! You have to see these exquisite pieces in person to truly appreciate them!
The splendid colors of Simone Coulars’ paintings radiate above a rack of original upcycled fashions. Simone has four large paintings in our store right now as well as three tiny paintings. Her glossy finishes and effusive color choices are wonders to behold! Again, you need to see them in person! Art like this was not meant to be viewed online!
A vintage orange rococo upholstered chair lights up the corner! That’s right, the chair and the fabric are vintage, but the upholstering is brand new! This is a beautiful one of a kind piece of work!
The top shelf shows off smart looking cuffs and wallets by Project TransAction (we also have belts!), while the lower shelf displays the wondrous skin care by Nieves. I use the Nieves skincare line and have enjoyed the results! There’s natural anti-bacterial Protection Spray, bath salts and more!
So now you know about a few of the well-crafted goodies awaiting you inside of our store! Remember, Swankety Swank supports local artists who create original work. When you shop here, you support your community and local economy! We look forward to your visits!
