East Bay Magazine November/December2021 by Weeklys

THE MAGAZINE OF OAKLAND, BERKELEY AND THE WORLD THAT REVOLVES AROUND US

November December 2021

Fashionably Festive

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS WITH LOCAL MAKERS, CURATORS AND CREATORS

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Nov & Dec 2021

MY LATEST FASHION KICK

Letter from the Editor 4

STANDARD & STRANGE

A Tale of Timeless Fashion 6 HOOT COUTURE

Rachel Konte’s OwlNWood 16

THE MAGAZINE OF OAKLAND, BERKELEY AND THE WORLD THAT REVOLVES AROUND US

LEADING WITH LIFESTYLE

Ayesha Curry’s Sweet July 38 MAKING A SPLASH

Wearable Art Arrives in the East Bay 44

SWEET CONDESA

THE ARTISANAL EYE

Designer Erica Tanov’s Aesthetic Curation 26 THE TAYLOR JAY WAY

Style Meets Comfort 32

Reimagined Filipino- and LatinInspired Desserts 50 ALONE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Hiding in Plain Sight 54

CONTRIBUTORS

ADVERTISING DIRECTORS Lori Lieneke Lisa Santos

EDITOR

Jeffrey Edalatpour Lou Fancer Daedalus Howell Jane Vick Michael Giotis

EDITORIAL DESIGN

PRODUCTION OPERATIONS MANAGER

PUBLISHER

Rosemary Olson

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Karen Klaber

Daedalus Howell Phaedra Strecher

COPY EDITOR

Mark Fernquest

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGERS

Sean George

Danielle McCoy Ben Grambergu Mercedes Murolo Lynda Rael

SENIOR DESIGNER

CEO/EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Jackie Mujica

Dan Pulcrano

ON THE COVER Ayesha Curry, photo by Seth Smoot

CELEBRATE NORTH BERKELEY! HOLIDAY EVENTS & FESTIVITIES WINTER THIRSTY THURSDAYS

Nov. 4th & 8th, Dec. 9th at the Farmers Market Come out to the market for music from Berkeley High Jazz Band and local drinks! Get freebies from the North Shattuck Merchants on Nov. 4th and 18th, plus the Ecology Center Pop-Up Shop and free environmentally friendly gift wrap for your purchases on Dec. 9th. Our all-organic market runs every Thursday, 3-7pm, rain or shine!

ACCI GALLERY HOLIDAY STREET FAIR

Sunday Dec. 5th, 11am to 4pm on Lincoln St. Shop for handmade artisan gifts from over 20 ACCI Gallery members at the outdoor Holiday Art Fair - one day only! Find unique jewelry, ceramics, prints, paintings, glass and wood creations from local artists. With live music! Be sure to save time to nosh at our eateries and explore our other neighborhood shops for more sales and specials all day.

WEEKEND MUSIC FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Nov. 20th through Dec. 25th, 1 to 4pm Enjoy live local music in the neighborhood for the holidays on weekend afternoons. Check out Berkeley High Jazz, plus bluegrass, klezmer and chorale groups at the Post Office and at the Cheese Board & Saul's parklets! Explore the neighborhood for holiday gifts, tabletop and flowers, foodstuffs & celebration supplies.

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TELEPHONE: 510.879.3700 ADVERTISING: sales@eastbaymag.com

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MyLatest

Fashion

Letter from the Editor

he East Bay has always perched on the bleeding edge of what’s next. From its foodie culture and innovative arts to its music and selfmade fashionistas, the East Bay sets trends that reverberate throughout the Bay Area and beyond. They just don’t reach me. I don’t have a fashion sense so much as a costume that I wear to buttress my persona as some kind of beatnik art hack. “Dress for the job you want,” they say—well, I got it. My costume is as dependable, replicable and machine washable as Steve Jobs’ black turtleneck. According to some wag on Wikipedia: “Howell wears a sartorial ‘uniform’ of a dark blazer, jeans and Beatle boots, which he referred to as his ‘action figure outfit’ ...” Jeffrey Edalatpour’s writing about arts, food and culture has appeared in KQED Arts, Metro Silicon Valley, Interview Magazine, Berkeleyside.com, The Rumpus and SF Weekly.

All true, except they’re wrong about the Beatles boots. I’ve upgraded—or downgraded, as the case may be—from English to Western wear, with cowboy boots. I don’t ride horses, and my knowledge of the West is informed solely by Spaghetti Westerns, but thanks to my deceased father-in-law’s interest in Ebay, arbitrage and Western wear, I inherited about a hundred pairs of boots. Many are my size. Many more constitute crimes of fashion. I’ve accepted that I’ll be wearing these boots for the remainder of my life. But we're not here to read about what’s in my closet, we’re understandably more concerned about our own cultures of couture. Do our new spats match our tats? I get it, and so do the merchants and indy makers

Lou Fancher has been published by WIRED.com, Diablo Magazine, the Oakland Tribune, the San Jose Mercury News, InDance, San Francisco Classical Voice, SF Weekly and elsewhere.

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

MEGAN BUCKNALL

Kick

BOOTED Too many damn cowboy boots.

whose creations and astute curations define the East Bay style. No time is this more evident than during the holidays, when local storefronts glow with good cheer and fantastic finds. So, I heartily encourage us all to curl up with this toasty, holiday-seasoned, fashionthemed magazine and read about the local makers and purveyors who make the East Bay a gift that keeps giving. Barring that, there’s always my used boot shop on Ebay. Daedalus Howell, Editor

Jane Vick is an artist and writer based in New York, New Mexico and California. Her main fields of research include neuropsychology, psychology and the nature of the divine.

Michael Giotis contributes to the Marin Pacific Sun, the North Bay Bohemian and the East Bay Express. His most recent book of poetry, Daybreak, explores existential quandaries and the vagaries of love in the postmodern era.

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Standard d Strange M

BY Jane Vick apparel, sourced by a company whose motto is “own fewer, better things.” I spent a long time with one of my favorite Standard & Strange employees, a pink-haired, pinstriped angel named Krista, designing and accessorizing my dream three-piece suit. Moving back to California in 2020—pandemic placement—I found out that Standard & Strange has a location in Oakland as well, actually their flagship store. I gleefully hopped on the website and began exploring the history. It’s pretty special.

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

The Standard and the Strange: A beginning

For Standard & Strange, things began in 2012 in an Oakland back-alley. Founders Niel Berrett and Jeremy Smith had been making their own cycling jerseys, and started a store which ultimately went under but gave them the taste and the information necessary to move into their second iteration. Recognizing the need in Oakland for a shop that sold quality clothes with a quality attitude, they moved into their first location: a converted municipal stable that had fallen into disuse as

PHOTO BY NEIL BERRET

y introduction to Standard & Strange began several years ago while living in Santa Fe. I worked for Iconik Coffee Roasters at the time—a must-visit to anyone passing through le Fe—and we had a location nestled in Collected Works Bookstore just off the plaza. Also a must visit! Really what I’m saying is drop everything and go to Santa Fe immediately. Every day, without fail, a group of devastatingly well-dressed people would come in for an espresso, or an Americano, until I finally had to ask who left the faucet on. Thus my introduction to a world of thoughtfully curated, classic, exceedingly drippy

A Tale of timeless fashion

WELCOME The door to the wonders inside of Standard & Strange.

PHOTO BY NEIL BERRET

» NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | EASTBAYMAG.COM | EAST BAY MAGAZINE

TRAVEL A month-long trip to Japan in 2015 profoundly informed the business practices of Standard & Strange.

Viennese bakeries, foreign groceries, art movies, and so on, all of which can be found co-existing, the standard with the strange, the large with the small.” —Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities To this end, Jacobs’ vision for synthesizing the old and the new brought the guys to their flagship location and also to their method of sourcing product—of preserving the beauty of antiquity while keeping things useful and contemporary. Clothing and materials that age exceptionally and hold their own next to new and vintage pieces are what Standard & Strange looks to supply, preferring to fortify and revitalize rather than to tear down and rebuild, whether it’s a city building or a fashion design. In 2015 the store outgrew its converted stable and moved around

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

the corner to its second and current location at 5010 Telegraph Ave. Originally one of the oldest masonry buildings in Oakland, this space also underwent multiple iterations before becoming the home to Standard & Strange—which, of course, fits perfectly with the company’s ethos.

Visiting Japan:

A deeper understanding of sourcing relationships and production Around the same time they moved into their current Oakland location, Smith and Berrett began exploring their product sourcing on a deeper level. This included a month-long trip to Japan in 2015 that profoundly informed their business practices. The trip expanded their knowledge of the region’s unparalleled hospitality,

PHOTO COURTESY OF OF STANDARD & STRANGE

automobiles came to monopolize the roadways, but had found new life as businesses—including barber and coffee shops—arrived, bringing culture and community with them. This revitalization of an area once fallen into disrepair actually informed Berrett and Smith’s decision, and is in fact part of the store’s ethos, built upon the insights and work of author, activist and city planner Jane Jacobs. I was not familiar with Jacobs before my intro to Standard & Strange’s history, and she’s a phenomenal thinker and urban planner—look her up. Jacobs pioneered the idea of “new uses for old spaces,” and this particular passage resonated with Smith and Berrett enough to result in a name: “Cities, however, are the natural homes of supermarkets and standard movie houses plus delicatessens,

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commitment to craft and flawless retail production. Among Standard & Strange’s partnerships with Japanese craftspeople are jeans from Ryo and Hiroko, whose production site is in the city of Ichinomiya. Every garment— made, from start to finish, by Ryo and Hiroko—exhibits some of the finer quality craftsmanship to be found anywhere. These informational trips resulted in lasting relationships that ensure the incredibly sourced, entirely equitable, top-of-the-line products that make Standard & Strange what they are.

2020, of course

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

PHOTO BY NEIL BERRET

Things continued to move upward for Standard & Strange, and their second location—the Santa Fe store where I had my introduction—opened in 2019, in a one-time gas stationturned-art gallery. The pandemic hit just after this successful opening, resulting in a company-wide 15-month shutdown, but Standard & Strange’s commitment to slow, steady growth and lasting quality extended beyond just their products, and hope was not lost. The company transitioned to an entirely online model, while finding ways to keep their entire staff on at full pay. One of their fundraisers includes a Quarantine Tour Tee—featuring locations like the basement, the

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PQ For Standard & Strange, now and going forward, it’s about quality—in their clothes, in their care for the community and in their commitment to equitable, eco-conscious fashion.

grocery store, the bedroom; you know, the hot venues we all frequented during lockdown—specifically designed and sold to bolster staff income. These tees feature a Sukajan-styled tiger— think of those amazing jacket and pants embroidered with tigers and dragons that Mario wears in the “Let Me Love You” music video—on the latest version of Standard & Strange’s classic tee, the Telegraph. There’s an Oakland version and a Santa Fe version, and both are still available for purchase.

And now that we’re back I was able to speak with founder Kevin Smith over the phone, about how things are going now for the company as we steadily move into more open practices again. He touched on some of

the more important perspectives and practices Standard & Strange sustains and is carrying into the new year. As ever, Smith and Berrett look to lasting styles that have stood the test of time when sourcing product for the store, rather than jumping on the season’s fashion wagon, and this year they intend to go deeper and wider into this practice. “We’re lucky,” Smith said. “Moving from having to respond to the market early on, to being big enough that we can simply do what we want and not have to worry if it’s in step with what everyone else is doing. It’s more about if we believe in the style, or the brand.” Their commitment to this type of buying has more to do with just the enjoyment they derive from classic, useful fashion. “Fun for a season is not fun for the Earth,” Smith said in

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

response to my observations about having to stay on trend. Disposable fashion trends are environmentally disastrous, and people get rid of pieces because they’ve fallen out of vogue, even if they’re well made. So the goal is to tailor and source clothes that last, stylistically as well as literally, while still having fun with fashion and meeting the needs of the unique clientele they’ve cultivated. “We have one of the most expansive and interesting ranges of rare and weird boots,” Smith said. “I shouldn’t say weird—that makes it sound like new-rock platform rave boots. It’s more like, you want something handmade in a workshop in Japan, great, we got it. And that’s what our clientele is looking to us for.” This dedication to quality led them to opening their third location, in New York City, next week. Smith tells me

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GIVE Standard & Strange deepened their commitment to giving back in 2020.

the new location will house, among other things, an exceptional collection of boots and jackets.

Giving back:

Standard & Strange’s commitment

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

Improving upon what works For Standard & Strange, now and going forward, it’s about quality—in their clothes, in their care for the community and in their commitment to equitable, eco-conscious fashion. It’s about improving and evolving what already works, to make it work better. And it’s always been that way. They’re just getting better with time. Standard & Strange, 5010 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Wed–Fri, noon to 6pm; Sat 11am to 6pm, Sun 11am to 5pm. 510.373.9696. www. standardandstrange.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF OF STANDARD & STRANGE

Standard & Strange deepened their commitment to giving back in 2020. In response to the critical need for social equality and health support, Standard & Strange began donating 2% of their total revenue to causes they believe in. Last year their total donation to pertinent causes reached $97,441.02, and their 2021 year-to-date giving

totals $29,610—to organizations such as Asian Health Services, the New Mexico Foundation Native American Relief Fund and the Oakland Undocumented Relief Fund, to name a few. They will donate half of their 2% over the year to these and various other organizations, and the remaining half will be pooled and given directly to RUNWAY, a financial innovation firm supporting entrepreneurship and business development for the BIPOC community. Learn more about this truly exceptional initiative and see the entire list of organizations on the Standard & Strange website under Info.

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Hoot Cout2ure Rachel Konte’s OwlNWood BY Lou Fancher

I 16

In 2021, Konte’s “dabbling” led not only to the Oakland resident becoming the founder/owner of the design and consulting studio OwlNWood and co-founder/operator of Oakollective— the shop is now inactive—but also to becoming chief of brand for Red Bay, the roaster and cafe her husband, Keba Konte, established in 2014. After years spent in corporate settings, she says life as an entrepreneur is liberating. “I found curating my own vision was just so satisfying,” Konte says. “I was schooled in Levi culture, but I had

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

become a good designer at designing primarily for that brand. It took maybe three years to find my vision, to see who I am.” Konte never looked back— except with gratitude for expertise sharpened and vital entrepreneurial skills gained. “As a designer, the challenge to execute whatever design is desired by a brand or a client, while also having the flavor of who I am remain in the design, was satisfying. It was always exciting, never the same thing; there’s a need to constantly exercise your design muscles. Levi’s challenged

PHOTOS BY ED NTIRI

n the midst of the 2007 recession, Danish-born designer Rachel Konte stepped away from a 15-plus-year career in corporate fashion and her thencurrent high-level position as design director at Levi Strauss & Co. in San Francisco to consider future options. “My whole career had been exciting and exhausting, so finding myself thinking of what to do next and founding OwlNWood and then Oakollective, a popup fashion shop I started with a friend, was me dabbling,” Konte says.

VISION ‘I found curating my own vision was just so satisfying,’ says OwlNWood-founder Rachel Konte.

COMPLEXITY ‘I come from complexity: a multicultural family and upbringing,’ Konte says.

me and gave me opportunity to work with different people. Now I’m using that knowledge base for my own design models: simple, comfortable, casual classics and vintage clothing with contemporary styling.” Recently, leading her own operation allowed Konte to join forces with Fredrika Newton, widow of the Black Panther Party’s Huey P. Newton, to design a fashion-clothing line with the Panther logo and the “All Power to the People” slogan. A portion of the proceeds circle back to the Huey P. Newton Foundation and more recently, through an exclusive brand, ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE PROJECT. LLC, to supporting Black female entrepreneurs. The product line in 2020

grew to encompass face masks, bandanas and other facial coverings that found impressive popularity during the pandemic and Black Lives Matter movement socialjustice activities. OwlNWood, in its earliest iteration, specialized in product development and custom design, producing a limited mix of casual apparel and lifestyle merchandise under the OwlNWood label. Oakollective expanded the offerings to include a wider array of casual clothing, upcycled vintage fashion, kitchenware, accessories and a curated collection of international fashion lines in a 3,000-square-foot store in downtown Oakland. Local makers and artists, many of them Black, set up tables and participated in popup

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

speaking and music events. Konte is of Afro-Scandinavian heritage and says, “I come from complexity: a multicultural family and upbringing. My biological mom was Danish and my dad Nigerian. I was adopted, and my dad was part Polish, part German. He died when I was six. My mom was Norwegian, so I was basically raised by a single mom. This was in the 1970s and ’80s, so it was unusual. Oakollective gave me opportunity to support other designers and friends in the community.” In 2019, after establishing the brickand-mortar store in Old Oakland, and well before the pandemic hit, Konte closed the store and began converting her company to an all-online business. When Covid19 shuttered people in their homes,

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Konte says she and other Black and women entrepreneurs supported each other in small organizations, sharing knowledge concerning essentials—like managing daily expenses and rent—during a stressful time.

and the killing of George Floyd lit a glaring light on the social inequities, violence and economic suffering of Black people and people of color in marginalized communities, Konte found herself ahead of the pack as e-commerce boomed. Even so, she recalls, “As a Blackowned business suddenly in the Black Lives Matter, George Floyd era, there was a new kind of attention. My online business did really well. I and my friends felt we were finally being seen … but there was always the idea of ‘where will it all go?’ There’s always concern that—as Black-owned, women-owned businesses—the eye-opening attention and more opportunities for us are there only because it was a politically right thing to do and not because, maybe, we need these things created by Black people?” Konte says she and other Black and women entrepreneurs supported each other in small organizations, sharing

knowledge concerning essentials—like managing daily expenses and rent— during a stressful time. “There were also more holiday popup shows curated with Black businesses and supported in areas where we’d felt like unicorns before,” she says. “That internal support network has been beautiful. We can support each other and not be competitive. In my store even before the pandemic, I used to curate friends who’d join me and be inclusive with that, although online it’s harder to find that community and build on it.” The long-term solution? Konte says, “We need to give more space and place for these businesses in large-scale stores and larger venues.” The name, OwlNWood, speaks first to the deep reverence Konte holds for owls. “I bow down to old wisdom, longevity, quality; which is a big part of my store,” she says. “Owls are spiritual and represent that to me.” Wood is a nod to Oakland, but the word

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

also signals her appreciation for the durability of old oaks—and of vintage clothing. She attributes the latter to her mother, who with limited income was gifted with the ability to recognize value and quality in vintage goods and brought beauty into the family home. “I had instincts about things that last and retain their value from that, and the ability to recognize high quality from working at Levi’s,” Konte says. Carrying vintage clothing that incorporates her own design was also smart marketing. The cost to create and produce a distinct, original fashion collection is exorbitant for small businesses. Incorporating classic vintage fashion with contemporary expression added otherwise hands-off possibilities: jackets, pants, shoes, sunglasses and other items paired with her signature T-shirts and sweatshirts. A well-known item, Konte’s Heart Oakland sweatshirt with a graphic heart hovering above the city’s name in lowercase letters,

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HEART Konte’s Heart Oakland sweatshirt, with a graphic heart hovering above the city’s name in lowercase letters, presented a strong match for line-expansiontype items.

presented a strong match for lineexpansion-type items. Moving forward, Konte will focus on comfort and channeling her multimixed roots in a modern perspective. A friend in Kenya sends beautiful scarves that Konte pairs with basic sweatshirts, like the soft-jersey, soothing oceanblue Made in Cali unisex sweatshirt. She enjoys juxtaposing handmade Senegalese beaded cuff bracelets with retro, tie-dye-style Earth Tee’s and a pair of jeans. “I love the past brought into combination with the future,” she says. “I like surprises such as Ethiopian scarves made with the methods of traditional weavers but with classic, more contemporary sailor stripes. I’d wear it with old jeans and a big sweater, or maybe with a floral dress. I like function and transcending expectations by allowing things to rest in themselves.” She says trends come and go, but well-designed fashion is something that endures without being disrupted by temporary shifts. Asked about upcoming projects and movements in fashion she believes represent directions this fall and winter, Konte highlights color, followed closely by comfort and quality vintage clothing. “Coming out of Covid, there’s an excitement about socializing and getting out with people,” she says. “I’m still hearing a call for items that mean you can be comfortable but also dressed-up. There’s a call for more color overall: neutrals but with pops of bright colors that impact mood. I used to wear a lot of all-black, and now I find—after two years of tough emotions and rough political times—color lifts me up.

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

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We’re not following the typical fashion dictation of seasonal colors so much, especially with many of us leaving corporate settings and finding our own way. Personally, what makes me happy is to pay attention to color and textures. Looking at birds while having coffee with Keba today, we were struck by nature as a source of inspiration.” More work with Newton on the All Power line, and a new collaboration with chef and cookbook author Bryant Terry, are exciting. “Our families have known each other from way back,” Konte says. “Bryant has always loved wearing OwlNWood. My style is unisex, so he’s been wearing my sweatshirts. He came to me a few months ago and said he was doing a new book and asked if we could do something together. I had been working on an American-made sweatshirt that is produced and garment-dyed in L.A., so we wouldn’t have the distribution delays and problems associated with the pandemic. I suggested we take the graphic of his book, Black Food, and do a black sweatshirt and little bags. It was fantastic working with him. He’s professional, trusting, hands-off, easygoing.” In a separate interview, Terry says he’s big into design and has long desired a collaboration with Konte. He expects the new fashion to roll out along with the release of his book in mid-October. Even farther down the stretch, Konte says interior decoration work she has been doing for friends in cafés and restaurants has her thinking about houseware, textiles, reupholstered vintage furniture, more sweatshirts and

NEXT Konte highlights color, followed closely by comfort and quality vintage clothing.

T’s with simple one-word messages that invite conversation and pots, pans and ceramics including bowls and vases with “those ’70s browns, deepblues and maroons and other rich colors you found before computers did everything.” Is there anything else in her dream scenario? “I’m looking at my

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own line of leather bags and jackets,” she says. “I have patterns made and drawings styled. So ...” Fingers crossed and spirits lifted by bold fall colors, there’s hope for more dabbling by Konte and new, signature fashion from OwlNWood. www.owlnwood.com

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PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST Designer Erica Tanov.

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The

Artisanal Designer Erica Tanov’s aesthetic curation BY Lou Fancher

again, addiction—to vintage clothing and antique buttons, she returned to the Bay Area after nine years on the East Coast. Opening her first shop in Berkeley in 1994, originally located in a building that once housed her grandfather’s laundry business, Tanov later moved the store to its current, larger location on Fourth Street. In 2010, she opened a second store in Marin; in 2017, a third store opened in Los Angeles. Clearly, the Tanov collection’s followers have grown exponentially and geographically, which is why crossing the bricks-and-mortar front door or landing on the Erica Tanov website is an at-one’s-own-risk proposition. Soon

after doing so, visitors begin organizing their weekend schedules and Southern California vacations around store hours. They will want—after a successful buying spree—only to wear for weeks the chunky cordera wool saddle cardigan in camel that is “ethically and carefully manufactured in La Coruña, with Japanese knitting machines and finished by hand” and uses yarns that are “cruelty-free certificated and obtained only from mulesing-free wool and have a low environmental impact production cycle,” according to the website. If it sounds pretentious, it’s not. It is genuine comfort and warmth to wear all over one’s body, every day.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | EASTBAYMAG.COM | EAST BAY MAGAZINE

PHOTO BY ALANNA HALE

hose whose fashion passion slants towards an attraction—OK, let’s say an addiction—to serene and sublimely high-end women’s wear and meticulously curated home goods made by artisans worldwide, should be cautious when exposing themselves to designer Erica Tanov. The California native studied at New York’s Parsons School of Design and, after working for designer Rebecca Moses, ventured out on her own in 1990. Beginning with seamed slips and chemises made with fine fabrics that gained signature style in holistic, organic designs in part inspired by Tanov’s attraction—say

Eye 27

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PHOTO BY MOLLY HAAS

Tanov has locations in Berkeley, Marin and Los Angeles.

After months of lockdown, someone deserves to splurge this holiday season. Or maybe one’s allegiance is pledged to the monochromatic outfit of the pillowy-soft cordera shearling pant and matching cardigan, both in buttery camel hues that make a person feel like a human golden retriever wanting to exude puppy love in all directions. On sturdier days, it’s difficult to imagine going without the slimfitting 5-pocket closed baker Jean in black, made of light Italian denim by Candiani, with mid-waist rise and drainpipe cropped length. Paired with a Breton shirt-inspired Bellerose Gopear sweater that features bold black-andcream-white stripes, a raised collar and mother-of-pearl buttons, and sports Italian-made officine creative leggera sneakers in taupe grey, one might kick up the color palette with the antipast AM-493A sock, a midcalf checkedpattern sock with a ruffled top available only in mustard, unless the pumpkinorange is back in stock. That we all need accessories is a given: a metallic leather shiny silver wallet crafted in Bolivia might be slipped with contrasting brilliance into the eve shopping tote in gold metallic leather. Set off the gloss-matte, blackcream-taupe-silver-gold total look with jewelry; the arielle de pinto bead earrings in haze are made with clustered hand-crocheted Italian gold-vermeil chains and form into irregular gold balls that sit like empress treasures on one’s lobes. Add a block shop temple scarf in coffee, and the outfit is complete. Stylishly but casually and comfortably dressed, we visit the farmers market, filling our wide-open eve tote and

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maybe stopping at an outdoor café where the scent of a nearby oak tree mingles synergistically with our Fougère Perfume by Erica Tanov. The fragrance, Tanov’s website posits, “emerges from silver fog” and carries remnants of “earthy vetiver and oak moss” suggestive of damp earth. With additional tones including orris root, sandalwood, lavender, rose geranium, and “a hint of cleansing smoke from sacred palo santo,” the designer’s debut fragrance gradually dissipates scents of nature over three-to-four hours’ time. Is it really this easy to become mesmerized and accessorized and to decide to follow Tanov to the ends of the earth just to become clothed beautifully and smell delicious? Yes, it is. Once dressed, though, thoughts drift inevitably to home. After all, a person can’t just sit on a discount-store sofa in a Henrik Vibskov pipette dress in dark peaches made in Portugal, creating deep divots and frayed fabric where their bottom rests, while binge-watching the latest Netflix or Hulu series. They must also have Tanov’s durable, sublime, ecofriendly collection of home goods. Among the vintage collection on display online: the antique Chinese enamel box with coral inlay, a pair of early-20th-century Hitchcock chairs and a sterling-silver bizarre serving utensil speculatively used to eat fish and worth purchasing for its name alone. If one must, due to economizing, own a second-hand sofa, decorate it with the best of Tanov: Edgar Allan Poe throw pillows in natural/prune, a printed hand-stitched kantha quilt in indigo or a hand-spun, hand-woven khadi wool throw in natural. Under one’s tennis shoe-clad feet, a handwoven nap mat in

SHOP After months of lockdown, someone deserves to splurge this holiday season.

neutral tans and off-white, made with found and recycled materials. A dining room with botanicus wallpaper in gold leaf/hot pink or more soothing fern wallpaper in charcoal/gold on the walls forms the perfect backdrop for a line of notary ceramics tableware, hand-woven rattan placemats, WRF large mugs in ash and an unusual centerpiece—perhaps a Sinafu small stand bowl in hasori made by hand in Yamanaka, Japan, using a centuries-old technique. It is the perfect vessel for a single, floating blossom suspended in water. After bathing with Tangent GC organic tulip hand soap and pampering oneself with kahina facial lotion— fingers and toenails emboldened with a swift application of J. Hannah nail polish in ghost ranch hue is a given— be sure to burrow under temple

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

linens and a totem hand-embroidered duvet cover in off-white linen and drift into dreamland. Maybe the Lovebird collection of shams, quilts and pillowcases is one’s preferred style? Either way, Tanov has us covered for sweet dreams. If we must be addicted to something, at least Tanov is an addiction wellshared. Offering fine design, sustainable materials, environmentally respectful practices, and production and goods that honor traditions and cultures worldwide, the Tanov collection can be considered a celebration of humanity. Besides, for those who cross the threshold into one of her shops—virtual or in-person—there’s no retreat. The message is not buyer beware; it’s buyer be ready. For more information visit www.ericatanov.com.

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The

Taylor Jay Style meets comfort

Way

BY Jane Vick

aylor Jay, in Oakland, is the clothing line that many of us didn’t know we needed pre-pandemic, and post-pandemic we can’t get enough of. And by that I don’t mean sweats and a baggy sweatshirt—although no shade to that uniform, because the main thing is that we each feel authentic and comfortable—I mean top-of-the-line, seamlessly elegant fashion wear that feels as good as it looks. Designer Taylor

Jay designs with the woman’s body specifically in mind, knowing that we all move, feel and express differently, and that we need clothing that will support us in our goals, challenges and daily lives without ever compromising quality or style. The concept is known as “elevated comfort”—fashion that offers a higher level of comfort, flexibility and versatility. And I know that any part of me that wasn’t looking for the perfect hybrid of comfort and style

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

before 2020 has completely converted. Elevated comfort is the new name of the game.

The versatility of comfort Along with this dedication to comfort and style, what makes Taylor Jay’s pieces so exceptional is their versatility. Each piece, made of luxurious, durable, smart materials that

LOVE Taylor Jay, her daughter, and a close friend model their latest line of body-loving pieces.

Taylor Jay designs with everybody in mind Inclusivity and body positivity are focal points in Jay’s fabric sourcing and design practice. The goal has always been to produce clothing that everybody can feel good in—fashion inclusivity. Almost every woman— myself included—has dealt with the

grief and frustration brought on by exclusive and unrealistic styles and sizes presented by the fashion industry; as though there were a single, unilateral, “right” body shape instead of the many diverse, exquisite bodies we all have. Jay both saw and experienced this problem, and, thank goddess, chose to take action, designing clothing that makes women feel comfortable and confident in their skin. The textiles are adaptable and the sizing is generous,

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | EASTBAYMAG.COM | EAST BAY MAGAZINE

PHOTO PROVIDED BY TAYLOR JAY

feel incredible on skin, is designed with convertibility in mind, meaning they can be worn to an event, a coffee shop or an investor meeting—the options are open. Jay studies line and detail to give each piece a versatile elegance that can be dressed up or down, depending on the needs of the wearer. A single piece can be the keystone for multiple different outfits, and Jay loves to see how customers mix, match and accessorize them.

« at 23 years of age. The business took

off, and when Jay returned to the Bay Area to open a second location, she also designed her first collection—the Taylor Jay collection, inspired by her journey through the fashion world and her own challenges. Demand came quick and fast, and she was able to pursue her own brand full-time, which has led to the flagship store at 235 Broadway, Suite 1 in Oakland. Jay has faced challenges and hardships throughout her life that have informed and motivated her, and she uses her story along with her designs to inspire and empower Black women entrepreneurs to pursue their visions.

Taylor Jay in 2021 and beyond— committed to sustainability Slow fashion

affording the wearer room to breathe, to move and to be joyful in her clothing. The lines are flattering and beautiful, giving her a sense of her sexiness, her inherent beauty and her strength. By empowering every woman’s body, Taylor Jay makes a passionate statement about fashion inclusion and moves the fashion world forward toward total inclusivity.

So who is Taylor Jay? I’m sure we’re all on the edge of our seats at this point. Such an inspiring company ethos, such an A1 product— who is this woman? Taylor Jay is a Bay Area native and has been in the fashion industry for more than a decade. After moving to Los Angeles to study fashion at the California School of Fashion Design, Jay opened her first boutique

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

The flagship store is open for inperson shopping, and the styles are as comfortable and chic as ever, so what else can we expect from Taylor Jay at the end of 2021 and into the new year? For one thing, a deepened commitment to sustainability. Taylor Jay—much like Jeremy Smith, founder of Standard & Strange, and many savvy clothingcompany founders at this time—is aware of the devastating impact the fashion world has on the planet, and just how serious the need for change is. To this end, they’ve dedicated themselves to slow fashion, eco-friendly materials, and implementing recycle and upcycle processes. As opposed to fast fashion, which is profit-driven and entirely unconcerned with any

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« negative environmental impact, slow fashion takes into consideration the longevity of an item of clothing and the effects its production may have on the planet as a whole, in both the short and long term. Taylor Jay is dedicated to clothing that does no harm, and in fact supports the planet—from the textile companies that produce the fabric to the individual who purchases the final product, it is designed to be worn for years to come.

Feels good + good for the planet = natural fibers & upcycled clothing Taylor Jay is also aware of the impact that fabrics have on the planet, and has always sourced the best-quality natural products to ensure both maximum wearability and minimum environmental impact. Wool, silk and cotton are the main fabrics used in Taylor Jay pieces, and clothing is manufactured at an ethically sourced, fair-labor factory in Oakland. Along with new fabrics, Taylor Jay also uses upcycled material, to give high-quality fabric new life instead of throwing it away once its current fashion iteration is no longer desirable. The designs are broken down and the fabric reclaimed, to keep clothing out of dumps and landfills, and to reduce the need for harvesting new material. Taylor Jay is dedicated to these practices of sustainability and is always looking for ways to reduce impact while providing bodies with exceptional pieces of highcomfort fashion.

Taylor Jay is our fashion B-12 Taylor Jay is dedicated to the planet, to the community and to you. This is a clothing line invested in creating and fortifying confidence, joy, playfulness, sexiness and empowerment in women everywhere. Her firsthand experience with fashion negatives make Jay a superhero of positive change, and it’s impossible to miss the effects

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

when wearing her line and shopping in her store. If you’re looking to feel gorgeous and free to move like you, while supporting a company dedicated to the planet’s health, holistic wellness and body positivity, as well as to empowering women of color and female bodies, this is your store! Shop in-person or online at Taylorjaycollection.com, and read more about their incredible initiatives in their blog’s news section. ❤

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NOW Sweet July was opened in January by restaurateur and best-selling cookbook author Ayesha Curry.

LifeWith BY Lou Fancher

Style The “story” of a well-designed, fashionable life is staged in the store’s quietly sophisticated brick-and-mortar interior setting designed by Curry and Christine Lin of Bay Area design firm Form + Field. Intimate nooks and gathering “rooms,” designed with butter-to-chocolate-toned woods, velvety tan-and-peach seating and white marble columns and countertops, create a welcoming atmosphere signaling this is a hub. It is a gathering place in which people set aside divisiveness to share and celebrate the triumphs, tips, advice, expertise, street smarts and innovation available to everyone in the East Bay and beyond.

In such an environment, the products displayed become more than commerce; they are items sparking conversations, consultations, education, awareness and even friendships. It’s not audacious to include “and beyond” in the store’s sphere of influence or to suggest long-term bonds are formed within the physical boundaries of its four walls. The power behind Curry’s brand to drive the fashion and design industry beyond the Bay Area is real, regardless of whether it is delivered in-person, in-print or online. Curry is, along with her notable achievements as a best-selling cookbook writer, many additional things. In

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | EASTBAYMAG.COM | EAST BAY MAGAZINE

PHOTOS BY SETH SMOOT

t Sweet July, fashion and design are represented by far more than clothing and home goods. The new one-stop retail shop and café, opened in downtown Oakland in January 2021 by restaurateur and best-selling cookbook author Ayesha Curry, houses a lifestyle. Within the store’s luminous space, the tale of a beautiful life lived in graceful and inclusive harmony in which peace, fellowship and kinship prevail is narrated in part with carefully curated products delivered largely by Blackowned businesses as well as products created by Bay Area-based makers, mostly women.

Ayesha Curry’s Sweet July

LIVE Your future living room.

40 EAST BAY MAGAZINE

Not enough? Additionally, Curry is, with Chef Michael Mina, also the founder/owner of International Smoke, a restaurant concept featuring elevated barbecue dishes from around the globe with locations in San Francisco, Del Mar and Las Vegas. She hosts the Ayesha's Home Kitchen TV show on the Food Network and—along with her husband, NBA star and Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry—the parent of three children; daughters

| EASTBAYMAG.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

April 2020, prior to the opening of the retail store, she partnered with the Meredith Corporation to launch Sweet July, the quarterly magazine described on the website as featuring the voices of “real, relatable women” that serves as “an outlet for young men and women which celebrates diversity and inclusivity.” A line of Sweet July products can be found at the store, along with Curry’s signature bread pudding served at the café.

Riley and Ryan, and son Canon. In 2019, she and her husband founded the charity known as Eat. Learn. Play. The organization’s mission to end childhood hunger and ensure access to quality education is geared for a worldwide audience, but Curry and her family also engage in frequent initiatives and projects in the Bay Area, and in Oakland in particular. Sweet July carries products under four broad categories: Bedding, Kitchen + Dining, Living and Self + Wellness. The categories blossom into bed and kitchen linens, tableware, apparel, cookbooks, candles, jewelry, and many more products. With family always centered in Curry’s focus, items for people of all ages include several for kids: Bella Tunno wonder plates, suction bowls and spoon sets, children’s picture books, and a stunning CanDid Art day + night reversible quilt with bold black-white-orange graphics that cartwheel across a medium powderblue background. The quilt’s flip side springs to life with a dynamic blackand-white design providing contrast. The beauty of the two-sided quilt lends itself as much to wall art—x2—as it does to keeping a toddler warm on a winter’s night. In the shop this season are standouts from featured designers such as 54 Thrones, Baby Tress, ByChari, Candice Luter, CanDid Art, Cuyana, Fellow, InBooze, Johanna Howard Home, Omi Woods, People of Color Beauty, Rose + Co. Candlemakers, UNWRP and others.

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READ The latest ‘Sweet July’ magazine.

First among the highlights to note are CanDid Art earth + water’s reversible quilted jackets in gold or black with white graphics and sized for children. The reversible, genderneutral, oversized jacket has snap closures to make for an effortless climb into—and out of—the jacket, and the item is warm enough for fall temperatures or can be worn under a warmer jacket when cooler winter weather arrives. Warmth and elegance appear in the glowing gold tones and speed designs of ByChari’s simple and stunning necklaces, bracelets and cuffs—and a delicate, handmade Omi Woods necklace, The Coffee Bean, that honors the Ethiopian berry and its ceremonial

history. The in-demand item is currently out of stock, so check the website for updates. Store your jewelry treasures in San Francisco-based Cuyana’s Italian leather mini jewelry case in black or ecru that features a zipper closure, soft felted pouch with satin drawstring ribbon and an interior belt to safely secure earrings and rings. Those who have never entertained the thought of putting an electric kettle on the table and considering it a work of art may find they have a change of mind upon seeing the EKG electric kettle. The kettle is a Sweet July collaboration with Bay Area’s Fellow. The contemporary design and sleek outlines of the matte-black kettle belie its practical functionality: hot water

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

in minutes at the perfect temperature for a cuppa joe or tea. A temperature displayed on the thermometer signals when the water is hot, and flipping a hidden toggle on the back reverts the kettle to HOLD mode to maintain the desired temperature for 60 minutes. All that usefulness, and undeniable black beauty too: it could be the store’s subtitle. Of course, there are a few items and one to-do without which a visitor must not leave the store. A copy of the latest Sweet July magazine or one of Curry’s cookbooks—or another cookbook penned by a woman who is a local chef or restauranteur—are givens. Catch a last glimpse of the large-scale mural of Lignum vitae blooms—Jamaica’s national flower—painted on one of the shop’s walls. Rendered by Curry’s brother, Jaz, and celebrating her native heritage, she says the joyous, uplifting blooms represent a “family heirloom.” Lastly, depending on the weather, visitors should include in their purchases a Sweet July sweatshirt or T-shirt. The sweatshirt in black is designed and embroidered in the Bay Area with a reminder from Curry to “walk good.” The soft tan T is made with 100% certified fair trade organic cotton and designed locally, and its “Sweet July” is printed in the Bay Area. Both tops are strong reminders of leisurely afternoons shopping in community in Oakland at Sweet July. The store’s name, by the way, pays tribute to the month in which Curry and her husband celebrate the anniversary of their wedding, and the birthdates of their three children. ❤

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Making a

Splash Wearable art arrives in the East Bay BY Lou Fancher

walls, counters, doors and any other surface or domestic space found in rooms or backyards. Above all, supreme flexibility allows wearable art to fit the occasion for which it is worn. Notable wearableart possibilities popped into visibility during recent visits to physical and online museum stores at Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive and the Oakland Museum of California, and during a centerpiece interview with Bay Area photographer, author and designer Josie Iselin. The wearable oceanic art arrives in a line of sublime scarves, courtesy of Iselin, whose commitment to welldesigned illustrated books that combine art and science springs forth also in shower curtains and a prototype for neckties currently in development. As a

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

photographer and author, Iselin works in her studio, Loving Blind Productions, to produce the fine-art, limited-edition prints and award-winning books that include her newest book, The Curious World of Seaweed (Heyday Books, 2019). Curious World features 16 narratives and images of iconic West Coast seaweeds and kelps. Her artwork, mostly consisting of large-scale prints, is displayed in galleries, museums and public spaces. Iselin has a bachelor’s in visual and environmental studies from Harvard and a master’s in fine arts from San Francisco State University, and teaches at SFSU’s School of Design. In a conversation about wearable art, and the scarves specifically, Iselin says, “I straddle so many worlds that I simplify it, and I think of myself primarily as a designer. People come

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOSIE ISELIN

mong the many rewards and luxurious pleasures of investing and dressing in wearable art is the possibility of draping the ocean around one’s neck—while simultaneously protecting its invaluable ecosystem and tiny treasures. Or literally, metaphorically and perhaps politically, lighting up a social gathering with an illuminated handbag that advocates, in its message, equal pay for all. Alternatively, an outfit might— without shouting rage, but by means of powerful words and imagery— establish unequivocal support for social justice, nonprofit arts organizations, preservation of our natural world and the protection of wildlife. In extended forms, wearable art brought into homes will “dress” and invigorate tables, beds,

SPLASH Stephanocystis Blue & Gold.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | EASTBAYMAG.COM | EAST BAY MAGAZINE

DRESSED UP The gentleman of this smartly dressed couple boasts a Pink Seaweed Tie.

» to know my work through books and

artwork. They buy the scarves because they love them. The bonus is that they then learn about my environmental activism and activities. I think people like supporting an artist who is committed to enhancing our waters and oceans. That’s part of the attraction.” This fall, people are attracted to the color palettes and proportions of Stephanocystis / Blue & Gold and Seaweed & Seagrapes / Turquoise & Rose. The two scarves’ long, skinny 14-by-72-inch dimensions and organic, border-breaking seaweed portraits set against well-chosen contrasting backgrounds are created using premium poly-chiffon and made locally in San Francisco. Hand or machine washable, dried flat and ironed with a cool iron,

they are easy-care and impressively durable. “One of my quandaries about making products other than books, which have longevity, is that I’m an advocate for ocean health,” Iselin says. “I’m caught in an internal conflict about producing more stuff. The wearable art I make must have a long life to them. I have scarves I’ve worn daily for six years and a shower curtain up for five years— and all look as new as the day they were first worn or put up.” Iselin draws from the endpapers of her books to source imagery for the shower curtains. “I was in the shower and thinking about endpapers and thought, ‘What better than a shower curtain to have these patterns on?’” she says. “With the light and transparency of a shower curtain in mind, I found a

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

fabricator in South San Francisco, DPI, who could embed my images right into the fabric. It’s not silk-screened on top. Dye sublimation printing means it’s sublimated into the molecules of the material. You get vibrant color, extreme durability and transparency. You can throw everything I make into a machine with hot water … but use cold water as it’s more environmentally, ecologically sound.” The Microcladia Orange shower curtain is a standout. Fabricated in polyester ripstop with orange tones from reddish to pumpkin to soft peach, it can be used with or without a liner. Microcladia is a lacy, fantastically circuitous seaweed, found nearly everywhere in the Bay Area, according to Iselin. “This image is a scan of an old specimen, probably over 100 years old, pressed onto herberium paper like a specimen,” she says. “My camera can photograph at a high resolution, so the images work in a book—but also at the scale of a 60-by-72-inch shower curtain.” Iselin says the delicacy and nuance of the color and repetition and flow in undulating seaweed that curls only in one direction creates spirals with geometry and detail that speaks to the wonders of the ocean. “It brings to mind the flowing, wonderfulness of the ocean.” During the pandemic, Iselin’s curtain fabricator largely shut down and is only now slowly ramping back into operation. Materials, shipping and everything else involved in

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has become more expensive, which means she often works on-demand as orders arrive. “Fortunately, it takes only a couple of weeks for a shower curtain, because they’re made locally,” she says. “I could make them cheaper in China, but my conversations with the fabricator, the ability to preserve the quality, the relationships with local makers and the swifter delivery would be lost. These benefits have to remain, because it’s hard to make money off of wearable art unless you are constantly on Instagram. I do these scarves and curtains to make clients happy, not because I’m invested in selling thousands of scarves.” When people suggest she branch into seaweed-inspired blouses, jewelry, linens or wallpaper, Iselin says, full-stop, “I don’t have the bandwidth to make sure it’s made well, that images are transferred at high quality. I’m too busy!

But I do have leftover ripstop fabric from the curtains that would make great handbags, because it’s sturdy.” Asked about wearable art she herself wears and, in particular, about the gemlike quality of the Talk About Sea Glass / Teal scarf, Iselin says she aims for simplicity when it comes to fashion. “I say there’s a little bit of the beach in these scarves,” she says. “The sea glass in the Talk About scarf breaks across the black border, and that makes it fun. It goes great with anything. It jazzes up the simplest top. I don’t spend a lot of money on clothes. I throw on a scarf and feel fabulous.” Feeling fabulous is also possible when sporting Oakland-based artist Michele Pred’s wearable-art items found in the BAMPFA store and presented in conjunction with the “New Time: Art and Feminisms in the 21st Century” exhibition. For biggest splash—but please stay safe and don’t immerse wired items in water—there is the high-end Power of the Purse Equal Pay, a vintage creation with an electroluminescent wire. The Art of Equal Pay line extends also into limitededition Equal Pay Masks, Equal Pay Sash and Equal Pay All Shirts, and neon lighting signage perfect for a wall or window. If hot pink is not the right tone, a softer shade shows up at BAMPFA in Graf Lantz’s flower-shaped felt trivets suitable for table dressing, or go with bold primary and earth-tone colors and set a breakfast scene with Hans Hofmann morning coffee mugs and looks-like-wood-but-isn’t S’well water bottles. Scarves by local printmaker Rigel Stuhmiller come in all shades and, like Iselin’s scarves, are easily added

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

to a monochrome outfit for a zip of color. Marisa Mason’s metal jewelry must never be hidden beneath a scarf, but makes a spectacular “reveal” and talking piece at a holiday gathering. Once removed, a scarf can be tucked into a black or tan New Time tote bag featuring the work “Stigmata,” by Linda Stark, in which the word “feminist” is emblazoned in an abstract image of the palm of a human hand. At the OMCA store there is more emphasis on “doables”—such as books and games—than on wearables, but even so, in the Fredrika Newton and OwlNWood collection, a Love is Power hoodie and an All Power to the People shirt for the Black Power exhibition are must-haves. Into T-shirts? Pick up a Motherboard T-shirt with art by Madow Futur, presented as part of the museum’s “Voyage into Afrofuturism” exhibition. The hoodies and Ts move in harmony with a pair of ceramic Heath button earrings set into sterling-silver settings by artist Tzipora Hoynik. Created in conjunction with the “Edith Heath: A Life in Clay” exhibition, the collection’s circular shapes are filled with planetary wonders resembling starry night skies, exploding asteroids, abstract four-leaf clovers and more. Those tapping into wearable art for the first time or merely searching for new frontiers should check this selection out. Whether wrapping the ocean around their neck, picking up a purse or handbag, or donning a T or hoodie that supports the right cause, they’ll be dressed to launch their own journey as they explore more of the East Bay’s abundant shops, galleries, art collectives and boutiques for their next wearable art fashion statement. ❤

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| EASTBAYMAG.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

PHOTO BY REZEL KEALOHA

SLICE Turon Pie and Ube Pie.

Sweet

Condesa Reimagined Filipino- and Latin-inspired desserts

colorful array of pies, cookies and her signature calamansi bars. But Lorenzo also includes information about ingredients and the local vendors she partners with. The Barako coffee pie uses Ballast Coffee’s “bold and strong” beans sourced from Cavite, Philippines. “Currently, I don’t have a social media manager,” she says. “It’s just me managing.” If Lorenzo posts something about a Filipino ingredient, it’s informative for people who might not be familiar with desserts like turon or ube, the pretty purple yam. “But [IG] has been helpful for sharing different fun facts that people will engage with.” For her Tsokolate Chunk Cookies, she buys chocolate from El Cerrito’s Oodaalolly Chocolate. On their website, the company’s owner, Hernan Lauber, describes the Philippines, where he was born, as “the Napa Valley of

PHOTO BY QUIANNA MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO BY REZEL KEALOHA

iko is one of the desserts Melody Lorenzo associates with Christmas in the Philippines. “Biko is a traditional rice cake,” the chef and owner of Sweet Condesa says. “It’s cooked in banana leaves in a clay pot.” Lorenzo says she made her version of it last year, and she’s bringing it back again. “I took the idea and turned it into a coconut custard pie,” she says. The chef also adds cream cheese, and tops it with a salted egg. “It has a sweet and salty flavor.” Lorenzo also transforms queso de bola, a.k.a. Edam cheese, by infusing it in a custard filling for another Christmas pie. The desserts at Sweet Condesa can be summed up by the hashtag Lorenzo came up with— #BayAreaFilipinoPies. Her Instagram feed, @sweetcondesapastries, shows a

BY Jeffrey Edalatpour

SWEET Tsokolate Chunk Cookies.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | EASTBAYMAG.COM | EAST BAY MAGAZINE

cacao.” Some of the other brands that Lorenzo uses are imported directly from the Philippines. Apart from farmer’s markets, the chef finds Filipino products at South San Francisco’s Seafood City Supermarket and at the Island Pacific Seafood Market in Hayward. Sweet Condesa isn’t, as yet, a brickand-mortar store—and Lorenzo is fine with the amount of freedom and flexibility she has. “I like being able to meet people from other communities,” Lorenzo says. She’s a regular at the San Ramon Farmer’s Market, holds a high-end tea service in Livermore and continues to cater weddings. She also attends an annual bridal fair that takes place in Fremont. Lorenzo told me that Sweet Condesa began in 2017 when she joined a small bridal shop in Lafayette to create “modern Filipino” desserts for weddings. Without pausing to check her records, Lorenzo easily recalled what she made for her first wedding. “I did calamansi bars, which is a take on a lemon bar,” she said. “I did ube tartlets. The shells are a buttery shortbread that we make by hand and fill with ube that’s cooked with condensed milk until it’s nice and smooth and creamy.” And she also made a caramel flan. Before opening Sweet Condesa, cooking was a hobby for Lorenzo. She worked a government job for 20 years before she decided to start her own business—a month before the pandemic. “I just closed my eyes and said, ‘I’m just going to do this and see how it goes,’” she says.

Before Christmas, on Nov. 23 and 24, Sweet Condesa offers what she calls “Thanksgiving Pie Pickup” days at Ballast Coffee in San Francisco and in West Oakland, respectively. At least two of her creamy custard pies will feature on that menu: the Turon Pie and an Ube Pie. Turon combines banana and jackfruit, a “scratch-made Saba-Langka jam, baked to perfection in a buttery graham cracker crust.” Turon is a popular street food in the Philippines. “It’s basically banana and jackfruit in a lumpia wrapper,” Lorenzo

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

says. “It has that caramelization from brown sugar.” The chef makes the jackfruit jam and infuses it into the banana-custard base. She also mentions that her popular pandan pie will return. “Pandan is an aromatic leaf, referred to as the vanilla of Southeast Asia,” Lorenzo says. She infuses the leaf in her coconut-milk custard base and then adds young coconut to top it off. Find out more information about Sweet Condesa at: sweetcondesapastries.com and instagram.com/sweetcondesapastries.

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Alone for the

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PHOTO BY KIM RIBEIRO/ILLUSTRATION ADOBE

s this holiday season finally going to allow us to gather back together with our families after nearly two years of lockdowns and disappointments? Starting in early October, White House medical adviser and face of Covid, Dr. A. Fauci, made it clear that while Covid is not beaten yet, the conditions look good for a return to some sense of normalcy for the holiday season. Hurray!

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Here is an idea. Rather than spending the early morning hiding in the bathroom ready to say “just a minute” when someone finally knocks, roll out to Berkeley’s Boichik Bagels (www.boichikbagels.com)—ostensibly to get everyone at home a treat, but really to take a break. Boichik’s are considered to be among the best bagels in the country, so make sure to show up at peak times when the wait for orders can be as long as 45 minutes. Buy some quiet time. Peek up from the phone to check out fellow travelers-in-line, from fashionistas in marigold velour jumpsuits or classy pleated hot pink midi skirts to pampered babies in perfect prams. Covid protocols are in place, and the menu and card-swiper sit on a stand 6 feet from the employee seated outside to take orders. Get some tension out by yelling the tip amount across the gap so she can enter it in the POS system. While waiting, watch through the plate window at the sandwich assembly for that perfect moment of bagel zen. Regardless of one’s gender, everyone should know by now that a pedicure is the perfect ploy to get away. No one has the right to deny us pampered feet and pretty toes. No one understands this better than Ari Huitzilopochtli, owner of Fig & Clover (www.figandclover. com), the LGBTQIA+ friendly spot in the Temescal District. That is, except for her lucky clients. As regular Blamoh Phillips put it, the “amazingly warm, friendly & inclusive staff is magical.” “I think many will be surprised at how good they will feel just being inside the space,” Huitzilopochtli said, when asked what makes her salon unique. “The thing that always mattered to me

There may be nothing more fashionable at this unique moment in time than roller skating. Try this: While twisting ribbons around presents on a Friday afternoon for the weekend holiday party, slam the wrapping paper tube down on the counter and holler, ‘That’s it! I’m going roller skating!’ was that we provided a safe space for everyone. I didn’t want our space to feel like a salon, more like a friend’s house where you love to sit and visit and talk.” To back up her intention with action, Huitzilopochtli posted recently on the Fig & Clover Instagram page that she has decided not to accept tips anymore. “Sometimes it’s a strange transaction at the end, whether there is shame around it because maybe you can’t afford to give the tip that you’d like. It’s just weird sometimes. I’d just rather people leave here feeling good about themselves, from beginning to end.” Here is another benefit: stylists are booked out four weeks in advance, so get real, plan holiday escapes now and when the time comes families will have to go with the flow because, “It’s on the calendar, Honey.” For those feeling more footloose and fancy free, here is another getaway for the foot-oriented. There may be nothing more fashionable at this unique moment in time than roller skating. Try this: While twisting ribbons around presents on a Friday afternoon for the weekend holiday party, slam the

wrapping paper tube down on the counter and holler, “That’s it! I’m going roller skating!” Then get on over to Quad Republic Skate Company (www. quadrepublicskateco.com) in El Cerrito. This sweet boutique is full of nasty. From roller-derby battle boots to wooden platform-heeled “recreational skates,” the new take on old-school roller skates proves to be as functional as it is gorgeous. This writer is eyeing the Moxi Beach Bunny Roller Skates in Watermelon. Whatever one’s pleasure, buy it and hightail over to the Boathouse at Lake Merritt. In Covid times, the parking lot has been closed off to traffic, and on Friday nights experienced and new skaters take over while music blares and butts wiggle on wheels in circles of 21st-century flash. This is where everyone gets their groove back. Double check with Lake People Skate’s account on IG, as times may vary. We all know the secret to throwing a good holiday party is getting takeout the night before to save on the hassle and clean-up while finishing up those decorations, rolling cheese into some

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | EASTBAYMAG.COM | EAST BAY MAGAZINE

ARCADE The games people play.

Then there are those nights when the kids are finally tucked in, the in-laws are watching This Is Us while they doze off and our partners are “finishing up some work” once again. Don’t miss this big chance! Make a break for the Kona Club (www.konaclub.net) on Piedmont Avenue to get truly lost. Forgot to use a fail-safe alibi? It doesn’t matter, everyone can safely disappear here. Go around the bar to the casually lit open-seating areas of this incredibly beautiful tiki bar and be transported far from the winter hell of a loving and supporting family who cares. This writer has never before described a tiki bar as beautiful, but the Kona has changed this mind forever. Get sucked into the plush-leather lounges to sip a Singapore Sling while admiring the

EAST BAY MAGAZINE | EASTBAYMAG.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

PHOTO BY MICHAEL GIOTIS

shape or completing whatever other holiday tradition we are reviving latepandemic. Monster Pho (www.monsterpho. com), on Broadway in Oakland, is perfect for a suspiciously long takeout run, not just because of its legendary bowls of steaming broth, but for a secret delight one need not mention to the rest of the family—an arcade game machine to play during the wait. Conveniently forget to order in advance—even though it is super easy through their website—in order to spend the 15-minute wait for the must-have Vietnamese Crepe button mashing Neo-Geo video classics. The vibe of the place is guaranteed to bring anyone back to full power as sure as a reset button.

authentic Oceanic details and clear passion put into the work by renowned island-style decorator Bamboo Ben and master tiki artist Crazy Al. Or sit closer to every patron’s new best friend, Julio the bartender, and groove along to the killer jukebox. I make sure to take a hard right from the entrance to the high-top tucked away under the party-colored pufferfish lights so that when my partner bursts in after tracking me on GPS, I’m sure to be hidden from view, sipping quietly until they get washed away in the vibe themselves. OK, did anyone realize in the morning that they forgot to share their Scorpion Bowl? To anyone who wakes up in their car still parked on Piedmont: walk slowly over to Blue Bottle Coffee (www.bluebottlecoffee.com) further down the Avenue for some sorely needed caffeine. Erroneously considered by many to be of San Francisco origin, Blue Bottle Coffee actually started as a roaster shop in Oakland in 2002. As the exquisite quality of the coffee brought great demand, the brand initially expanded into San Francisco. Now found throughout the Bay Area, the Piedmont location opened in 2018. Getaway advantages: the slow-pour methods pioneered by founder James Freeman are sure to match the slowest morning-after pace, and with the clever Fall Poetry Coffee Set in stock, why not read through California poet Victoria Chang’s words while sipping, to clear out the fog of holiday joy? ❤

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East Bay Magazine November/December2021

Articles inside

Hiding in Plain Sight

Style Meets Comfort

Reimagined Filipino- and Latin- Inspired Desserts

A Tale of Timeless Fashion

Ayesha Curry’s Sweet July

Wearable Art Arrives in the East Bay

Rachel Konte’s OwlNWood

Designer Erica Tanov’s Aesthetic Curation

Letter from the Editor