Corsetry as Outerwear: Sasha Maks Styles the Janus Ribbon Corset

Every time I host a trunk show, inevitably someone will pick up a Ribbon Corset and ask "How on earth do I wear this?" The great thing about the Ribbon Corset is that it truly is my most versatile piece. If you've seen the Evgenia lookbooks, you know that it looks incredible paired with lingerie pieces, but it also pairs effortlessly with everyday clothing. Just check out these shots from style blogger Sasha Maksutenko, photographed by Garry Alexander.

Sasha is not only a San Francisco fashion blogger with an effortless sense of style, but she also runs Sasha Maks Vintage, where she sells gorgeous vintage statement jewelry. For this outfit, she's styled the Janus Ribbon Corset in Jet with a JW Anderson for Uniqlo shirt, an Ian R.N. skirt, Rag & Bone shoes, and custom bag by Scabby Robot. All Sasha's jewelry is from her own shop. The earrings are Paco Rabanne (contact info@sashamaksvintage.com for details), and the bracelet is Bartek, and all rings are available through the above email address.

I love how Sasha styled the Janus Ribbon Corset as a belt with her outfit - it defines the waistline of and pumps up the femininity of the otherwise straight-cut ensemble - plus it matches beautifully with Sasha's boots and jewelry.

To check out more shots from this outfit post, head on over to Sasha's blog!

Innerwear Meets Outerwear: Sasha Maks Styles the Janus Short Gown

If you've been following Evgenia for a while, you know that one of my favorite things about lingerie is its versatility potential. A major facet of this brand's pieces is their ability to be worn not only in the bedroom, but out and about as well.

So needless to say I was thanking my lucky stars when blogger and stylist Sasha Maksutenko (who also runs the super chic Sasha Maks Vintage) talked about pairing the Janus collection with modern pieces to show their potential as outerwear.

Photo: Garry Alexander

We teamed up with local photographer Garry Alexander for Sasha's blog feature, a preview pic from which is above - make sure to check out her post in its entirety here, plus find out how to score free shipping on any Evgenia order until the end of July!

Pas de Deux Editorial Shot by Shelbie Dimond

I've admired Shelbie Dimond's photography for what seems like ages. As an analog photographer with a distinct artistic voice and penchant for all things vintage, romantic and beautiful, Shelbie has an innate ability to capture measured moodiness in quiet moments. I first learned of Shelbie's work when I began Honey Cooler Handmade back in 2011 and we had gone back and forth casually discussing doing a shoot for a while. When I found out that Shelbie was moving to Los Angeles, I just knew I had to finally book a shoot with her before she became too famous to work with me.

As a former dancer, I have long wanted to do a ballet-themed shoot with my lingerie. Lingerie and ballet seem like a sensible combination - both epitomize femininity and precision. Lucky for me, Shelbie was also itching to do a ballet themed shoot and was able to connect with Ryan Lee and her dance partner Raul Orozco, both ballet dancers in Colorado. Before we knew it, Ryan and Raul had their tickets booked and came out to shoot with us in San Francisco's beautiful Firehouse 8.

Ryan wears pieces from the Spring/Summer 2016 Janus collection, which is slowly being released and is available here. Rebecca Taff is responsible for Ryan's beautifully ethereal hair and makeup. I was delighted to see a few shots front this series posted on The Lingerie Briefs last month.

I hope you enjoy this photo series as much as I do, and be sure to check out more of Shelbie Dimond's incredible work on her site.

A Night to Care Giveaway

I'm so excited to announce that Evgenia was asked to participate in A Night to Care, a fundraiser fashion event benefiting the DripDrop Foundation.

The November 5th event features four local female fashion designers' lines: Evgenia, Kajan Cake, Kaperett and Tokyo Gamine. The DripDrop Foundation's mission is to raise awareness and money to save lives and alleviate suffering from dehydration worldwide. A Night to Care will include a cocktail reception with a hosted bar, a fashion show and a silent auction, all in the glorious St. Regis Hotel's exquisite penthouse.

Each ticket purchase benefits the Foundation and all the good work they do worldwide. From now until October 25th, Evgenia fans and followers have an exclusive opportunity to win two (2) tickets to the event, a $500 value. Here's how:

• Join the Evgenia mailing list
• Comment below with just why you want to attend this event. Be sure to leave your email address!
• Follow @evgenialingerie on Instagram and repost this image. Tell us why you want to attend the event and be sure to include the hashtags #evgeniacares and #dripdropfoundation. (Your profile must be public in order for your entry to be considered)
• Follow Evgenia Lingerie on Facebook and repost this image. Tell us why you want to attend the event and be sure to include the hashtags #evgeniacares and #dripdropfoundation.
• Pick your favorite piece of Evgenia lingerie from the online boutique and post a picture of it on Instagram - be sure to tag @evgenialingerie and hashtag #evgeniacares

You may enter one time per method. The winner will be selected at random on October 26th. Best of luck and can't wait to see you there!

EVGENIA Fall/Winter 2015/16 Behind the Scenes

Ever wonder how a photo shoot comes together? Once again, videographer Tim Prestoza of Low Tek Studios was on hand back in December to capture all the magic that went into the Fall/Winter 2015/16 Tempest shoot. Photographer Kelly Puleio, model Frances Tomei, hair stylist Lauren Rynders and makeup artist Risa Robins Moloney braved what was called the Bay Area's "storm of the decade" for this magnificent project which was inspired by the Octavio Paz short story My Life with the Wave.

Kelly Puleio Photography

Kelly Puleio Photography

Even though both my inspiration and the weather were moody, it's easy to tell we still managed to have a wonderful time. Check out the video and outtakes, and shop first pieces from the Tempest collection now!

Freema Agyeman Wears an Evgenia Lingerie Ribbon Corset in Sense8

About a year ago, I was contacted by a wardrobe stylist whose boss, the costume designer for Sense8, had fallen in love with an Evgenia Ribbon Corset a few months prior. Sense8 is the new Netflix original series directed by the Wachowskis, the brains behind The Matrix, so needless to say I was ecstatic to have my lingerie considered for the series' wardrobe.

Loaning and occasionally selling garments to stylists is a pretty normal thing, but most of the time it's safe to assume you'll never see the finished product. Stylists typically pull deep collections of garments for photo shoots and films, so the chance that your piece will actually get used isn't exceptionally big. So needless to say, imagine my surprise when 35 minutes into the first episode of Sense8, the gorgeous Freema Agyeman (as Amanita, protagonist Nomi's girlfriend) sauntered onto the screen in a perfect SF Pride ensemble, complete with an Evgenia Ribbon Corset.

I absolutely loved this cheeky outfit and I couldn't be prouder to have seen one of my favorite styles on such a beautiful actress. If you're looking to replicate this look, I only have two of this style of corset left in the red/black colorway, and you can snap it up on sale now here!

Shop the Evgenia Night Garden Collection at Bespoke Starting Friday!

The word is finally out!

The Fashion Incubator is proud to announce our month-long partnership with Bespoke, a sleek new coworking space in downtown San Francisco's beautiful Westfield Center.

Our pop-up space will be featuring current designers in residence including Blade + Blue, Kajan Cake, Pladra, Simple Pair, and of course yours truly, Evgenia. From vintage-inspired menswear to chic dresses and separates for women, to utilitarian activewear, to feminine lingerie pieces, we truly have something for everyone and are so excited to have dedicated shop spaces in this unique, tech-forward environment!

Check out Maghan MacDowell's write-up in The San Francisco Chronicle and pay us a visit on the 4th floor of the Westfield Center at Bespoke, right next to Bloomingdale's. Doors open to the public at 10am on Friday 5/29 and they close again on 6/30. Can't wait to see you there!

Night Garden has Landed at Dark Garden!

The Evgenia Lingerie Night Garden collection has officially landed at Dark Garden, our longtime stockist. The Night Garden collection is the epitome of luxury: from fine lightweight silk crepe de chine to an exquisite French starry lace and our signature insertion lace bow detail. Each piece is made right here in the Bay Area.

Bralette in Black Dahlia, $130

Deco Romper in Moon Flower, $234

Tap Short in Moon Flower, $141

Modern Star Knicker in China Rose, $108

Modern Star Knicker in Black Dahlia / Moon Flower, $108

Tap Short in Wisteria, $141

Deco Tee in China Rose, $223

Visit Dark Garden at 321 Linden Lane in San Francisco to pick out your favorite pieces!

EVGENIA Fall/Winter 2015/16 Teaser Video by Tim Prestoza

Fall/Winter 2015/16 took a moody turn from the airy Night Garden collection and videographer Tim Prestoza was on set for my December shoot to capture the dark beauty in all its glory. The Tempest collection was inspired by the Octavio Paz short story My Life with the Wave, and was shot by Kelly Puleio in Tomales Bay during what SF media outlets were dubbing "the storm of the decade". I hope you enjoy this video as much as I do - stay tuned to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more!

Modern Love Editorial by Antonette Streeter

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, what better way to plan a special date night for the one you love? Just in time for the most romantic time of year, photographer Antonette Streeter followed around models Laura and Devon (a super sweet couple in real life too!) for a date night out in San Francisco's North Beach. Laura wears Evgenia Lingerie paired with vintage pieces from her own collection. Lipstick by Elizabeth Street Cosmetics and styling by Michelle Byrnes.

Night Garden Bralette, Ribbon Corset, Modern Bow Knicker

Night Garden Bralette, Tap Short

Night Garden Bralette, Deco Romper

Night Garden Bralette, Deco Romper

Night Garden Bralette, Deco Romper

Night Garden Bralette, Tap Short

Night Garden Bralette, Tap Short

Night Garden Bralette, Ribbon Corset

Night Garden Bralette, Ribbon Corset

Night Garden Deco Cami

Night Garden Deco Cami

Night Garden Deco Tee

The FiSF pOpUp for Charity is TOMORROW!

One of the big benefits of being a Designer in Residence at the Fashion Incubator of San Francisco is the opportunity to host a big pop-up with your fellow designers. And for me, that time is tomorrow!

The annual FiSF pOpUp is tomorrow at the Incubator, 50 O'Farrell Street, from 12 - 6pm. Now's the perfect time to visit Union Square, as the entire area has been transformed into a beautiful park. All the construction is gone and benches and food trucks have been brought in for the holidays.

At the pOpUp, shop current collections with many pieces discounted for the occasion. Pre-sales on spring pieces will also be occurring - it's a wonderful opportunity to stock up for the holidays! My one-of-a-kind lingerie pieces will all be on super sale, and the current collection will also be discounted.

Participating designers include yours truly, Mansoor Scott, Michelle Byrnes, Min Edition, Sounthavong, Lia Larrea, WHICHKIM, Scarlett Smith and Sarah Liller. A portion of the day's proceeds will go to charity - all the more reason to do your holiday shopping with us!

RSVP here!

Macy's Fall Fashion Fest - Photography by George Liao

The FiSF whirlwind continues! Just last month, Fashion Incubator Designers in Residence past and present were invited to show current and upcoming collections at Macy's Fall Fashion Fest and photographer George Liao was there to capture every moment.

Designers Tony Sananikone (Sounthavong), Michelle Byrnes and Nathan Johnson (Artful Gentleman)

Sounthavong, Evgenia, Vermeulen & Co

Min Edition, Artful Gentleman, Evgenia

Artful Gentleman, Evgenia, Whichkim

Artful Gentleman, Evgenia, Whichkim

Selfies!

DIRs past and present: Bethany Meuleners, Stephanie Bodnar, Michelle Byrnes, Tony Sananikone, Jake Wall, Amanda Scarlett Smith, Lia Larrea, Anna Min, Dahae Kim, Bree Hylkema, Kyra

Evgenia at Dreamforce!

Dreamforce has arrived in San Francisco once again! While Dreamforce is primarily tech-focused and described as "the Superbowl of Cloud computing", this year, fashion is making quite the impression.

Just today, Jake of The Artful Gentleman and Bethany of Mansoor Scott participated in a panel discussing technology, community and fashion. Tomorrow, the FiSF presence at Dreamforce grows as The Artful Gentleman, Mansoor Scott, Michelle Byrnes and Evgenia open up our very own pop-up on the Campground floor. As a ramp-up to our pop-up, we shot a pretty incredible video with Major Diamond Productions which will be broadcast throughout the Dreamforce conference. Check it out below and come shop our collections at the Campground this week. See you there!

Evgenia Designer Stephanie Bodnar Talks Style with Jill Siefert

Back in July I had the pleasure of connecting with local stylist and all-around fashion maven, Jill of On Style with Jill Siefert. Jill interviewed me for her awesome podcast which profiles local fashion professionals, covering current trends in fashion, fashion in tech and personal style. Last month was dedicated to the Fashion Incubator and lucky for me, I was featured in two episodes of the podcast.

Catch both episodes on Stitcher: Part 1, Part 2. I hope you enjoy!

FiSF Macy's Window Display

It's been a while since I sat down to write an FiSF Diary post - things have been busy lately. Fellow designer in residence Amanda of Scarlett Smith probably said it best: "I always think next week will be calmer." Funnily, it never really is!

The past few weeks have been especially exciting and a whirlwind for all of us, and one of the bigger honors we've been privileged to take part in is having one look from each of our Spring/Summer 2015 collections featured in the San Francisco Macy's windows.

Evgenia Bralette and Tap Shorts, floral headpiece by John James Designs

From even my beginning illustration phase for S/S 2015, this outfit has been my favorite, so I'm delighted to show it off to the world. Macy's Visual Manager Rise Hixson did a gorgeous job displaying our outfits and if I'm totally honest, I go out of my way almost every day to catch another glimpse of the display before it's gone.

If you get a chance, check it out! The window display is to the left of the main doors of the San Francisco Macy's Men's Store on Stockton Street in Union Square.

From left to right: WHICHKIM, Lia Larrea, Scarlett Smith, Min Edition, Evgenia