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!

NYFW Red Dress Diary, Part II: Show Time

It's certainly possible that all the preparation in the world could have been insufficient to tackle my fitting with Carla Hall for the Go Red show. As I mentioned in my last post, my only fittings involved a dress form and someone significantly shorter than my model, so needless to say, I went into my Manhattan appointment feeling a bit beyond my depth. Then there was the issue that the dress I ended up making was somewhat different than my original design and I began to wonder if the final product would still effectively communicate my aesthetic.

Original sketch, second sketch, final gown

On the day of my fitting, I left my friend's apartment in Brooklyn early and braved the snow with my gown. Before my appointment, I made a quick visit to Manhattan Wardrobe Supply where I bought tough-as-nails double-sided tape and a few other last minute fitting essentials. My fitting was at Dani New York, a full service alterations workroom in the Garment District, coincidentally in the same building as my friend Angela Friedman's showroom. Natalia and Joe, the owners of Dani, were so welcoming. It's no secret that the New York fashion world isn't always friendly - Natalia and Joe were incredibly sweet to me, a rare, wonderful treat.

When Natalia asked me if I'd brought extra fabric, I had a moment of panic - What if the gown was too short? What if I had to add extra panels? I hadn't, in fact, brought extra fabric and began to worry that I had made a grave mistake. However, once Carla slipped on the gown, it all became clear: it was pretty damn close to perfect.

Natalia fits Carla.

There were, of course, minor adjustments that needed making, but nothing Natalia seemed to think was anything more than no big deal. It was satisfying to see that all the adjustments I'd made in San Francisco were the right moves to make. Carla is longer waisted than her measurements implied, so adjusting the bodice and yoke had definitely been the right move. The most significant change we had to make was to the length - the extra 6" Dorothy and I added were mostly lopped off in the front. When Carla told me she felt beautiful in my gown, I finally felt like I could breathe. All my hard work was paying off. Not only was Carla the perfect model, but she was gracious and sweet - such a delight to work with.

Lincoln Center, inside the fashion tents

And then the night arrived. I showed up at Lincoln Center with my heart in my throat. Navigating the fashion tents proved to be a little more complicated than expected, though I did end up getting some high fives from the gorgeous male models from the Band of Outsiders show. Once I arrived at the Go Red backstage area, I was blown away by the hustle and bustle of it all. My gown was ready for Carla and the celebrities were out in full force. From Laverne Cox to Hoda Kotb and Thalia to Ciara and Rosie O'Donnell, I was a little taken aback by all the familiar faces I'd only before seen on TV.

Carla and yours truly backstage

And before long, the other Incubator designers from Philadelphia and Chicago and I were ushered through the red carpet area, interviewed in a hurry and then sent to the front of the house to watch the show. And what can I say? It was amazing. Carla in particular had so much wonderful attitude and energy - it was a wonderful experience seeing my own work on the NYFW runway on such an amazing woman. See the whole show here on the Go Red site.

Carla on the runway

NYFW Red Dress Diary, Part I: Drape, Sew, Fit, Repeat

When the board of the San Francisco Fashion Incubator asked me to create a gown for the prestigious Go Red for Women runway show at New York Fashion Week, I initially didn't know what to say. As the only lingerie designer in a program mostly populated by womenswear designers, this amazing opportunity was quite the surprise, and, frankly, a challenge I was at once thrilled and a little nervous to take on. While Evgenia's focus is lingerie, I'm not a stranger to making dresses and gowns - in fact, my education at FIDM was in womenswear.

Initial sketches, preparing for the first drape, padding the dress form

I was asked to submit three initial designs, the first of which was my absolute favorite - a 1930's-themed bias cut gown with star lace appliqués throughout. After some celebrity changes (my first assigned celeb had to back out due to schedule conflicts), I was eventually assigned to dress celebrity chef Carla Hall, a former model who stands at an astonishingly statuesque 6' tall. I was told that she loved my first sketch, was given her measurements and got to work preparing to drape my gown. Because the mannequin I was working with was scaled for a shorter woman, I had to pad her out a bit to fit one considerably taller. With the help of FISF's resident sewing, pattern making and apparel construction expert Dorothy Yuki, I created a totally new form on which to drape.

Photos via Kelly Puleio Photography

Carla had requested that I pare down the star detailing on the dress, something I was more than happy to do. My first sketches were on the more fantastical side and after some thought I wasn't sure how they would translate to the runway. A more measured approach to embellishment seemed to be more fitting for a Fashion Week show, so I removed the center sash star and a bunch of the star appliqués throughout the top portion of the gown. Because of Carla's past runway experience, I thought adding a sweeping skirt would create a beautiful motion during the show for a confident walker.

First bodice mockup

I actually did two separate drapes, one for my first assigned celebrity who as 5'2" and the second for Carla Hall. In all, I sewed the bodice four separate times, three times for Carla's gown. Many of the design elements I dreamed up proved to be a bit more complicated to execute than I'd initially thought. For example, the gathering at the bust caused some issues with the waist seam (see above) which I had to allow extra ease for. The hip yoke was cut on the bias to allow for maximum fit flexibility, but as any dressmaker knows, bias is a whole different ballgame and can be quite a challenge to work with. After meeting with Dorothy to make the proper pattern adjustments following my first draft, I figured it was time to move into my final fabric with only 12 days to go until New York.

Second bodice mockup with skirt

The second draft of Carla's bodice was a million times better with some minor, easy-to-fix issues. At that point, I drafted the skirt pattern and tried it out in some extra silk I had lying around. Dorothy and I agreed that we should allow an extra 6" for the bottom hem to allow for the possibility of sky high shoes.

Star appliques and snips

Once I was happy with the final skirt shape, I began cutting in in the final fabric and adding the star appliqués one by one with the help of my intern, Lux. Each of the four panels of the skirt had between 12 - 15 stars on it, each hand-basted, appliquéd by machine and snipped by hand with sewing scissors.

Second bodice mockup (left), fitting with Michelle Byrnes, final gown before finishing

Once the skirt was finished, I was desperate to try the gown on someone with similar proportions to Carla, but I didn't know anyone 6' tall with shared similar measurements. Then a friend suggested I call up 2013 Designer in Residence and kickass designer in her own right Michelle Byrnes. She's not 6' tall, but she's pretty darn close, and pretty close to Carla's body measurements. She came by the Incubator and we tried on the gown. There remained some small fit considerations, but it was clear I was getting a lot closer to the final product! I ended up lowering the waist seam, lengthening the bias yoke and extending the shoulders which yielded…

The final gown

…the final product! Per Dorothy's recommendations, I left large seam allowances at the side seams to manage any potential fit issues that would pop up. Remember, I didn't have a chance to fit Carla in person until my arrival in New York, at which point any major alterations would be out of my hands.

Next up, my final fitting in New York and the NYFW Go Red runway show!

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 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

A Studio Visit with Photographer Sarah Deragon

A few years back I was privileged to be included in an awesome women's indie business group called The Success Squad. Sarah Deragon and Lisa Anderson Shaffer (Zelma Rose) invited me to join at a time where we were all making pretty big work transitions. Honey Cooler Handmade had just started and I found myself struggling to coax a fully-formed business from a mere concept. One of my biggest challenges was staying on task when working from home, and our monthly Success Squad meetings lit the fire that got me to push through my hangups. And here I am at the Fashion Incubator - certainly a large step! Sarah now runs the immensely successful Portraits to the People - she's so in demand these days that I was beyond flattered when she asked to come by to take some shots of my new space.

Check out her beautiful work below. And be sure to check out Sarah's amazing work on her website - she's the one responsible for my kickass headshot below. Sarah's also working on an incredible passion project, The Identity Project, for which she's gained international recognition.

Fashion on the Square This Sunday!

If you've been following me on social media, you may already know that I'm in the process of changing my business name from Honey Cooler Handmade to Evgenia. It's a big change and I'll go more into depth about it in my next FiSF Diary post, but for the time being the best way to see this new iteration of my lingerie line up close and personal is to come to Fashion on the Square this Sunday.

This is the first time I've ever been invited to show at this prestigious SF event and I'll be debuting three S/S 2015 looks at the 7pm runway show, looks that very few people have gotten to see yet. Please join me and the other talented designers privileged enough to show that evening!

Purchase tickets here. Hope to see you there!

Three 'Grams: Secret Glimpses

I can hardly believe how quickly my first lookbook shoot of my residency at FiSF has come and gone. One of my biggest fears with a three-month collection development build-up is that the end product won't be what was dreamed, imagined or expected. I can safely say, however, that photographer Kelly Puleio knocked it out of the park. She's already given me a sneak peek at the final shots and days later I can't stop looking at them. These photos, my dears, are the real deal. That said, they're not ready for sharing yet. Spring/Summer lookbooks generally launch in August or September, so for now you'll have to be content with a few snippets of the new collection, taken right from my Instagram feed, along with a shot from last week's much-anticipated fashion show at Supperclub SF. Enjoy!

HCH at Supperclub SF

Floral designer John James arranges Sarah's headpiece for the S/S shoot

Sarah wears a new S/S 2015 style

FiSF Diary - All the Little Pieces

Even though I'm on-schedule with my collection (finished all my samples, thank you very much!), it's hard to sit back to admire one's handiwork when there's so much going on all at once. Don't get me wrong - I'm not complaining. My collection is done, I'm headlining a fashion show at Supperclub tonight and my lookbook shoot is this Friday. But a finished collection is only a tiny fraction of the work in running a fashion business as any designer will quickly tell you.

A little detail preview from S/S 2015

In apparel design, the percentage of design to non-design work that comes up time and time again is about 10 to 90. So when you consider that the creative side is what most apparel designers prefer to do, 90% of the time spent on the nitty gritty of a small business seems like an awful lot of not-so-fun. That said to even have a shot to survive in a highly competitive industry, none of those tasks can be ignored. Even though I'm hardly what I would call business-minded, in that aforementioned not-so-fun, there are pretty awesome things. Like seeing your website or branding come to life, or making an unexpected online sale. Each little piece of the business is part of something at once immeasurably complicated and immeasurably awesome.

DIR Dahae works her tail off in high style

I have tunnel vision this week since my shoot is on Friday - it's all I can think about at the moment! Photographer Kelly Puleio is the brains behind the project and I'm really excited to work with her. Fittings with my model went so incredibly well - I can't express how illuminating it is to see a completed collection on a human and not a dress form! With photo shoots, there are so many minor things to consider, more little pieces that can make or break a project. My internal checklist goes on and on: get shoes, steam lingerie, choose jewelry, bring extra nail polish, locate props, stockings or no stockings?, grab a palette from Elizabeth Street Cosmetics for the makeup artist, update Pinterest inspiration board, decide on flowers with John James Designs, etc etc. Lingerie walks a fine line when it comes to styling which is definitely on my mind right now - there IS a such thing as too sexy and since lingerie is implicitly so, the model has to be made up just right. Too much and you enter vamp territory. I love to over-style, so I'm grateful to have Kelly on board. She's very much about measured styling and classic simplicity and she'll have no qualms editing my sometimes over-the-top sensibility.

I can't wait to share completed shots! For now, I'm looking forward to Friday and will be ready to kick back with a big glass of wine once it's all done.

FiSF Diary - Really, I Know What I'm Doing… Right?

It's been quite a while since I really took the time to sit down and write a blog post that's not just about upcoming events and new products. While I love writing those posts, there's much more going on in the world of HCH right now and I think it warrants a spotlight on the blog, so my plan is to update my readers once a month on what's going on for me at FiSF.

Sample making and inspiration at FiSF

My acceptance to the Fashion Incubator Program at Macy's still shocks me to my core, even after my third month in residency. When I first got my acceptance letter, I called my husband and sobbed through the phone "I can't be ready for this. Doesn't the board realize that?" Being a perfectionist has the unfortunate downside of me seeing flaws in every step I take. After almost 3 years in business, I didn't feel like I was far enough along for an opportunity like the Fashion Incubator, even though I was the one who pursued it. But the truth is, I WAS ready. I AM ready. Among my stockists, I'm selling in two of San Francisco's most famous lingerie boutiques. My pieces are in a boutique in Bern, Switzerland and they're selling so well that the proprietress has decided to hold onto them longer than originally planned. I've sent my lingerie to Dita Von Teese and have been invited to headline a fashion show at Supperclub this month. I've been mentioned in blogs, magazines and all sorts of publications the world over. So why the crippling doubt? I don't know about you, but for me, doubt is my safety net - if I fail, I can say "I saw it coming". But more than that, doubt is the ultimate editor. It can lead to beautifully realized, perfectly edited design, and I see it every day from the designers in residence at FiSF. This bizarre thought process is the one that helps to make the tough design decisions and create a truly beautiful collection that tells a cohesive, engrossing story.

Fabric's here!

My doubts were still in high gear when I got my fabric last month for my Spring/Summer 2015 collection, but the second I saw my first new Deco Cami sewn up, I was hooked on it. At the moment, the Designers in Residence are working on assembling our physical collection samples and doing our fittings. It's funny - no matter how much those aforementioned pesky doubts creep in, every time I start a new pattern I think "This is going to be a slam dunk and I'll nail the pattern on the first try." Wrong. My poor fit model will have had to come in three times for one piece - a romper that is proving to be more of a pain than I expected. I've gone through six samples of it so far and I'm hoping that my third fitting on Thursday goes well so I can move forward with final fabrications. With each fitting, though, this piece becomes more and more adorable, more and more realized, and I am so glad I'm putting the extra time and effort into it.

Collections aside, we've spent a lot of time working on bookkeeping, branding and business plans here - the nitty gritty, if you will. These are the parts of business I don't do well by nature, but they must be dealt with. Bit by bit, my business plan is beginning to take shape and my branding will see a totally new direction come August, so stay tuned for more.

Designers in Residence, past and present

What's more, it's been so enlightening to talk to previous years' Designers in Residence as well. Michelle Byrnes has been a wonderful mentor to us, helping us wade through our social media plans, and always with a smile on her face and a positive mindset. Master tailor Jake Wall of The Artful Gentleman came in to offer a critique and class covering elevator pitches. His energy and enthusiasm paired with an honest and very real look at the fashion industry made for an empowering conversation. His business has grown by leaps and bounds since his residency last year, and we all look up to him here. The other previous Designers in Residence have been so supportive and wonderful - I feel grateful for such a close-knit community.

Every time my friends and family ask me how my experience with the Incubator is going, I don't think I can adequately answer. I'm overjoyed, humbled and validated to be here. Empowered, overwhelmed by the camaraderie of the community and excited about the huge leaps that I've already begun to take. That said, frankly… I'm also tired, working more than I ever have in my life. I'm juggling what feels like a thousand tasks, writing constant lists and running a ten-woman show with a one-woman staff. I thought I worked hard before, but that was nothing. My time here feels more real than ever - a year I want and need to make count, and I am more grateful than I can say, more excited than I can express.

Three 'Grams: Spring Pastels

This spring has been an amazing one so far. With my residency at FiSF well underway, I definitely have my hands full. At the moment I busy working on my Spring/Summer 2015 collection which features some beautiful pastels and florals. Happily, those color trends have seeped into my life outside the Incubator too! Take a peek at these shots from my Instagram feed:

My closet

Our Easter party spread

A sneak peek of Spring/Summer 2015

On FiSF: 5 Reasons Why it's Great to be a Designer in Residence

If you've been following me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, you already know that I was accepted to the Fashion Incubator Program at Macy's in San Francisco. I started working on HCH from downtown SF in March. The transition from business-from-home to working in a full-on office and workroom has been a really exciting one, and one that has filled my days to the brim lately. Needless to say, I haven't been blogging much! That said, I did write a post for the FiSF blog last week about what it's like to be in the program. Read on!

So what's so special about being a Designer in Residence at FiSF?

Headshot by Portraits to the People

1. SPACE – I started Honey Cooler Handmade from my kitchen table. A dedicated space at the Incubator means that I not only have my own work table for pattern making, but I also have an industrial sewing machine that never has to be put away, a huge cutting table that allows me to cut multiple pieces at once instead of just one, and an office that I can close up at the end of the day with my work inside. When I hop the bus back to the Mission at night, I can truly be home and eat dinner (and NOT sew) at my kitchen table!
2. EXPERTISE – The Incubator operates under the direction of an executive board with tons of industry experience, and that board regularly brings in the best of the best to help us navigate the complicated world of fashion production. From dealing with factories or figuring out effective branding, the thought of facing the myriad challenges unsupported is stressful beyond measure, but FiSF ensures that we are never alone in our endeavors.
3. IDEAS – Jeanne Allen, FiSF’s executive director, has had decades of experience in the fashion industry. Her advice and support come from an innovative mindset coupled with an intimate knowledge of how production truly works for a San Francisco brand. Her husband Marc is our resident design expert and is a wonderful resource when it comes to working through design puzzles. Not only do we have access to the this amazing and experienced executive board, but each of the FiSF designers comes from varied backgrounds, all with very different, yet firmly established perspectives.
4. CAMARADERIE – Honey Cooler Handmade started as a series of lingerie pieces where each garment was made individually, out of different fabric, using deadstock vintage laces. Needless to say, larger scale production is a huge leap for me. Luckily, each of the Designers in Residence is going through the same complicated process of producing their lines. The ability to share the triumphs and frustrations of doing so with the rest of the FiSF class is one of the most valuable facets of working from our amazing space. My initial fear was that working alongside such talent would leave me feeling totally inadequate, but the truth is that we all struggle with the universal self-doubt that all artists deal with. We are a united force and we each want the whole group to succeed.
5. VALIDATION – The Bay Area is full of talented designers, so gaining acceptance to the FiSF program is no easy feat. Learning I was accepted was probably one of my happiest moments – to have an entire board of industry professionals believe in Honey Cooler Handmade and my abilities enough to admit me to the Incubator program was a truly validating moment. Admission to the program is a big step for any line; For me, it means that Honey Cooler Handmade has serious potential as a marketable, profitable lingerie line and I’m very excited to see what’s next.