SHOP STOP :: SEEDSTORE 23.05.13

I had no big expectations when my friend took me on a tour to Inner Richmond. I knew there would be many Asian stores and delicious Asian fast food; some people call it the "real" China Town of San Francisco. Therefore all the more I was pleasantly surprised how cool this neighborhood is. There are small cafés, some pretty good food spots, good selected plant nursery, an iconic book store and few very nice clothes stores. Our first stop was at the Seedstore. People say, the first impression matters, so it was the merit of Seedstore that shaped my vision of Inner Richmond. This San Francisco gem is owned by two sisters, Cynthia & Jennifer, whose background in fashion industry and their passion for pretty clothes led them to open their first store. Enjoying working together and creating community around their store the sisters duo cares about quality, carrying independent designers and having their customers feeling good when they leave the store. I was happy to talk to them how they got started, what they most love about their job and what they always have in their bags.
Hope you guys will enjoy our small chit chat. Have fun!

-Ana

What led you guys to become a shop owner?
Cynthia: My sister and I both have backgrounds working in and around fashion and retail.  Over dinner one night a few years ago, we were talking about life and I was mentioning how I still dreamt of opening a boutique one day.  I had always wanted to have my own business since I was a child, so it wasn't really anything new, but her reaction completely surprised me this time when she said, "Why don't you just do it now? I'll quit my job and we'll do it together."  It was crazy since I had just had my second child 5 months earlier, but I said, "Ok, let's do this." Then, we just kept putting one foot in front of the other and now, we've had the business for almost 3 years.

Describe us the idea of your store? What is so unique about it?
We are a men's and women's clothing store in the Inner Richmond neighborhood of San Francisco.
We carry a mix of well established brands such as Pendleton, Penfield and Golden Bear, as well as smaller and independent lines by mostly North American designers.
We are rooted in our community and want the shop to be a comfortable and welcoming space to not only shop but to gather with neighbors and friends.

The pieces at Seedstore are very well selected. How do you find all the designers?
We travel, read blogs, talk to customers and luckily some of our best designers have reached out to us.

What do you keep in mind when choosing the items for Seedstore?
We are drawn to designers and lines that are thoughtful in their design, process, and execution.

As every job, being a shop owner has also pro and con. What do you love most about your job?
Cynthia: I am very grateful to have the opportunity to work with my sister. I've really enjoyed having our relationship grow.

What’s not so great?
There really isn't a downside.  We were raised to work really hard and are very appreciative to be here and doing what we love every day.

Have you any advice for somebody who would like to open a store?
My best advice for someone who wants to open a store is to gain as much experience as possible before doing it, whether in retail, marketing, HR, finance, buying, graphic design, manual labor or better yet, a combination of all of the above to be as well prepared as possible.

Can you describe us your day at the …morning…. noon…. evening?
Jennifer: My day usually begins at 7a with emails and following up with vendors. Then I am usually at the shop and working with clients or in buying appointments. In the evenings I relax by cooking dinner and going to bed early.
Cynthia: I don't really have a regular schedule except that I have 2 kids that I drop off and pick up each day.  So, I am usually in my office taking meetings or in my car.

Shop owner’s dream?
I just hope that we continue to grow our shop on Clement St. as well as online and that we make fashion really fun and easy for everybody.

Favorite pieces or designers right now in your store?
Its tough to choose a favorite, we're excited about that we have a lot of really great layering pieces that work extremely well in our San Francisco microclimates.  Our shoe selection for men and women are both also really good right now.

Top 3 destinations?
Cynthia: Nice, France. Florence, Italy and Hong Kong
Jennifer: NYC, Hong Kong, Tokyo

Currently addicted to…?
Cynthia: 90's rap and hip hop
Jennifer: The Yeah Yeah Yeah's new album

Night owl or early bird?
Cynthia: Night Owl
Jennifer: Early Bird

Tell us some of your favorite San Francisco spots?
Cynthia: The Inner Richmond, of course!  Park Life, Green Apple, Burma Superstar, Foggy Notion, Healthy Spirits...the list goes on!
Jennifer: The Presidio, Golden Gate Park, Ocean Beach

Always in your bag…
Cynthia: A Baggu, my wallet, keys, phone, a stack of papers and tons of to-do lists
Jennifer: Keys, wallet, phone

ON THE TABLE :: JAM 22.05.13

If I would have to choose; Jam or Nuttela, I will probably take Nuttela. Very likely because I'm sucker for chocolate in every condition. But than, on cozy Sundays, when I need to round out my breakfast with something sweet, there is nothing better than rustic bread, butter and strawberry jam. Jam never  gets old. It tastes good, it's easy to make, it sounds more healthy, you can mix flavors and everybody is entranced when they get a small jar of home-made jam. Yeah, you should try it. Bring your mother in-law next time some home-made jam; works miracles. Here is a small round up on my favorite jam recipes.
What is your favorite flavor? Are you Jam or Nuttela?

peach jam via design sponge | fig jam via simple plate | strawberry jam via family style food
apricot jam via malangery | plum jam via food for my family | blueberry jam via yummy supper
orange jam via bbc good food

ON TOUR :: MILL VALLEY WITH JAKE 20.05.13

Bay to Breakres Day is a pretty cool and traditional thing here in San Francisco. But I'm personally not a big fan of huge crowds. Watching it from a wayside is fine, but being part, that's not my thing. Quite, less crowded and relaxed surroundings sound more like a perfect Sunday. Yeah, pretty stuffy, I know. Anyway, we spent the whole Sunday far away from the crowd in the middle of Mill Valley. It was my second time to Mill Valley and I really enjoyed spending time in this small, dreamy town only 30 minutes drive away. You can hike for hours through the woods, see beautiful houses, smell eucalyptus trees and enjoy some good food at the local restaurants.  Last time I didn't have my camera with me, but this time I was prepared  to show you guys some of my favorite spots and take you on a small virtual trip with my co-guide Jake, the pup.

Stroll into the cute stores around the old railroad plaza and allow yourself some pretty treat. 

The Tyler Florence Shop : for the chef in you, everything a foodie heart is craving for. You must try the Napa Smokes olive oil. Best I ever had.
Summer House Antiques : Beautiful fabrics, whimsical home decor with coastal style touch.
Summer House @57 : Interior design and home furnishing. 
Benni's : modern, nautical clothes and accessories with a pop up hair dresser salon. Such a bright space.
Moss & Moss : Treasures from past decades.

 
Feast yourself through many delicious restaurants this small city has to offer

Champagne : Small french café with delicious sweet & savory bites.
Beerworks : Brewery and best pastrami sandwich far and wide.
Mill Valley Market : TIP -> Instead of looking for fancy restaurant my first spot for good food are local markets. Grab some fresh soup and enjoy the small town feeling outside on a bench.
Beth's community kitchen : Organic local homemade pastry & breads

Fairytale-like hidden backyard of El Paseo restaurant.

STYLE :: HAWAII PRINTS 16.05.13

The most people roll one's eyes when it comes to Hawaii prints because they probably associate the unformed blouses with big bold hibiscus flower prints, but let's be honest, we all somehow love the Hawaii prints. And each and every time they are the trend guest of the season. H&M lead the way with its conscious campaign this season and now you can see them printed on shorts, dresses and pillows. I say "aloha" and why not to Hawaii prints.

 zara box | stella mccartney blouse | joie blazer via song of style | asos bikini bottom | zara pillow | mango pants | geox wedge

SHOP STOP :: FAR4 15.05.13

You know this stores; when you enter them and you think: "Ok, this one is truly amazingly different". That's how I felt when I blunderer into {far4} while browsing Seattle's streets. Located on the 1th Avenue this mix of gallery and store is a must-visit. All items are carefully created by the owner Jenny, who is by the way, super nice and super cute. We had a small chit chat and she gave me great Seattle tips, with self-illustrated map of Seattle on the back of a postcard. I still have it.
Jenny opened the store in collaboration with her brother and parents, but since they are working also on other projects, Jenny is running {far4} by herself. Already known for one-of-a-kind items, far4 is also developing into event location for your special celebration. You can book only the space or the whole package, including the talented Jenny to plan your event. I hope to meet Jenny someday again, so we can have a longer chit chat, but until then we keep in touch via Twitter and Instragram. I hope you guys are going to enjoy this interview as I did while reading. Have fun!
-Ana

What led you to became a shop owner? 
It was a collaborative decision with my family. My brother and I have always worked for and with our parents both of whom are very inspiring entrepreneurs. We previously worked in technology industry, so this was a drastic change and almost kind of like a personal challenge for all of us.

Describe the idea of your store? What is so unique about it? 
When we originally opened 5 years ago our main focus was on classical hand crafted porcelain and glass imported from Europe. Throughout the years our collection has evolved into a more broad category of unique objects. We now carry a lot of Seattlebased artists working in various mediums. It is a selection of one of a kind art pieces that have artist names attached to them as well as more mass produced items that still have a unique and precious quality to them. You will probably not see most of these items anywhere else.

The pieces at far4 are very well selected. How do you find all the designers? 
I am fortunate that my parents have a porcelain studio in Moscow Russia called Studio Klimenkoff (proof of their entrepreneurial minds!) and a lot of my core collection consists of beautiful objects from their production. We used to attend Maison&Objet in Paris to source unique pieces, artists and manufacturers. These days, thanks to our reputation, we have artists approaching us.

What do you keep in mind when choosing the items for far4? 
The main guideline for selecting is whether or not I would have these objects in my home. I also love pieces that reinterpret old traditions with a new modern twist. I am in love with earthenware skulls by Seattle based artist Trevor Jackson! I think his appropriation of Delft tradition and decoration is very clever!

As every job, being a shop owner has also pro and con. What do you love most about your job? What’s not so great? 
The most amazing part of my job is working with so many inspiring artists! I also love curating. A lot of times customers ask me if I am an artist myself and I say that I am not but the curation of the store is sort of my art form. There are of course some down sides to my job as well but I prefer not to think about them.

Have you any advice for somebody who would like to open a store or gallery? 
It’s a tough question.  I am not going to lie, it’s a difficult job to own a small independent store, especially one that’s unique from the rest. Focusing on your online presence is incredibly important. Always providing the best customer service is absolutely crucial. And finally, you need to evaluate whether this type of job will make you happy because at the end of the day you are doing it for yourself.

Shop owner’s dream? 
My long term dream is to host {far4} pop ups in some of my favorite cities in US (and eventually in the world). Short term dream, which is something that I am currently actively working on, is to expend {far4} into an event planning “agency”. I would like to be able to use my unconventional approach to sourcing and styling in a context of birthday and cocktail parties and eventually weddings.

Favorite pieces or designers right now? 
I am really loving these gorgeous earrings and rings by a local up and coming jewelry designer Megan Stelljes. She interviewed me for a class and upon learning that she was a jewelry designer I asked her if I could see some of her work. I love how modern and feminine her pieces are!

Top 3 destinations? 
Paris (duh!), Buenos Aires and San Juan Islands here in PNW.

Currently addicted to…? 
20/20 Experience by Justin Timberlake. I play it about 4 times a day at the shop (good thing I don’t have employees or else they might be quitting left and right!)



Night owl or early bird?
It depends on the night. I like waking up early because it makes me feel productive. But I also love late night dinners with friends!

Tell us some of your favorite Seattle spots? 
One of my most favorite spots is The Melrose Market. It’s such a treasure! My favorite flower shop is Marigold and Mint, favorite bar is Artusi, favorite shop for unique gifts (for myself!) is Belfry. Favorite places to eat is probably the only one that I can’t say because there are way to many to include here (we’re well fed here in Seattle )

Always in your bag… 
My day planner. I would be lost without it!