Beautiful event !

Last Sunday Spring Fashion Brunch was amazing!

A lot of people showed up and the Sun was surprisingly one of us too!
Even though, no one brought plants of flowers at the event, I've got 3 people donating money instead, so I could pick my own plants! Most of my guests said they'll bring something during the week, I found this really sweet...
It was a lot of fun, and I want to thank everyone that contribute to make this event a successful one!

- Mr.Sun, thanks for shining on my corner, without you, it wouldn't have been the same ...
- Rachel Hass, thanks for your fresh and beautiful flyer design !
- Karla Mi Lugo, the nickname I gave you talks by itself: thanks dear ~bird~, for your happy performance!
- Joy Dovidio from Pain Traditionnel, thanks for your so delicious pastries! Exactly the parisian taste I needed on that Sunday morning !
- Morgan Byloos from Local Addition, thanks for spreading the news so well with helpful articles on the event!
- Andrew Dudley from Haighteration, thanks for continuous support on highlighting Aline's Closet in your blog!
- Chris Loan from Bay area expeditions, thanks for the spontaneous photographs!
- All my neighbors, again, you guys are the best!

The garden will be just like You: inspiring, beautiful and unique!
A little bit more patience for flowers to bloom! And If you are lucky enough, you will see me adding potted plants and flowers in front of my store throughout the beautiful month of April!
Xoxo

You can not buy Wisdom at the Market !

I received my National Geographic April 2012 issue today : there is a great article on Masks and Spirits in Africa and the African diaspora. The role masks play in between reality and illusion, it's creativity and the uniqueness of the ritual dress is amazing to me!

"You Can't buy Wisdom at the Market" is one from Benin, West Africa, where I was born. Did you know that Benin is also the birth land of Voodoo ( Vodun in 'fon' my language, means 'spirit')
It's one of the oldest religious expression in Africa that believes in spirits and reinforce the cultural identity of any natural elements beyond human beings. Voodoo cosmology centers around the vodun spirits and other elements of divine essence that govern the Earth, a hierarchy that range in power from major deities governing the forces of nature and human society to the spirits of individual streams, trees, rocks...Adherents also emphasise ancestor worship and hold that the spirits of the dead live side by side with the world of the living..In Africa any vodun celebration comes with great masks and costumes!
If all natural elements have a spirit and a power it definitely shows in the costumes and masks they represent : they're powerful and stunning...
Im in love with the mix and match of rich and gorgeous colors and fabrics layers, pointless to say it's inspiring me ! It's magical !

As pollen from flowers that spreads with the wind...

I'm so excited to put together another event ! It's just on time for Spring, witch is by the way "right on" with my wish to build a sidewalk community garden in the Lower Haight surrounding Aline's Closet!
On Sunday March 25th from noon to 4pm I'm inviting everyone that cares about Fashion, Art, Music, Nature (Mimosas and French pastries) to gather around my corner and celebrate Spring!
My new jewelry collection is out and it was time to seat and watch the flowers grow!

Earlier in March, in replacement to Waller and Pierce trees that have been cut down in November, I had an idea of setting a nice little garden area in front of the store: a bit like a mini garden community, something that belongs to everyone and that everyone can enjoy ...So I posted an ad on Craigslist and asked any volunteers and artists that would like to get into this with me, to get their own pot/vase/case/barel or whaterver they want their plants or flowers to grow in -Ready- for a great community garden ! Each individual pots will have names on it and the idea goes beyond if you want to write a story or a poem that belongs to your plants or flowers...This is a completely free initiative and no money is involved apart buying/getting your own pot flower/plant set. The plants can rotate and people can also bring an old plant they already have as long as it can seat outdoor-the purpose of this is to gather as much as possible nature lovers to help me start a pretty community garden setting in front of Aline's Closet, witch will eventually become the most beautiful corner of the Lower Haight! I know, it's almost already titled this way :)

I seriously want to unbellished a plain side walk : bring back some kind of Nature, art and fun! While I was preparing for my event, an online magazine called Local Addition contacted me and wrote an article about my intention...Now that I've got enough responses, I will inaugurate the new sidewalk at Aline's Closet this Sunday March 25th, noon to 4pm...
+ I will have Karla as a guest, Karla Mi Lugo, a juggling accordionist I met this year who will be playing and performing live for the occasion!
It's a Spring Fashion-Garden-Brunch Party! Have you ever heard about something like this before?
Ohhh, and before I forgot, I will of course, be offering 15%off in the entire boutique!

I want to specially thank Rachel Haas, a young talented graphic designer who 's been able to captured my initial idea and worked from my miniature sketch to produce the beautiful Aline's Closet "Spring Fashion Brunch" Flyer : Bravo!

- Now I can relax..it's officialy Spring tomorrow!
See you at the event! Xoxo

Find the shoe that fits you right!

Not the blue one...
Yes! those black one on the right.
39, European size please!
Chanel Chanel...

Life is all about finding the shoe that fits you right...xoxo

Bike...in style.

It's a vintage 1970s lady's bike and it's a beauty!

My trueloves unite at the San Francisco Fashion Film Festival.

Spring is at our doors and the inaugural San Francisco Fashion Film Festival too! With a degree in fashion design and a background in stage costumes, (before opening my store I used to freelance for other designers but mostly for the theater and opera industries) I'm so happy that my two trueloves, please understand "Film and Fashion", unite at the San Francisco Fashion Film Festival. That will be so much fun!!

The San Francisco Fashion Film Festival will offer a new take on what it means to be stylish in the cinema. With a curated selection of independent, documentary, and dramatic production films. In the film industry I'm a documentaries lover and some documentary films, will tell the stories of the designers and artists who shape the world of fashion and style! As they explore films that have inspired trend, beauty, design, and culture, they will look beyond the little black dress to the creators and influencers who have affected style through film...

Please join us! I'll be attending this event on April 7th and 8th at the Roxie Theatre in San Francisco, CA.
Look for me there!

Nada Tiramisu.

While I was at the shop this afternoon, I've spent some time talking on the phone, with my best friend. (I know a lot of people but I have only few friends and I call them my "best friends", unfortunately, all spread out in the world... Well that can be discussed in another post...) So Nada lives in Strasbourg, France. We've know each since about 13 years, she's awesome and we talked about everything friends talked about! In orher words: Life! Ok, to name a few subjects here: our sweet teen-ages spent together in Cameroun, boys (that eventually became today men, then actually men of our lives! ), gardening, and..cooking! Yesterday, she gave me her awesome tiramisu recipe-I was so excited! I was craving tira-misu all week and was thinking of making a good one soon ! So here is my week end plan: make tiramisu and share it with a very special person... Now that I have Nada recipe + the tiramisu crave + the very special person to share it with, I don't have 2 but 3 great excuses to eat some tiramisu !
-Thanks Nada!

Diamonds? Im not selling diamonds yet...

"Aline was everything you made her out to be - knowledgeable, honest, extremely helpful. I couldn't be more pleased with the way she handled me as a customer. She showed me the differences between quality grades, cuts, and colors in a very straightforward way - it was very very clear that she was not trying to sell me more than I could afford(!). As you may have guessed, I didn't feel the need to continue shopping around - I was extremely satisfied with the deal she gave me on a beautiful stone (I actually came in a little under budget!). I can't say enough how helpful your service has been and how excellent my diamond-buying trip was with Aline. Thank you so much!"
- Doug (Boston, MA)

I find this review while I was browsing the Internet, it does not belongs to me but sure it makes me smile!

Learn to be free.