Fun in San Francisco

It’s been a few days since my last dispatch. I’ve been on styling duty on the West Coast and also researching a hotel feature to run later this fall. One of those gigs took me to San Francisco, a city that I’ve never been to in spite of my many years circumnavigating the globe and it was love at first sight. The city is drop dead gorgeous, everyone I met was ultra nice and while I didn’t have much time to check out the arts, I’m told it’s a very cultured city. Elizabeth Charles, the Australian retailer who has built her branding on selling Aussie and Kiwi designers in her New York store (and has carried that concept to San Fran) was my gracious guide during my few days there. I did some shopping at her store zeroing in on Martin Grant, Anna Thomas (a former Max Mara designer), and I went absolutely mad for her Nearly Nudes, a Spanks like undergarment to preserve modesty and hold everything in. Elizabeth then shuttled me to Cielo, Susan’s, Carrots, Metier, Barneys, the new Prada boutique and a host of other stores. I ate a Foreign Cinema (with hairstylist extraordinaire Ron Pernell), Orsons and afternoon at The Four Seasons. It was a short trip but now I understand the high ratings San Fran has consistently gotten from friends.