“I’ve always loved San Francisco—I’ve lived here for 20 years, and (opening the store) felt like coming full circle,” she said. “I see the city as a center of innovation and creativity—and a community of independent thinkers.” McMullen should know, because innovation and creativity are her stock in trade. Since opening McMullen nearly two decades ago, the store has been known for her ability to bring together the biggest names in fashion (Dries Van Noten, The Row, Proenza Schouler) with the newest talent (Christopher John Rogers, Diotima, Zankov)—all with a sense that giving a voice to (and ordering from) designers of color and designers from around the world is the right and responsible thing to do.
And it’s the independence of the designers she sells that resonates with her customers, she says: “San Francisco thrives on creative people. So there’s a customer who is very conscientious, who wants to know how things are made, who values sustainable practices – and all of that influences how she spends her money and who she spends it on.” Her Presidio Heights store – at 3687 Sacramento Street – will carry the same mix of brands, so those who live in San Francisco but may never have made it to her Oakland location can finally see in person what her store has to offer.
In addition to the designers already mentioned, you’ll find Lisa Folawiyo, Wales Bonner, Kimeze and Burc Akyol, as well as a local designer, Kamperett. But there’s definitely a global perspective at work. “We can tell the stories of designers who really care about slow fashion, the beauty of pieces that take months to make – and they’re not necessarily from Paris, but maybe from Africa,” McMullen said. “And people here really embrace that.” In other words, in this city, life and style are given equal weight. “Fashion here is seen as an expression of your lifestyle and your attitude to so many different things,” she continued. “We see so many ways to express ourselves through what we wear.”
