In this special edition of my weekly “Best DRESSED” post, we give you highlights from the first show of San Francisco Fashion Week!

The stylish crowd awaited in the Galleria of the San Francisco Design Center as Pink Elf, Emily Jane, Vian Hunter, Genevieve Primavera and a host of Emerging Stars showed their collections…

First up…were the Emerging Stars who took the concept of the “Little Black Dress” and ran with it…

The looks that sashayed down the runway were from various up and coming Bay Area designers. Unfortunately, after looking through the program notes, I didn’t see any of their names. I definitely want to know which gal made this one:

After digging further into the press bag they gave me, I finally found the roster of Emerging Stars:

Roseann Scrivens, Art Institute of California, SF
Emily Cowdrey, San Juaquin Delta College
Adiana Paniagua, Apparel Arts
Courtney Dame, San Francisco State University
Natalie Minori, Delta College
Antonia Marguerite, Art Institute of California, SF
Jessica Warinner, San Francisco State University
Antoniya Ivanova, Art Institute of California, SF
Cassey Ho, Whittier College
Sholeh Mirzai, UC Berkeley
Heather Guevarra, Academy of Art University
Jasmine Erole, Art Institute of California, SF
Kana Rosos, College of Alameda
Carol Richter, Brooks College, Sunnyvale
Rickie Lee, University of Pacific
Autumn Marcus, Brooks College, Sunnyvale
Jessica Shade, UC Berkeley

and then there’s this piece that Carol Chen of Fashion Institute of Design and Marketing created:

Yes ladies and gentleman, in the spirit of Transformers, this dress was not one, not two - but THREE looks in one. Fancy that!

Next on the runway menu were looks by Kaushie Adiseshan for her label, Pink Elf. The collection showcased her love for Indian appeal and stateside chic with citrus tones, light-as-air fabrics and the occasional Caribbean pop of print:

Fellow Texan, Emily Jane gave us wonderful lines and silhouettes with clothing that invoked Southern aristocracy. Ruffled tops, cinched waists and nuances of etiquette school echoed through her collection that embodied the strong, yet ladylike, sensibility from a Southern woman:

…and the winner of the fiercest walk goes to this runway diva who modeled for Emily Jane. She was on FIRE!

That girl can WORK IT!

When the Vian Hunter collection came out, Lisa Hunter’s design were true to form: classic, luxurious and nostalgic with Jackie-O meets modern times beauty:

Genevieve Primavera by Mary Elizabeth Primavera closed the evening with Japanese-esque designs that were awkwardly beautiful as the models walked down the runway with toppling hairdos. From neutral wide leg trousers to frilly skirts to popping neon green one-shouldered tops, her collection was all over the place, yet focused, at the same time:

…and the final award of the evening for “Most poses in one walk down the runway” goes to this girl:

…and as an added bonus of the night, I got to sit next to two of the fab ladies from Fabsugar.com. Editor Samantha Durbin (left) and Melody Nazarian (I use to work with Melody!) provided FABULOUS company throughout the show. They even looked more FABULOUS with their FABULOUS accessories - Samantha’s reptilian Miu Miu bag was simply FABULOUS and I was gushing over Melody’s horsebit Gucci clutch!

What a FABULOUS way to end the evening!

Stay tuned for more SFFW throughout the weekend! And if you want to read my in-depth coverage on the shows, check out our paper on Aug. 30!

Based out of San Jose, Mary Elizabeth Primavera is the mastermind behind Genevieve Primavera. Draped with fierce style and an ideology of eccentric mix-and-match, she creates some of the most eye-catching garments. I learned this when I first met her in January at the MAC Chinese Dress event in San Francisco.

Inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci and all spectrums of the arts, Mary Elizabeth has an “against the grain” mindset when it comes to design. Sure, she may have had a bit of trouble as a child (she was kicked out of Catholic school), but who doesn’t have a rebellious streak when they are young. Plus, it’s usually the most rebellious ones that make some of the greatest artists.

With her sense of style, she knows her stuff about style. Here are her fashion tips: straight, to the point and very helpful:

1.) Never underestimate a well-fitted bra.

2.) Get rid of anything studded.

3.) Leave the bootlegs for the cowboys.

4.) Instead of opting for mundane blue jeans, experiment with colour.

5.) Know your body type, always be honest with yourself.

Her collection will be shown at San Francisco Fashion Week 9:30 p.m. Aug. 23.

Last Thursday at the M.A.C. Chinese Dress Event, I was desperately trying to find someone who had an interesting style so that I could post them on the blog. After roaming around the shirtless cocktail servers in a sea of sleek, yet monotonous black, I ran into Bay Area designer of Genevieve Primavera, Mary-Elizabeth Genevieve.

She was wearing this event-appropriate top that was captivating (which was one of her own designs). The ensemble utilized an enjoyable Asian-esque floral print and it played a bit with volume (hence the sleeves) but it wasn’t too costumey. The whole outfit flattered her theory of the “hour-glass figure” in a very creative way.

Check out her site for more of her fabulous designs: www.genevieveprimavera.com.