Rude Etiquette: Rude Crue Field Trip

Frank, Alison, and I took a rare day off together to head into the city in hopes of finding information, inspiration, and motivation. Luckily for us, on this scattered rainy day, we found all three! We met up at Millbrae BART around 11 AM, and headed downtown with our sights set on visiting the great street boutiques around Union Square. We visited the following boutiques (in the following order): The Hundreds, Invisible Stripes, Huf and Black Scale. (We did browse at other stores before, after, and inbetween).

We were very fortunate to meet Joelle (spelling?) at Invisible Stripes who shared the story behind the brand with us and gave us encouraging words. She also happens to be a fellow student at S.F. State with me! We were more than happy to hear that the founder of INVS had no prior experience in the fashion world (like the three of us) and still the brand has grown and now have their own shop on Post St. (although they did reside on San Jose Ave. for about a year and a half prior to this location). If you haven't heard of them, please visit their website (www.invisiblestripes.com) or their boutique down on Post and say hello!

When we finally reached Black Scale, we received our greatest gift as a start up brand so far. We were greeted by Alex when we entered the store, and after talking to him for a bit and telling him what we were trying to acheive, he let us in behind the scenes of the brand! He took us to the back where there was a wall that had the designs for the upcoming season and into their ENTIRE WINTER LINE! It was nothing short of amazing! Frank was even getting tips from their graphic designer/one of the original members of the Black Scale team. We spoke with the guys and we learned so much about what we needed to know and do! They told us about everything from dealing with manufacturers, the difference between colors for print and for wovens, how to put together a cohesive line, and so much more! If you haven't checked out their brand, please do, they are definitely a staple in the Bay Area. (www.black-scale.com)