On a laid-back evening at Decentered Studio, the Bay Area fashion community came together for a night of connection, collaboration, and celebration.

The gathering brought designers, creatives, and fashion lovers into the same space, strengthening ties across the local scene while celebrating the talent and energy shaping Bay Area fashion. Guests shared snacks and drinks as several designers presented looks from the upcoming \*Living Archive\* show and Decentered Arts’ fashion incubator.

The evening offered a glimpse into a growing creative ecosystem—one built around shared ideas, emerging designers, and meaningful connections. At its heart, the gathering celebrated fashion not simply as clothing, but as a way to bring people together and create community.



Fashion Industry Night

Bay Area fashion creatives gathered at Decentered Studio to connect, celebrate emerging designers, and preview looks from Living Archive.


On an evening in late April Saint Joseph's Art Society hosted another luminous edition of Poolside Poets, presented by Decentered Arts alongside curators Rhea Joseph and Liz Cahill. In this breathtaking historic venue - founded by Ken Fulk - poetry, music, dance, and fashion gathered once again for an evening celebrating Earth Day through performance and community.

Guests arrived dressed in their best “Elemental.”

Think: flowing water-blue gowns, airy sheer capes catching invisible winds, flame-toned silks and glowing reds, mossy greens and earth textures, nature prints, ocean shimmer, volcanic glamour, forest mysticism - mix & match: linen, chiffon, cotton, velvet, recycled fabrics, thrifted treasures, upcycled pieces honoring the beauty of the planet.

Featured Poets: Jesse Nathan, C. Anne Gardner, and more poets joined the lineup.

Featured Musician: Hidden Thread Music

Dancers: Erica Knox and Tobias Echeverria

Throughout the evening, more artists appeared as the soaring halls of Saint Joseph’s Arts Society filled with poetry, music, movement, and celebration in honor of the elements and the living world around us.


Poolside Poets at Saint Joseph's Art Society 

Poolside Poets returned to Saint Joseph's Art Society - an Earth Day edition featuring poetry, music, dance, and elemental fashion celebrating nature and community.

Altar of Fashion alters the narrative that “San Francisco has no fashion” by bringing forward eight full-length runway collections, all created in the Bay Area. Can we use fashion to express our values, push boundaries, accentuate the beauty of every body, and connect with local ecosystems? Join us at San Francisco’s most majestic venue for a runway show and designer showcase on November 14th. Plus live music and pole dancers!

The soul of fashion can be saved, the soul of San Francisco can be saved, our souls can be saved. Dress to impress. Help us put San Francisco’s local fashion back on the global map. We are only at the beginning and there is plenty of runway;)

**Featuring Designers:**

Calixta Lehman
Justin Morales
Dav1 Task
Annmarie Bustamante
Zoë Strange
Paris Choy
Terris Ricks
Juliane Roberts-Hansen

**Music:**

Black Hole Harvest

**Lead Producers:**
Liz Cahill & Rhea Joseph

**About the Decentered Fashion Incubator:**
Decentered Arts is working to strengthen the Bay Area's independent fashion ecosystem and help designers build sustainable businesses. They have been endeavoring to go beyond one-off shows and really look holistically at building a flourishing ecosystem, hosting trunk shows, partnering with other groups on industry happy hours, building databases, and promoting events. In Summer 2026, they incubated 8 designers, providing them with masterclasses from industry experts, studio time, fabric and materials, and fieldtrips. Altar of Fashion showcases their capstone collections.

**Instructors and Contributors: **Sebastián Vogelmann, Bridget Clancy, Kara Fabella, Kelsie Jones, Julianne Roberts-Hansen, Liam Clickenger, Liz Huang, Joey Ehrenberg, Beth Miles, Tori Ewald, AJ Fortney, The Gregangelo Museum, Curtis Ng and Maliyah Crowell

In partnership with Saint Joseph’s Art Society, San Francisco Institute of Esthetics and Cosmetology, SF Pole and Dance


Altar of Fashion: Runway Show & Designer Showcase 

Join Altar of Fashion for eight bold Bay Area runway collections, live music, pole dance, and a celebration of San Francisco’s fashion.

Calixta Lehman

At a lively clothing market, a tattooed vendor arranges garments on a table while shoppers browse racks and displays behind him.

Colorful handcrafted jewelry and brooches arranged on black velvet, featuring flowers, beads, polished stones, and playful vintage details.

Two dancers perform energetically beside a person speaking into a microphone on stage, set against a backdrop of plants and colorful lighting.

Poolside Poets at Saint Joseph's Art Society April 2

A person in a vibrant red outfit and matching floral headpiece stands on stage, reading from a paper, with a microphone in hand and lush plants behind them.

Poolside Poets at Saint Joseph's Art Society April 1

A diverse group of people stands on a stage with ornate blue-lit walls in the background. They are smiling and dressed in colorful, unique outfits, exuding joy and camaraderie.

Poolside Poets at Saint Joseph's Art Society April 3

Six smiling women pose together in a colorful clothing boutique, surrounded by garment racks and plants, conveying friendship and celebration.

Calixta Lehman

Artist at:

Photographer at:

DECENTERED
ARTS