Bay Area Fashion Identity?

San Francisco is a west-coast mecca for areas like business, cuisine and entertainment. 
On the business end, Silicon Valley and the internet conglomerates like Google, Twitter and Facebook, command national and international attention.  Their moves are observed globally.  The use of these tools have the ability to sway social and political factions on a global level.  There is no doubt in anyone's minds how important the SF Bay Area is in this area.

In terms of cuisine, between the international fame of Napa Valley and the internationally recognized cooking schools which seem abundant in the area, many of the top restaurants in the nation are located here.  And due to the incredible diversity, there is an amazing array of different types of international cuisines to choose from.  Again, no question that when it comes to food, San Francisco is a well known destination of choice.

Even in the entertainment arenas the Bay Area is able to hold it's own.  Silicon Valley is a centerpiece of the incredible lucrative global gaming market, and most of the top video game companies are located in the Bay.  In terms of filmmaking, we have Lucas Arts, Pixar, Francis Ford Coppolla...though smaller than New York or Los Angeles, there is a definitely mark of major and independent filmmakers in the Bay Area.  In terms of music, many of our local groups and artists, such as Santana, The Grateful Dead, E-40, Goapele, Digital Underground, Jefferson Airplane, The Doobie Brothers, Sly and the Family Stone, Tower of Power..the list goes on and on.  There is no question of the influence of the San Francisco Bay Area on music as well as the ability for the area to produce artsts that achieve international fame through the decades.

So the question begs itself, where does San Francisco fit in terms of it's impact on the world of fashion?  There are major fashion shows in Paris, Milan, New York, Los Angeles...each of these port cities know for their diversity and international flair.  San Francisco is as much of a draw as any of these locations and has a sophisticated and diverse population who thrive on fashion and should be seen as much as an influence as those other cities, especially since San Francisco stands as the U.S. gateway to Asia, and should be the jumping off point for designers from Asia to show their work. 

I often wondered why San Francisco has never risen to this level of influence in the fashion world.  Bay Area needs to work to make an impact in this area as we have in the other major areas of influence.  But is the Bay ready to support rising to this occasion in this manner?  There have been so many changes in business models like entertainment with the introduction of itunes and youtube and business with the introduction of social networking...is there an opportunity for San Francisco to put a spin on the way fashion is delivered to the individual?

Bay Rivalries - Sports

Being from the Bay Area, at many times in one's life, there comes a time to choose sides.  When it comes to the local sports teams, if you weren't either directly born in San Francisco or Oakland or live there currently, you would find in school, work, even home, you would have to decide where your loyalties lie...and be prepared to stand and defend your home team.


SF loyalists support the Giants and 49ers, while Oakland natives back the A's and the Raiders.

People who are not originally from the Bay can sometimes neglect to understand how serious this rivalry is.  For instance, everyone knows there is no fans more fiercely loyal than Oakland's Raider Nation.  We saw the most fan violence ever during the Niners vs. Raiders home game at Candlestick during the 2011-2012 season.  The emotion of supporting your team fueled with alcohol and testosterone...well, we all saw the results.

Bay Area people, like most around the country, are fiercely loyal to our home teams.  The issue is that we have multiple to choose from, many people end up being transplants around the bay, so where a particular Nor Cal-ian's loyaties lie is not as clear as it would seem.

For myself, being an SF native and having lived a majority of my life in the East Bay, I have adopted a tiered strategy to my team support.  In general, as an SF native, I support the Giants and the Niners above all other teams.  But when push comes to shove, I will still back the As and the Raiders over any out of town teams.

I am of the opinion that most people in the Bay think that way, but then you will always get the odd support of New England (Patriots) or the Lakers.  And with South Bay native Jeremy Lin becoming an overnight celebrity on the Knicks, we might pick up a few straggling Bay Knicks supporters as well.

As versus Giants...Raiders versus Niners...Warriors versus Sacramento Kings or Lakers...

Are you are Bay Area loyalist?

A Rose by Any Other Name....

You cannot be a true Nor Cal native without having some strong feelings about medical marijuana.  The Bay Area has a strong history of supporting the use of cannibus, mary jane, marijuana, THC, whatever you may call it, medically and socially.  From the hippies movement in the 60's to the medical marijuana movement still raging on today, it is apparent how much the politics of marijuana use are intertwined in the collective Bay psyche.

First off, consider how many times state and municipal marijuana initiatives have passed time and time again.  Seemingly in contradiction to federal statutes.  How many times the rules of enforcement for federal and local law enforcement agencies have shifted due based upon who is in office and the popularity of the issue.  This shows itself most readily in spurts of "raids" of business operating legally under state law.

Secondly, consider the sheer mass of collective users.  Many of whom have flocked to California to become a part of the movement.  People want to use the drug, in large masses.

Consider the reasons why marijuana was outlawed as a dangerous drug in the first place.
http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000143#1936

Or, that marijuana consumption is not as harmful to the body as regular tobacco smoking. 
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/occasional-pot-smoking-harm-lung-function-time-study/story?id=15331989

"Study Finds No Link Between Marijuana Use And Lung Cancer". Science Daily. 2006-05-26

If that is the case, and marijuana is as intoxicating or less intoxicating than alcohol and less harmful to the body than tobacco smoking, does anyone other than me wonder...why is it still not legal???

Green Hills...Makes you feel good!

One of the best parts of commuting in the bay (and trust, there are few good parts) is the lovely scenery around this time of year.  The hills turn from the golden color CA is know for, to a lush green.  Spring is apparent.  It is a time of year that always makes me feel alive...even the so called weeds are beautiful wildflowers called by another name.  Enjoy the Spring Northern Californians!

Growing Up in the Bay

There are many transplants to the Bay and there are only a select few of us who have experienced actually growing up in the Bay. A true bay area child I am. Born in San Francisco to parents from the Bayview. Have lived in Daly City, Richmond, El Cerrito, Vallejo, San Francisco, Oakland...SF and East Bay mostly. This is why I can speak from the Bay Area perspective.

For those of us who were born here, the Bay was a very unique and diverse place to grow up. Super liberal with people of varied nationalities and racial backgrounds living together harmoniously for the most part. All of that pretty much stemmed from being a hippie mecca back in the sixties, and many of those transplants who came to our area came with an open mind and heart. Lifestyles were varied and interesting. Not uncommon is having grown up in a commune, with same-sex parents, biracial, or adopted. Childhood friends of mine were every color of the rainbow.

Of course my experience is shaped by my surroundings and environment. But there is always a flip side to the coin. I had family where it was a whole different story. Struggling, on public assistance, dealing with drugs, violence and poverty. Coming home when living in Oakland to crackheads on my doorstep. Hearing gunshots from my auntie's apartment window down in the street below. Hearing of a case of someone who lived nearby and had abandoned 5 small children from 1 - 7 years of age with no food or clean clothes for over 7 days. So obviously it wasn't all peaches and cream in the Bay either.
But through it all, in general people who grew up here are similar in many ways in terms of our way of seeing things. Definitely in our way of talking, how we dress, what we value and the choices we make.

Critical Mass
Occupy Oakland
Bay to Breakers
Tree Sitters

These type of protest events and spectacles are what embodies the Bay experience to the core. Free-spirited, politcal protesting, slightly anarchist, defitely left. Every election, strongly in the democratic sector overall...so different from our Southern California natives. Of value here...art, nature, spirit, quality of life. There is nothing like it.

So what makes the Bay Area special to you? What do you think are some things which embody the Bay experience?