At the very heart of the city, inside the Beacon Grand Hotel, within the marble-and-gold crown moldings, the soul of San Francisco was being forged. A breathtaking spectacle unfolded before me by none other than fashion designer Joey Ehrenberg, of J. Ehren.
It’s a part of his DNA, a passion that found him. Joey Ehrenberg’s first memories were playing dress-up with Barbies and tinkering with a small sewing kit he found in his mom’s purse. When he got his first sewing machine at the age of 11, the journey truly began.
He began volunteering with Piles of SF, a collective that recycles fabrics and scraps, where his first collections took shape. The foundation of his brand was built on ethical fashion, and he continues to push for ethical craftsmanship. “Our industry already puts out so much waste,” he told me. “I wanted to find ways to do what I love while being ethical about our environment.”
From the moment I met him, there was something magnetic about Joey; maybe it’s the way he resurrects a fabric, or the way his energy moves, the way his heart does. He begins his collections once he has found a venue, then sets the date. Working within strict deadlines. He creates from feeling, not from ego. “I start making pieces and I know who it will be for.” Maybe that’s why people he works with keep returning, because they feel seen, not just styled.
I am welcomed into a moody, gold-encrusted, crystal-chandeliered room. Marble floors reflect my surroundings, while black silk drapes flow from the ceiling to the floor. The crown-molded ceilings gleam with gold, as if I had stepped through a portal and gone back to 1870, searching, but not for a man, at least not anymore. As the music swells, I’m immersed in the story of a femme fatale with a modern woman’s edge.
As I transcend into the show, my eyes lock onto cotton fabrics that radiate a quite luxurious grandeur. Delicate florals met the contrasting silhouette of sharp corsets, illuminating the contrast between softness and strength. Haunting black lace gowns that mimic that of a second skin, backs traced with a jaw-dropping lace from the nape of the neck to the base of the spine. The closing look was just ethereal, a white velvet floor-length gown paired with a showstopping pearl veil. Each is ensembled with glistening pearls and jewelry, all handcrafted by Metal Thoroughfare.
Behind the silhouettes, another creative was shaping the story. Lucy Mae Mallory, a fellow AAU fashion styling major, joined the project after also reaching out to Joey through social media. With no rehearsals and everything done on the day, she styled each look in real time, working alongside jewelry designer Kaitlyn, pulling pieces, and shaping the story as models were still in hair and makeup. “Collaborating with two self-taught Bay Area designers pushed me to work quickly and confidently under pressure,” she told me. “It was inspiring to see them create something so beautiful together.”
Now just days from his last show, Ehrenberg is on the search for his next venue. He insists on maintaining momentum throughout his craft, aiming to showcase his next collection in December. All of the pieces from J. Ehren’s collection are available on his website, along with the option to order custom pieces and take sewing classes.
J. Ehren’s F/W 25 collection was nothing short of alluring. Beyond its beauty, it reaffirms ethics as one of the brand’s foundations. Could this be the new wave of fashion: brands that focus on releasing clothing made from recycled fabrics while still maintaining both appealing and high-quality pieces? J. Ehren has set a standard for what sustainability can look like in luxury.
I left the quiet rebellion of the Gilded Age woman with a new outlook on the industry I love. As I exchanged a few words with Cait, one of the guests, she said something that stuck with me, “It is Cunt to Care.” And she is right, it is cunt to care about fashion, about craft, and about our environment. Caring is the new rebellion, and J. Ehren is proof that it can still be beautiful.
Catchy title! I remember staying at the Beacon Hotel. The interior was great and good view. It complements the collection perfectly.