Diana Mitchell

Diana Mitchell has been sewing since childhood, taught by her mother and grandmother, both of whom made clothes for the family. Diana went on to earn her bachelor’s degree from University of California, Davis, Art Studio program, focusing on sewn sculptures. She later completed a patternmaking program in San Francisco.

While directing an afterschool center for children, Diana recognized an unfilled market niche: comfortable women’s wear that is suited for work with kids and presentable in front of their parents. Thus, in 2011, DDCC was born. Diana uses her late grandfather’s architectural drafting table to create all patterns and is inspired by his legacy. She often likens patternmaking to architecture: 2D designs blossom into beautiful 3D works of art upon completion.

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Jake Wall

Artful Gentleman’s Co-Founder, Chief Designer and Style Curator Jake Wall comes from a marketing background, with a bachelor’s degree from University of California, Berkeley, as well as a master’s degree and an MBA under his belt. However, in 2010, Jake rebooted his career, becoming a sewing apprentice with classically trained bespoke tailors in Hong Kong.

Soon after, Jake founded the Artful Gentleman. Artful Gentleman produces custom-tailored suits, tailored shirts, separates and tuxedos that address the fashion needs of men and women of all sexual orientations. The customization process offers up to 500,000 combinations so that no two suits are alike. It is Jake’s personal mission to inspire others to express themselves through well-fitted, stylish wardrobe. He is committed to the city’s LGBT community’s fashion sense and is a published author on gender construction, with a focus on gender roles in modern comic books.

Artful Gentleman suits were worn by a folk rock band The Lumineers to the 2013 Grammy Awards and featured in Bay Fashion Magazine and Bay Area Reporter. Jake also participated in San Francisco Fashion Week in 2012. Artful Gentleman is the style curator for the nationwide 2013 “Modern Man: Art of the Suit” event, part of the Chivas Regal “Brotherhood” marketing campaign.

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Justin Jamison

Born in San Diego, California, Justin found his passion for the arts at a young age. His influence stemmed from his grandmother, with whom he spent his childhood and early adolescence creating crafts and various works of art. At the age of 20, Justin moved to San Francisco, California, to further his knowledge of the arts and to pursue his dream of fashion design. A trip to Tokyo, Japan, gave Justin insight to a new and diverse world of fashion, which holds as a solid inspiration in his designs today. Justin graduated with honors from The Art Institute of California - San Francisco and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Design with a focus in Menswear.

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Tamara Jaric

Tamara Jaric was born in Serbia and has lived in Europe and the United States. Her international experience has influenced her work as a designer. European elegance mixed with American ease, fine details and working with unexpected industrial materials isoon became her signature.

Tamara developed her interests in the arts at an early age. She loved painting and was hoping to pursue a career in fine arts at the High School of Design in Belgrade. While there, she also learned about fashion design and textiles.

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Bethany Meuleners & Sabah Mansoor Husain

Mansoor Scott is a San Francisco based women’s knitwear label founded in 2011 by designers Sabah Mansoor Husain and Bethany Meuleners. The pair met at the Academy of Art University School of Fashion MFA program while working as double majors in knitwear and design. In February 2010, both designers were selected to showcase their graduate knitwear collections at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York City. Shortly after, the two designers formed their partnership and their first collection for Mansoor Scott.

Mansoor Scott is defined as a contemporary brand with a large emphasis on custom knits and tailored design through the amalgamation of traditional crafts, old-world and artisan techniques. Mansoor Scott keeps to a refined standard by sourcing and importing quality European yarns and supporting the local community by maintaining production within California.

In March 2012, Mansoor Scott was awarded a position with the Fashion Incubator San Francisco Macy’s at Union Square, to participate in a program that provided a platform and the resources for the company to establish themselves as an influential and growing brand within San Francisco and the Bay Area.

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Tony Sananikone

Born in a political refugee camp in Bangkok, Tony Sananikone has made a career of turning difficult circumstances into beautiful results. Forced to learn sewing and alternation at an early age in order to customize his own wardrobe, he developed a passion for styling and a talent for creating custom pieces. He followed this passion to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in San Francisco, CA, where he worked at harnessing his talents and focusing his energy on designing and creating both couture and ready to wear women's clothing. Tony has spent the last fifteen years working for one of the largest clothing retailers in the country, and in that roll he has honed his talents for styling and has become a force in driving trend within the fashion industry. With "Sounthavong," Tony launched his own line of women's clothing inspired by the strength of a generation of women that empowered themselves to reach their maximum potential while remaining beautiful and feminine. These women were strong and sensual, and that is precisely how he wants them to feel in a Sounthavong garment.

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Paloma Von Broadley

Paloma Von Broadley was born in Ibiza, Spain, raised in Santa Fe, N.M. and was captivated by her father's gemstone and jewelry business where she began working at an early age. Her love affair with clothing has been fueled by gorgeous textiles encountered abroad and a passion to design an entire look for women. Paloma graduated in 2009 from California College of the Arts in San Francisco with a BFA in Fashion Design, learning the skills of sketching, patterning, sewing and knitting. Her PVB line of garments and jewelry is designed and made locally with alternative patterning techniques and sustainable practices. Paloma's unique vision of beauty in hand-made clothing and jewelry has a lasting and emotional connection to the wearer. PVB produces everything locally and embraces sustainable, slow fashion as a necessity.

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