BUOYANT AND BOLD FANTASY
Bacca da Silva’s digital prints and embellished designs in his S.F. boutique walk a dark edge
“The brighter the better” has always been Bacca da Silva’s motto. Fashion’s monochromatic palette was already on its way out in 2008 when the San Francisco designer opened his spacious, two-story boutique at Sutter and Mason. He never had to play catch-up. “Finally,” says da Silva with a smile, “I’m seeing women wearing lots of colors out in the streets.”
The Brazilian-born designer, now in his 30s, talks fast and wears body-con black and rings on all fingers. He’s been a solid presence on the local fashion scene but has yet to break through nationally.
He learned to sew from his mother, and began his career as a fashion show producer in Sao Paulo. In 1999, he immigrated to the United States, and later earned a master’s of business administration at the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Phoenix.
“Every designer should have a business background,” he says. He started his line of flashy, dressy, embellished and embroidered menswear and womenswear in 2004, and was recognized as a Fresh Face in Fashion two years later by GenArt in San Francisco, the multicity organization that fosters new talent.
He’s not completely unknown outside of the Bay Area, however. He’s rented showroom space during New York Fashion Week, and says he’s turned down offers to appear on both “Project Runway” and “Fashion Star,” the fashion designer reality shows.
“Honestly? I don’t think you get respect by being on a reality show,” he says, “and I really don’t want to be judged by Jessica Simpson.”
With one more year to go on his Sutter Street lease, da Silva, who runs the business with a financial partner, has come to the proverbial fork in the road. “Should I close the boutique? Keep the boutique? Open a permanent showroom in New York?”
On the floor in his allwhite shop, he shows a wide range of styles, from sequined Michael Jackson-esque jackets to elegant black silk ribbon weave tops.
Signature pieces include beaded scorpion accessories (a favorite motif), asymmetrically draped silk minis with digitally printed images of fashionistas or flowers, and minis encrusted with multicolored gemstones.
Men’s jackets also come with digital images, and woven shirts sport intricate embroidery running along one arm or filling the back. Samples are made locally, but his production pieces are made overseas. Prices range from about $350 for the cashmere sweaters to $1,350 for a heavily embellished jacket.
One minute he’s up, the next he’s down, as he ponders his next move. “I’m not the mainstream,” he says. “I’m selling a fantasy. I’m selling luxurious glamour with a dark edge. But nobody here seems to care about fashion,” he complains, bemoaning the lack of buzz.
But soon enough, he’s back up again. “I won’t give up on San Francisco. I like it here, and my goal is to have all my prints made here and produce my entire line here, not just the samples.”
Buzz isn’t everything, says veteran retailer Chris Ospital, who owns the fashion-forward MAC clothing boutiques with her brother, Ben. “Lots of smaller designers are just quietly selling their collections, dressing a few people well, and they talk to others,” she says.
“I’ve sent people to his place. That area — with the Silverman art gallery and new restaurants — that neck of the woods is getting quite interesting.”
The business is essentially a one-man operation; you’ll find da Silva in the upstairs atelier most days or helping customers downstairs. He produces new collections each season. “We’re doing OK. We break even,” he says. In addition to local clients, he sells to clients overseas and to the occasional celebrity, like Natalie Cole, who’s purchased many pieces.
His line of bold digital prints will continue for the coming season, says the designer, but he also likes to mix things up, showing off a frothy, strapless cream organza bubble dress with white silk rosettes. “This makes me happy,” he says. “Why not wear couture to the grocery store?”
Then there are the scorpions. He’s got a thing for the dangerous arachnid with its poisonous sting. The big, beaded bugs show up on jewelry, scarves, clutches and ties. “I love them because they’re one of the oldest creatures on Earth,” he explains. “They are strong. They are survivors, like me.”
“Honestly? I don’t think you get respect by being on a reality show, and I really don’t want to be judged by
Jessica Simpson.”
Bacca da Silva, designer