BRAND IS BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
In the midst of Hayes Valley’s upscale chic, with sleek staples like Amour Vert and Azalea Boutique just around the corner, the colorful Gather boutique feels almost like a transplant from Oakland — or Oregon. Prints and bright fabrics, illustrated postcards and quirky jewelry set Gather apart as a craftsy, feminine destination where owner Daisy McClellan encourages shoppers not to opt for headto-toe black.
When McClellan wanted to create garments independently, but realized she didn’t have the technical knowledge, she reached out to Sherry Koyama, the designer behind the fashion brand Harumi K, whose garments are sold at the store. United by their love of endearing details, cozy fabrics and forgiving cuts, the two started sketching and brainstorming. Four months later, their first collaboration, Gather X Harumi K, launched at the boutique and on Gather’s website.
The collaboration, priced from $88-$149, is loyal to the aesthetic of Gather and Harumi K. Playful yet practical, it consists of three pieces: a soft kimono throw in two hues; a cotton top with a flyaway back, in three prints and solid backs; and a two-tone gray T-shirt. “Tops are easier to do,” Koyama says of the assortment. Adds McClellan: “Customers shop for more tops than dresses, and we felt like in the Bay Area these are
the most useful and versatile items in one’s closet.” It’s a first for both of them, and “the process has been so fun, I’m already scheming another collection,” McClellan says. Koyama is also ready for more: “I’m mostly on my own, so it was good to bounce ideas off someone,” she says.
Both women live in the East Bay, “where the weather is slightly better,” according to Koyama, but their collaboration is ready to take on anything the fickle San Francisco climate has to offer. The tops can be layered with a long-sleeve shirt, the kimono thrown over a sundress. “I try to go seasonless, in general,” says Koyama. Any season is good for delicate lilac and a paper-cranes print, surely.