Jessica Fromm - San Jose.com

Girls Night Out

Jessica Fromm — Nov 10, 2010

In the male-dominated world of streetwear fashion labels, it’s hard for a chick to cut a break.

But that’s exactly what East Side San Jose–based fashion designer Joyous Ladi is endeavoring to do with Girls Night Out Society (GNOS), her innovative new streetwear line.

Designed just with fly ladies in mind, Ladi’s ironic, irreverently funny screen-print girl-fit T-shirts have only been on the market for a few months. Nonetheless, GNOS is already generating some serious Internet…

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Tags: East San Jose, Fashion, Girls Night Out Society, Joyous Ladi, Streetwear

Calf and Calf

Jessica Fromm — Nov 4, 2010

Perhaps one of the most iconic depictions of the midi-length skirt in popular culture comes from the film Bonnie and Clyde. In the 1967 movie about the notorious 1930s bank robber lovers, Faye Dunaway is the definition of kick-ass glam in her fitted shin-length tweed skirts paired with tight little knit sweaters.

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Tags: fashion, Miniskirt, runway, trends

Eco-Fashions at Goodwill

Jessica Fromm — Oct 13, 2010

Goodwill of Silicon Valley is overhauling its image. The nonprofit no longer wants its name to be synonymous with thrift shopping and penny-pinching. Goodwill is jumping on the trendy green-living and sustainable community wave. It is now emphasizing itself as a champion of recycling and fashionable reuse, as well as a jobs program during the challenging economy.

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Tags: fashion, Goodwill

SBLC Helps Big Political Contributors Erase Their Tracks

Jessica Fromm — Sep 22, 2010

A paper trail suggests that money from Bay 101, the San Jose card club, made its way to the campaign of City Council candidate Xavier Campos. Public records show that following the card club’s $50,000 contribution in support of a ballot measure, funds were transferred to Campos-aligned organizations that subsequently funded Campos’ bitter battle for a District 5 council seat, in apparent violation of city campaign laws.

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Tags: Chuck Reed, Cindy Chavez, Jeff Rosen, SBLC, South Bay Labor Council

Venerable Beads

Jessica Fromm — Sep 9, 2010

Los Gatos jewelry maker Angela Keller says that being diagnosed with breast cancer put a whole different spin on her creative process.

Keller is a Bay Area regular on the art and wine festival circuit who has been manufacturing Venetian and Italian glass bead jewelry under the name Dolce Beada for years. But it wasn’t until she came down with cancer in 2009 that she really understood the true value of her work, Keller says.

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Tags: Angela Keller, Dolce Beada

The Way to San Jose

Jessica Fromm — Sep 3, 2010

When one thinks of combining tribal tattoos and clothing, what usually springs to mind are roided-out MMA fighters in Tapout tops or L.A.-trash brands like Ed Hardy.

But Cukui Clothing Company, the latest addition to San Jose’s Japantown, takes a whole different spin on merging body-art-inspired designs and garments. Skulls, cherries, fleurs-de-lis and flash art this is not—Cukui takes its original tattoo designs seriously.

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Tags: Cukui Clothing Company, Japantown

The Business Candidate?

Jessica Fromm — Aug 18, 2010

Minh Duong, the pro-business, Chamber of Commerce–endorsed City Council candidate, has made his business experience the central theme of his campaign to oust District 7 Councilmember Madison Nguyen. He believes his knowledge of budgets and finance can help the economically-strapped city better manage its money. Duong’s own business acumen, however, may not rise to the level his talking points suggest.

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Tags: ChamberPAC, Madison Nguyen, Minh Duong

Secret Ballot

Jessica Fromm — Aug 11, 2010

The monstrosity that is California’s 15th state Senate District stretches over strategic portions of Santa Clara County, Monterey County, Santa Cruz County and San Luis Obispo County, clear into Santa Barbara County. And for many, including the Democratic former assemblymember running to represent the district, this poster child for bizarre gerrymandering is a good illustration of everything that’s wrong with California politics.

San Jose Style

Jessica Fromm — Jul 29, 2010

San Jose–based street wear company Halloway has appropriated a familiar image for its new T-shirt. Featuring a bushel of grain ringed by the words “City of San Jose, California,” these icons are scattered throughout the city—on manhole covers.

Oliverio on SJ Medi-Pot Plan

Jessica Fromm — Jun 23, 2010

Instead of jumping on the issue as Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio suggested in March—looking to other cities’ medi-pot regulations for guidelines and nipping the issue in the bud (so to speak), San Jose has taken months to draw up a medical marijuana ordinance from the ground up.