— By Kevin Montgomery (@kevinmonty) |
Proving that Valencia Street is the new LA, a tipster tells us the techie-adored and whimsically-branded online fashion pusher Betabrand has just signed a lease at 19th and Valencia. Betabrand's founder Chris Lindland confirms: “Yes. We're moving [into 780 Valencia]. Now awaiting city approval for a heliport & livestock permit.”
Finally, we won't have to fumble with our computers to get our gross hands on a $225 smoking jacket or socks so expensive that they come with insurance.
I kid. (Well, a little bit, at least.)
Betabrand is, perhaps, one of the least obnoxious upscale garbmongers to come to the Mission. They are headquartered in the neighborhood, and their clothes are manufactured in a San Francisco sweatshop, as opposed to an Asian sweatshop. Also, I couldn't find the word “artisan” anywhere on their website.
These, my friends, are the kind of corporate values you could bring home to your mother.
But, yes, their clothes are dorky as shit—dare I say, Marinaish. And I'm certain anyone with a modest income will ever be able to afford to shop there. But if the neighborhood demands seersucker, give the neighborhood seersucker.
Comments (37)
Zero mention of the provenance of their product. So it’s like Old Navy, Gap, BR, except that it’s on Valencia.
http://www.betabrand.com try it.
This street just keeps getting better with age.
Is IO Ventures still in the building? Are they still in business?
They were selling a bunch of furniture today, mostly office chairs, so I’d say the startup workspace thing is gone too.
Burn it! Burn everything!
Great attitude. cynical bastards like you are the real problem with this world.
At least the young, rich techies are spending money on goods and services here. Not like the old money in SF who keeps their money hidden out of sight offshore.
Yeah, I’m sure old money never dines out or buys bespoke clothing in San Francisco. Or provides the finances for the symphony, jazz centre, bluegrass festival, world class museums, and other hallmarks of real city.
You seem like an expert on the subject of “old money”. That makes me suspicious of you.
Cool story bro.
At least most of it is made in the US. I don’t think $225 is an exorbitant sum of money to ask for on a product made in your home town. Also, the word sweatshop is not synonymous with factory.
*drops mic, walks off stage*
Sweatshop was sarcasm. But, yes, any amount is too much to pay for a smoking jacket.
Then don’t buy one?
FYI this is a company Zuckerberg made popular http://adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/profiting-hoodiegate-140898
The sock insurance is brilliant.
Will it be a cafe/retail combo?
On a boringly serious note: 13 bucks ain’t *that* bad for some rad socks, especially with aptly-named color schemes like Reno Midnight and Faberge Egg-salad. No shipping charge if you choose to pick up from their HQ.
Tell that to the restaurant workers, asshole. FU.
Aw, poor baby.
The Beta Band is opening on Valencia, but do we know who’s headlining?
The Lone Pigeon
Betabrand is a neighborhood company - they’re currently in the old Sears building at Valencia and Cesar Chavez. Good people.
I like Alpha Beta better.
another store for filthy rich hipster scum.
troll much?
Wait, wait, wait, what happened to the old fashioned take-down that was going on here? Or was it a stag fight or love triangle? Was it scrubbed? Put it back. It was good fun.
Sorry, it only encourages bad behavior.
All those moments will be lost. Like tears in the rain.
Dorky shit for dorks…That is what Valencia has become.
Man, I WISH! We should be so lucky. Dorky stuff rules. On the other hand, Valencia is actually just turning into overpriced boutiques and restaurants for the yupsters.
hey, when you win a million dollars on The Amazing Race, and you already had enough family money to go to Stanford, a $225 smoking jacket is nothing…..
Their e-newsletters are all kinds of goofy, but then again I have a soft spot for good copy. And yeah, some of the stuff is expensive, but I wouldn’t balk if someone wanted to buy me one of their executive hoodies in glen plaid…
It’s tough being white…….
Valencia St. is *so* over.
When I saw that a trendy, expensive coffee place on Valencia was just replaced by a trendyer, more expensive clothing place, I sghned. That is, until I sa the sighn “Evil multi-national = corperations have to start somewhere.”
Hilariouse, right? I mean, the whole concept of evil multi-national corperations must be hilariouse to the folks in equador, Nigeria, Cameroon, Brazil and here that are being screwed by Chevron. Especialy the children whose shoes have been destroyed by chemichals which are now destroying their feet.
Evan more hilarious is that this sighn is posted in a part of town which has been notorious for it’s activism for decades, and, though many of them have been displaced by gentrification, some are still here.
I myself have always advocated against violence and random property destruction. But I can’t help but wonder why the folks that own that store are activley taunting activists. I mean„ do they actualy WANT a brick through the window?
Most of their stuff is ridiculous hipster/techie stuff. Some of it is really pretty cool. I pay attention to the cool stuff and ignore the rest. There, that wasn’t so hard now, was it?