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Political Makeover #1

Supervisor Leslie Katz Willie. He's built a career out of smart suits and sassy hats. But what about the City's up-and-comers, the next generation of political power players? The Metropolitan's not so sure their wardrobes are ready for action. In this first installment, we asked three local fashion designers to give Supervisor Leslie Katz a new look. (Note to Leslie: All designs are for sale; phone numbers listed below.) As outfitted by David Dawson of dAs: "She seems to want to be a power broker so she should be putting herself across as somebody who's running with a lot of self-confidence and a sense of originality. What she needs is a classical form with details and elements that make it something completely original, something that can be signature to her." Illustrated: gray suit out of a hemp herringbone with a lime shirt, black pearls and a pair of dark green brocade oxfords. dAs, 415/626-5196; clothing available at Asphalt, 551 Hayes St. As outfitted by Jennifer Jensen of Labyrinth: "I think most people dress in a way that plays down their uniqueness and strength. Typical conservative dress conveys a false sense of power. But there's power in wearing beautiful clothing. I wanted to make Supervisor Katz look like a queen, to have power in beauty." Labyrinth, 463 Haight, 415/552-3082 As outfitted by Paul Gallo of Paul Gallo/San Francisco: "For me, the whole thing about making clothing is that I want you to look really sensational and feel like you're in pajamas. And I couldn't put [Leslie] in a frilly dress--it's totally not her. But this she can wear. It's very slinky and there's the illusion that something else is going on, but in reality all you see is her face and hands." Paul Gallo/San Francisco, 415/252-7660; clothing available at Asphalt, 551 Hayes St. [ SF Metropolitan | MetroActive Central | Archives ]