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Give Back @ Winterfest: Winter Coat Drive, Toys for Tots and SF-Marin Food Bank Donation Station

11/30/2015

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One of the most important elements of the annual Enjoy Mill Valley Winterfest is an opportunity to give back. On Dec. 6 from 11am–6pm, we'll have an entire Donation Station dedicated to giving you the chance to do just that.

We'll be accepting canned food, dry and non-perishable food (more info here) for the SF-Marin Food Bank, unwrapped toy donations for the Toys for Tots program and the Performing Stars of Marin via the Mill Valley Fire Department and a Winter Coat Drive via Cronkite Development
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Don't miss this chance to give to those in need while taking in all the great snow sledding, live music and entertainment and fantastic food that the 2015 edition of Winterfest has to offer!! MORE INFO.

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Sara Oliver Handbags, Redwoods' Knitters Head to 'Shark Tank'

11/30/2015

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Mill Valley resident Sara Oliver has garnered the opportunity of a lifetime – and she's got the Redwoods' Purlettes + One to thank for it.

Oliver's eponymous hand-knit handbag company, which has been buffeted for nearly a decade by the Purlettes + One community of knitters living at the Redwoods Retirement Community – will be featured on the Dec. 4th episode of Shark Tank, the popular ABC show that features entrepreneurs pitching their businesses to a panel of famed business people and investors in the hopes of getting their financial investment.

Oliver is seeking an investment in exchange for equity ownership in her business, and her application was picked from a pool of 55,000 entrepreneurs to pitch her business to the "sharks."

The Purlettes + One is a group of knitters that first came together at Oliver's request. Recalling that she first learned to knit from her mom and grandmother, Oliver approached the activities director at the Redwoods – she'd taken her kids to the senior community years earlier as part of a playgroup – to see about gathering a group of knitters. And so the Purlettes – their name reflects their “knit one, purl two” expertise, as well as the pearls of wisdom they impart," according to Oliver – was born. The "plus one" refers to Hector Richards, the sole male member of the group.

The relationship with the Purlettes + One has been so successful that Oliver is using it as a model to spread throughout the country. The members are paid for their work, and t
hey meet weekly with Oliver to get new assignments and to turn in their work from the previous week.

The 411: Sarah Oliver Handbags will appear on Shark Tank on ABC (Ch. 7) at 9pm Friday. Dec. 4. The show is slated to include footage of The Purlettes+1 (see below).


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Rita Abrams' 'New Wrinkles' Returns to Throckmorton Theatre Dec. 13

11/30/2015

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Three months after her New Wrinkles musical unleashed a "riotous smorgasbord of material" to the Throckmorton Theatre, famed Marin singer-songwriter Rita Abrams is bring it back to the Throckmorton stage for a pair of Dec. 13th performances.

New wrinkles, which Abrams co-wrote with Gerald Nachman and Morris Bobrow, “serves up the pains, perils, and poignancy of aging in heartfelt and comedic sketches and songs." In a review earlier this summer, the Marin Independent Journal raved: "The whole affair rolls out with enormous energy and infectious enthusiasm. The opening night crowd loved it. Theatergoers under 40 may think this show’s not for them. No problem — their time is coming."

The 411: New Wrinkles is at the Throckmorton Theatre, 142 Throckmorton Ave. on Dec. 13. Performamces are at 4pm and 7:30pm. More info and tix.
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Mill Valley Businesses Dive Into the Holidays with Shop & Dine Event Dec. 3

11/30/2015

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The Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center and Mill Valley business are formalizing the holiday shopping night that has been a longstanding tradition here in town on the first Thursday of December – in this case Dec. 3 – where shops and restaurants stay open late and have various special promotions for customers.

Merchants are staying open late, offering discounts or gifts with purchase. If your business is interested in participating, email ef042mgr@eileenfisher.com or info@millvalley.org.

Here's a list of the current participants:
  • ​Eileen Fisher: 15% off, Double Rewards Points, gift for all attendees, refreshments.
  • OSKA: 30% off, free gift with purchase, refreshments.
  • Famous4: Live music in-store featuring Tommy Castro and some of Mill Valley's top musicians.
  • EO Products: Customer Holiday Party, 5–7:30pm - 25% off everything in store; gift with purchase; open til 8pm.
  • Branded Boutique: 20% off the entire store; beverages and treats.
  • Carolina Boutique
  • Balboa Cafe: Happy Hour 3–6pm.
  • Mt. Tam Dog Co.
  • ​Weathered Nest: 10% off
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Outdoor Art Club Hosts 'All About Bonsai' Talk & Demo Dec. 3

11/29/2015

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The Outdoor Art Club continues its series of free public events with a focus on the Bonsai on Thursday, Dec. 3.

Bonsai Master Jay McDonald, the vice president of the Marin Bonsai Club, will give a 90-minute talk and demonstration of his extraordinary skill. The Club, founded in Mill Valley in 1958, is dedicated to promoting the ancient art of bonsai (tree in a pot) and inspiring interest in others. McDonald's bonsai were featured at the Klyce Barn during the 2015 OAC Garden tour.

​Light refreshments will be served.

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Balboa Cafe Nabs Napa Valley Rising Star Howard Ko as Executive Chef

11/25/2015

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Ko's recent run includes stints at the French Laundry in Yountville and the Restaurant at Meadowood and the Goose & Gander, both in St. Helena. 
PictureBalboa Cafe Executive Chef Howard Ko. Courtesy image.
Just a few months after longtime Balboa Cafe chef Rick Edge left for the Kenwood Inn & Spa, Balboa owner the Plumpjack Group has landed Howard Ko, one of Napa Valley's rising chefs, as its new executive chef.

Ko comes to Balboa after working at some of the food world's most well-respected establishments, including the French Laundry with Thomas Keller, the Restaurant at Meadowood with Christopher Kostow and Goose & Gander in St. Helena.
Ko will be serving up "market driven bistro classics" with a greater “emphasis on locally sourced ingredients” with "modern twists," and will be making slight changes to the menu over time.

Ko was raised in Koreatown in Los Angeles and fell in love with cooking at a very young age, according to Plumpjack. After spending time in LA mastering the art of pastry making and baking, Ko traveled to New York City to attend the Culinary Institute of America. As a student at the CIA, Ko assisted at Daniel on weekends to gain experience in the kitchen doing everything from peeling potatoes to cleaning mushrooms.

After stints at the legendary Napa Valley eateries mentioned above, Ko ran the kitchen and was responsible for putting a dramatic spin on neighborhood eatery Goose & Gander. Ko also introduced a shared plates concept, new flavors, and new techniques with the goal of bringing people together to taste different flavors.​

Ko lives in Napa with his fiancée, Wendy, and dog, Whiskey, and when he’s not in the kitchen, enjoys CrossFit and growing his eclectic collection of cookbooks


The 411: Balboa Café is at 38 Miller Avenue. More info.

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Marin Ventures' Art Exhibit by Disabled Adults Highlights Dec. 1st First Tuesday Artwalk

11/25/2015

 
For the past 25 years, San Rafael-based Marin Ventures has been striving to help intellectually and developmentally disabled adults seek independence, personal growth and community integration. One of the ways it does just that is through its art program, giving participants the opportunity to work in a variety of mediums, including drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, textiles, photography, and videography. Artists are trained in traditional art techniques and principles.

Mill Valley residents and visitors and loyal attendees of the Mill Valley Arts Commission’s First Tuesday Artwalk have a chance to see the program’s success for themselves, as Marin Ventures is showcasing "Windows into Expression," its artists’ work at the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center (85 Throckmorton Avenue, Tuesday–Saturday, 10am–4pm), including at the Mill Valley Arts Commission's First Tuesday Artwalk on December 1, 6–8pm.
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“Art is an opportunity for expression, (so) we find that sometimes it is our participants’ best way to make their mark on the universe,” said Tim Parks, art instructor at Marin Ventures and the organizer of the exhibit. “It is this emphasis on expression that is the focus of this exhibit.”

The First Tuesday Artwalk, Mill Valley's monthly celebration of local art features a host of venues, including the O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, Seager Gray Gallery, the Mill Valley Public Library, Zener Schon Contemporary Art, Julie Tuton Boutique, the Depot Bookstore & Café, City Hall, Famous4, the Mill Valley Community Center and the Throckmorton Theatre. Receptions at each venue are Tuesday from 6–8pm. First Tuesday Artwalk Guide with venues and a map.
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The 411: Margot R. Graham’s "Landscapes in Space" Marin Ventures'  is on display throughout the month of September at the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center (85 Throckmorton Avenue, Tuesday–Saturday, 10am–4pm), including at the First Tuesday Artwalk on September 1, 6–8pm.

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MV Music Readies for Black Friday Record Store Day

11/25/2015

 
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For the past five years, Record Store Day – an 8-year-old celebration of independent music stores that has grown into the biggest sales day of the year for Gary Scheuenstuhl's Mill Valley Music shop – has had holiday shopping kick-off companion.

Black Friday Record Store Day is set for Friday, NOv. 27, and Scheuenstuhl is gearing up to sell a bevy of Record Store Day exclusive vinyl release. 

Record Store Day started as a grassroots campaign in 2007 to support independent record stores that were facing extinction in an increasingly digital music business. The event features hundreds of musicians appearing and performing at independent stores across the country, and issuing special vinyl and CD releases to mark the occasion. It has grown immensely over the years. In 2008, there were 10 special Record Store Day releases. In recent years, there have been hundreds of special RSD releases.

Scheuenstuhl uses RSD as a way to remind customers about his fantastic inventory, holding a storewide sale – 20 percent off new items and 30 percent off used items that are not RSD-specific releases – to reward those who come to the shop on Saturday.

The 411: Black Friday Record Store Day 2015 is Friday, Nov. 27. Mill Valley Music is located at 320 Miller Ave., (415) 389-9090. Click here for more details, and click here for a full list of Record Store Day releases nationwide. ​

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Mountain Play Unveils Artistic Team for 2016 Production of 'West Side Story'

11/25/2015

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Jay Manley, director of the Mountain Play's 2016 production of West Side Story. Courtesy image.
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David Moschler and Nicole Helfer, music director and choreographer, respectively, of the Mountain Play's 2016 production of West Side Story. Courtesy image.
Two months after the Mountain Play revealed that its 2016 production of the Tony Award-winning musical West Side Story would be directed by Jay Manley, the organization announced that David Moschler, who won a 2015 Theatre Bay Area Award for Outstanding Music Direction, will be its music director, and that Nicole Helfer, a 2015 Theatre Bay Area Award for Outstanding Choreography, will be the choreographer. Manley directed the Sound of Music for the Mountain Play's 100th anniversary production.  

“We are thrilled to have gathered a remarkable artistic team for this important production,” says Sara Pearson, Mountain Play executive director and producer. “The energy and enthusiasm is building daily and everyone is looking forward to creating an exciting fresh perspective on this beloved classic.”

Based on Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare’s infamous play about ill-fated young love, West Side Story is a Broadway classic written by Arthur Laurents and songs from Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim. Made famous by the 1961 Academy Award-winning film of the same name, the musical is known for one of the most complicated and beautiful scores in musical theater history. West Side Story explores racial tensions playing out on the streets of the Upper West Side in the 1950’s. The story centers around turf wars between the Sharks and the Jets, two rival street gangs, one white and one Puerto Rican. When Tony, a member of the Jets, falls in love with Maria, whose brother is the leader of the Sharks, the young lovers must stand up to their families, their communities, and the very social order of the world they inhabit.

The 411: The Mountain Play's production of West Side Story runs May 22, 29, 29, June 5, 11, 12 and 19. Performances start at 2pm. MORE INFO.

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What Should Open in the Vacant Former Summerhouse Space at 21 Throckmorton?

11/18/2015

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A downtown Mill Valley retail space steeped in local history is on the market, as property owner Tom Kostic is looking for a tenant to fill his 2,500-square-foot storefront at 21 Throckmorton Avenue.

The vacancy was predicated by Summerhouse, one of Mill Valley’s most popular housewares and furniture brands, which consolidated its three local spaces into two over the summer by taking over the former Cabana Home space at 238 East Blithedale Avenue.

For the previous 23 years, Summerhouse owner Robert Adams had kept a 6,000-square-foot warehouse in the building at 250 East Blithedale that formerly contained Mill Valley Services before it closed in September 2014, opening it on the weekends for customers to check out a larger inventory than was available at his stores at 21 and 57 Throckmorton Avenue. 
Adams also saw an opportunity to relocate the inventory from the 21 Throckmorton store into the new one.

The building that contains the 21 Throckmorton space and the adjacent 23 Throckmorton that was the former home of the Tamalpais General Store until it closed in 2010 has a rich history in Mill Valley. According to the Mill Valley Historical Society, in 1929, there was a Studebaker Agency in this location, and in 1939, a pharmacy. Bennett's Variety Store occupied the building from 1942 to 1980.

What would you like to see open in this space? Tell us in the comments below.


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MV Personal Fitness Moves to Miller Ave., Morphs Into Iron Lion Gym

11/18/2015

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Iron Lion Gym at 419 Miller Avenue. Courtesy image.
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Iron Lion Gym at 419 Miller Avenue. Courtesy image.
PictureLeo Vassershteyn at Iron Lion Gym. Courtesy image.
For much of the past year, fitness guru Leo Vassershteyn was on the hunt for the next chapter in his rapidly growing Mill Valley Personal Fitness studio downtown.

That growth had him bursting at the seams of his 750-square-foot space on Sunnyside Avenue, and by Oct. 1 he’d found a new home at 419 Miller Ave., next to Swirl, in a space that doubled his square footage and gave him significantly higher, more gym-appropriate ceilings.

As a result, the move is much more than an expansion. It’s resulted in a new moniker: Iron Lion Gym.

Drawing on both his first name (Latin for “lion”) and his oft-cited goal of “making people into beats,” Vassershteyn has made “forging the beast” his slogan, and since forging is a process of shaping metal, the new name fell into place.

Vassershteyn then connected with Mill Valley graphic designer James Van Kriedt, whose re-branding for Shoreline Coffee Shop has drawn rave reviews. Van Kriedt put a medieval spin on the studio’s new logo, creating a striking storefront for Iron Lion Gym (see above).

Now that he’s been in his new space for six weeks, Vassershteyn is making the most of the addition vertical and horizontal space. Iron Lion Gym is adding elements like climbing ropes and peg boards that take advantage of the additional elevation.

“We’re getting our bearings,” Vassershteyn says, noting that foot traffic has spiked by “at least five times” over his former Sunnyside location. “The main thing is that it is allowing us to get into much more diverse programming than we did before.”

That includes incorporating steel mace and Indian club training, ancient Hindu training implements that come out of combat training and that Vassershteyn says “work wonders” by forcing users to have uneven weight distribution.

“They teach you how to move dynamically with an implement,” he says. “We’re now training in some of the most functional modalities out there. And they work better than anything on shoulder injuries.”

Born in Odessa, Ukraine, Vassershteyn moved with his family as a child to the Bay Area in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union. He attended Sequoia High School in Redwood City and, like many grads, wasn’t sure exactly what his next step was. He was a gym rat and began doing some personal training, a job that brought a good wage and provided the flexibility he needed to start taking college classes at the same time. Along the way, he realized that the way he’d been earning a living while he figured out a long-term was that long-term plan.

Now he’s several years into that long-term plan, and he’s seizing on the opportunities the new space provides.

“It’s become a playground for adults,” Vassershteyn adds. “We train adults to move like they’re kids again. That’s why I have the space.”
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The 411: Iron Lion Gym is at 419 Miller Avenue. More info.


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PHOTOS: A Sky High View of Mill Valley

11/17/2015

 
Mill Valley Mayor Ken Wachtel took a recent ride in a Marin County Sheriff's Office Search & Rescue fixed wing, single engine airplane, and came home with some spectacular photos of the 94941 and surrounding area. See captions for location of each photo.

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Equator Coffees to Host Nov. 25th Pop-Up Shop for Three Babes Bakeshop Pies

11/12/2015

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On the hunt for pies that will blow the socks off your Thanksgiving dinner guests?

Equator Coffees & Teas is looking to save you a trip to the San Francisco's Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, where best friends and Three Babes Bakeshop owners Anna Derivi-Castellanos and Lenore Estrada have been making mouths water and drawing raves review with their pies.

Equator's downtown shop (2 Miller Ave.) is hosting a Three Babes Bakeshop pop-up shop on Wednesday, Nov. 25, with a pie menu that includes: Classic Apple, Pumpkin, Bourbon Pecan, Chocolate Pecan (gluten-free), Salty Honey Walnut and Pear Blackberry Crumble.

Three Babes will also be at both of Equator's locations in Mill Valley on Saturday, Nov. 21 selling slices of pie and taking pre-orders for pickup on Nov. 25. 

As for the pies themselves, reviews are through the roof. SF Weekly says "their signature Salty Honey Walnut is so flavorful, so unique, and so mouth-wateringly delicious" and that their "popular flavors sell out fast and for good reason. You’ve never tasted anything like this before.” Huffington Post has raved: “Home to quite possibly the world’s most perfect pies, Three Babes Bakeshop busts out some classics and some not-so-classics like salty honey walnut, vanilla sugar buttermilk and brown sugar pear custard."

Customers may also order online at three-babes-bakeshop.myshopify.com. Equator Coffees & Teas are at 2 Miller Ave. and 244 Shoreline Hwy. at Proof Lab.

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Revery Salon Celebrates Move, Expansion with Grand Opening Party Nov. 13

11/12/2015

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It's safe to say that the hair business along the second block of East Blithedale is a family affair.

Four years ago, colorist Christine Donahue and stylist Heather Fultz, longtime colleagues at DiPietro Todd, teamed up to create Revery Salon, "a fun, yet relaxing, intimate atmosphere" at 94 East Blithedale Ave. Their stellar reputations followed them, and business grew steadily to some 2,000 clients, so much so that when a space nearly triple in size to theirs opened up earlier this year, they jumped at the chance to move down the block to 138 East Blithedale.

San Francisco residents Donahue and Fultz then passed off their old space to their husbands, Tony Morales and Luke Fultz, a tattoo artist and graphic designer, respectively, to open the Shavery Barbershop and bring "a taste of the city and something hip and cool into Mill Valley," Heather Fultz says.

The couples are celebrating Revery's fourth anniversary in Mill Valley with a Grand Opening Celebration on Friday, Nov. 13, 4–7pm, with wine and cheese and a Trunk Show featuring NV Blue tunics and dresses, Lulu Design Jewelry, My Scrappy Bag leather handbags and wine from Pine Ridge Vineyards. Nearby Bright Antenna Records will be playing tracks from their label catalog.

"It should be a blast," Fultz says.

The 411: Revery Salon's fourth anniversary Grand Opening Celebration is Friday, Nov. 13, 4–7pm at 138 East Blithedale Ave. 

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J’Amy Tarr Outerwear Opens Atelier-Style Design Studio Downtown

11/11/2015

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J'Amy Tarr in her design studio at 38 Miller Ave. Photo by KG-Photography.
PictureScenes from J'Amy Tarr Outerwear's design studio at 38 Miller Ave. Photo by Izzy Parlamis.
You know that weekday evening moment after you get the kids to bed and have a second to take a deep breathe with your spouse and unspool the day?

It’s safe to say that that moment is pretty damn interesting in the Tarr household.

In the span of just two years, Doug Tarr has turned his Mill Valley Code Club, which teaches kids to code through a variety of innovative techniques, from a few kids sitting around the family’s dining room table into a burgeoning juggernaut with locations in downtown Mill Valley, Greenbrae and San Francisco.

And just upstairs from the Code Club in the Mill Creek Plaza building that houses All Wrapped Up and the Balboa Cafe, the atelier-style design studio of J’Amy Tarr Outerwear, the Mill Valley native’s eponymous clothing line that is already popular in the 94941 and ready for a breakout beyond, is open for business.

“We are certainly never lacking for conversation,” J’Amy Tarr says with a laugh of the life of an entrepreneurial couple. “It is very exciting. It can be intense. We have very different things going on, but there are plenty of similarities in terms of strategizing and giving each other feedback.”
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The opening of her studio (by appointment only) is a pivotal moment for Tarr, who attended Strawberry Point School and whose mom, Christy Herrmann, taught in the Mill Valley School District for 40 years, primarily at Old Mill and Edna Maguire elementary schools. Tarr’s career has taken her to New York City, Seattle and abroad, including interning for renowned designer Michael Kors, for whom she worked on a dress for Beyoncé that was on the cover of InStyle magazine.

But after those intrepid journeys to learn from some of the best, Tarr has long since found her own voice, and she’s back on home turf. She was recently invited to reimagine an updated wardrobe for Hillary Clinton as part of a San Francisco Chronicle story, and the newspaper did a feature story on Tarr over the summer.

“I have definitely found my own way,” Tarr says. “There’s a high-end element to my clothing but it’s deeply rooted here in the Bay Area. It’s made in San Francisco and it’s really special.”

PictureJ'Amy Tarr. Photo by KG-Photography.
Tarr has an array of outerwear but her signature to date is the Moto Jacket, a mid-weight, lined, biker shape jacket made of soft Japanese wool and comes in a variety of colors. Her Bomber Jacket line has also taken off.

“From the point of view of someone who grew up in Mill Valley lived in SF for 10 years, I know all about microclimates – the jacket is on and off all day long,” she says. “I definitely like a modern silhouette that is flattering and doesn’t have a lot of lot of extra bells and whistles – wearable but modern.”

“Just enough style that they don’t feel overdone but they feel like they have something cool on,” she adds. “I really just want people to feel good in what they’re wearing.”

Tarr has been selling her clothing for a while now online and at stores in Marin, San Francisco, Los Gatos, Portland and elsewhere. But she says she’s thrilled to create her own design studio experience for customers in the cozy space in the back of the Mill Creek Plaza building.

“People like seeing how clothes are made and how a designer gets inspired,” she says. “I want people to come in and have a beautiful experience but also peak over to the other side and see how it’s done and ask questions. People are very curious.”
Tarr’s experiences and personal style has shaped her design sense. But she traces her love for the arts and fashion back to her grandmother Dorothy, a “spunky” North Hollywood woman who would tap dance in the kitchen while she was cooking” and “always had all the cool, sparkly outfits and a lot of pizzazz.” She also cites Mill Valley itself, as she’s “one of the first Kiddo! kids” who owe their love of the arts to the private education foundation that has supported the arts in the Mill Valley School District since 1982.

The Tarrs met at Levi Strauss & Co., where two people from seemingly polar professional background ended up being vital cogs in the five-person team behind the “Levi’s Original Spin” campaign, which allowed consumers to design their own jeans using computer kiosks in select stores in the late 1990s. Doug created the computer systems while J’Amy developed the product. They got married just three years later, had kids, launched startups, juggled life – and remain each other’s biggest supporter.

“It’s been a totally fun rollercoaster ride,” J’Amy Tarr says.

The 411: The J'Amy Tarr Outerwear design studio is at 38 Miller Ave., Suite 11. By appointment only. More info.


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