Somebody waved a magic wand over Franklin Street. How else would you explain the presence of a fairyland palace, complete with sparkling chandeliers and trees glistening with crystal blossoms, that appeared out of thin air? SF Ballet's Cinderella Ball brought out San Francisco royalty to see it all...

Guests arriving at the California Academy of Sciences' Big Bang Gala were greeted by human 'butterflies' swooping and flitting about, their shimmering wings competing with patrons' dresses for color and contrast. Butterflies symbolized the "diverse and delicate nature of life" that was the theme of this...

San Francisco's beloved Exploratorium opened with a big splashy party that befitting its swell new digs on Pier 15. Guests were as giddy as schoolchildren on a field trip as they navigated the expanse filled to the open rafters with scientific schemes, stories, and stuff, searching for new...

The ice appeared twice as nice at the Fine Arts Museum's Mid-Winter Gala, where diamonds as big as skating rinks had to contend with the real thing. The madcap artistry of Ken Fulk inserted itself into the de Young Museum for a white-hot evening of merriment for the...

The most photographed bridge in the world wasn't its usual self last night. At precisely nine o'clock in the evening, that honor was transferred to its functional sister bridge on the other side of the bay, courtesy of a thrilling work of art and some abundant largesse. Amidst a downpour...

Like Admiral John Paul Jones, the lovely ladies of the Junior League are undaunted. The San Francisco chapter of the women's service organization, now in its centennial year, were challenged when their longtime fashion show fundraiser sailed onto stormy waters last year. But it takes more than that to topple...

The Asian Art Museum celebrated ancient and modern warriors at the opening of its newest exhibit, "China's Terracotta Warriors." The older ones were buried over 2000 years ago in X'ian province of China, where they stood at attention, entombed in service of the First Emperor Qin Shihuang.

They came, they collaborated, they conferred. For the 250-some design industry professionals who converged on San Francisco's de Young Museum, the intense day of meetings, presentations and lectures revealed a new design paradigm of communal success. More heads are better than one! Crowdsource! Share! Team credit! Silhouetted in front of...

Cameron Silver, that suave salesman of sumptuous schmatte, is aptly named. Not only for those silver coins he so gently coaxes out of our minaudieres, or for his sage authority on the history fashion, but also for his hair. Cameron Silver now has gorgeous, glimmering, silver hair. Talk about eponymous!...

The connection between women, health care, and commerce is a strong one. It is well known that when women have access to accessible, affordable, reliable health care, they are able to care for their families and often support them, too. When women earn money through work, they spend it on...

San Francisco is seriously turning orange these days. (Did you peek at Market Street on Halloween?) The enfants de la patrie at Cointreau, the venerable orange liqueur from the San Francisco of Europe, brought a little more of the hue to town with their signature zest for beverages from the...

After months of announcing they were "Made for All" on buses and banners, Uniqlo's West Coast fast fashion foray opened on Powell Street. An enormously curious crowd crammed into all 29,000 feet of the double-height emporium to sip sake from traditional wooden cubes, eat delectable Mission...

Music lovers will want to head up -- double time -- to Sonoma State University for a sonorous sensation. That verdant venue is now home to one of the most remarkable performance spaces in the country, Weill Hall at the Green Music Center.

As befits a California institution, this...

We don't often scoop our like-minded publication, the New York Times, but they did just discover what we've known for some time: Ken Fulk "has long shown a talent for hospitality." And how. For his most recent cocktail convocation to celebrate the artists of Provincetown, he delighted his...

Anthony Kennedy Shriver knows how to get what he asks for. Youngest scion of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Sargent Shriver (founders of the Special Olympics and the Peace Corps, respectively) since 1989 this Shriver has turned his considerable influence to establish Best Buddies, an international nonprofit which offers...

The cars and stars shone brightly on a balmy San Francisco evening, as the top deck of the Metreon became the lavish location for Japanese automaker Lexus to introduce its new LS model line. Defying the laws of gravity and elevators, there were four shiny new Lexus vehicles arrayed around...

The opening party for the riveting Cindy Sherman retrospective at SFMOMA played out like a bit of Where's Waldo for the contemporary cadre. Amidst the elegant installation of photographs shot by Sherman, staged by Sherman, costumed by Sherman, made up by Sherman, and featuring Sherman, where...

When Brit 'It" brand Mulberry announced it would be opening in Union Square, the Kate Moss-ish and Carey Mulligan-esque girls jumped for joy. Isn't it easier to look like a sexy Sloane or a hottie Oxie if you have a Mulberry bag neatly tucked into the crook of your arm?...

While nearly one million visitors flocked to our fair City to celebrate the ROYGBIV of PRIDE, San Francisco's corporate community kicked off its celebration with the VIP Pride Party, a generally decorous cocktail party presented by PG&E. Held unironically at the site of the former Fed, the party was a...

Buying art over the internet has never been so easy -- or so overwhelming. So the recent launch of crowd source-chosen art and photography prints on Minted.com came with some winnowing by well-known tastemakers: supermodel Christy Turlington Burns, Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman, Google's Marissa Mayer, and photographer/MTV personality...