Jackson Square's La Boutique l'Art et la Mode knows a thing or two about collaboration. Since its opening in 2010, the avant garde clothing boutique has seamlessly combined some of the world's most innovative art with Europe's most beloved designers. (Think: Cleopatra-inspired headpieces and jewelry by famed French designer, Shourouk, alongside her glittering, gothic shadowboxes on the walls.)
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But while the boutique exclusively carries European clothing designers like Baum und Pferdgarten, Vanessa Bruno and MM6 by Maison Martin Margiela, the latest art installation is all San Francisco.
In "City, Speak To Me," local photographer Julie Michelle explores the small places in the city, immortalizing the pavement, the neon and the unexpected bursts of nature, all while perfectly capturing San Francisco's dark and dreamy gloom.
And hidden within each photograph: a perfect stanza by local poet Silvi Alcivar -- famous for the tiny poems she bangs out of her red Royal typewriter for curious customers at local cafes.
"Silvi and I sat down together and went through my catalog of images, selecting the ones we liked together," explained Michelle. "I made prints on paper that would fit in her old Royal typewriter, and then I got a stack of images back with these amazing, typed poems on them."
Some are whimsical and sweet (a pink-domed Victorian with the words "even the houses are delicious"), while others beautifully capture the hardship of the city (an old woman on the BART platform alongside three words typed into the darkness of the track: "No matter what.") But the overall result is a frighteningly honest snapshot of life in San Francisco.
"Reading these poems from Silvi for the first time was a revelation and also an affirmation," said Michelle about receiving back her snapshots with Alcivar's poetry. "It's like someone pointing out something beautiful to you that you knew was there all along, but you didn't have the words to describe it."
Check out images from "City, Speak To Me" in the slideshow and video below or stop by La Boutique to see them in person:
city, speak to me from julie michelle on Vimeo.