California: The Summer of Love Experience

During a spontaneous trip to San Francisco, I stumbled upon an exhibition at the de Young museum in Golden Gate Park. Titled "The Summer of Love Experience: Art, Fashion, and Rock & Roll" this exhibit celebrates the adventurous and colorful counterculture that blossomed in the years surrounding the legendary San Francisco summer of 1967.

In the mid-1960s, artists, activists, writers, and musicians converged on Haight-Ashbury with hopes of creating a new social paradigm. By 1967, the neighborhood would attract as many as 100,000 young people from all over the nation.

Showcasing concert posters, fashion clothing, photography, social movements and music - this exhibit really spoke to me during my California road trip. I spent a few hours walking through the museum taking in all of the history, especially the activism that emerged during the summer of '67.

The show displayed the distinctive codes of dress that set members of the Bay Area counterculture apart from mainstream America. During this time, local designers began to create fantastic looks using a range of techniques and materials, including leatherwork, hand-painting, knitting and crochet, embroidery, repurposed denim, and tie-dye. There were fabrics from Guatemala and Panama depicted in many of the looks from that summer. 

After leaving San Francisco and driving down the coast, I carried with me the freedom, spontaneity, self-expression and vibrations of that era. This is what inspired my next shoot and liberated my newfound sense of creative freedom. Get inspired yourself! The exhibit is in San Francisco until August 20, 2017.

Location: Pirate's Cove, Avila Beach, California

Photographer: Sydnee D. Studio

Bracelets: Simbi Haiti *ethical brand

Bathing Suit: Aurai Swimwear *ethical brand

Wrap Scarf: Hiptipico Rebozo *ethical brand

xx

Alyssa

--

≫ Follow along LIVE from Guatemala and browse more of our fair trade products on Instagram (@hiptipico).

♡ See our female founder's daily posts featuring other ethical fashion brands and collaborations (@alyssaya).

≫ Be sure to like Hiptipico on Facebook for global news, travel and women's empowerment.