Erika Pino is obsessed with finding and photographing the most stylish people in the Bay Area.
In a series of photos taken across San Francisco over the past few weeks, Pino, known for her lifestyle, editorial, and portrait work, set out to capture the vibe of the city in late-summer 2025. Her findings? We are a kaleidoscope of bold colors, patterns, and denim — often layered on top of one another. Because, as real ones know, San Francisco street fashion is all about the layers.
When Pino spotted Chea in the Mission, she was drawn to her bright colors — “from head to toe, including her magenta hair,” the photographer said — and her patterns.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Tying in the zebra pattern from her jacket to her shoes showed a knack for putting together a look with thrifted threads,” Pino said. She posed Chea in front of a black wall to highlight the colors of her look.
Pino encountered Mick one Sunday on the Presidio Green. The first thing she noticed about him was the cool custom panel on the side of his jeans. “I wanted to highlight that part of his outfit, since it was so distinctive,” she said. “Mick was clearly having fun mixing pattern and color, and his outfit looked like a party. He was bringing his own festival to the park.”
This fits into a trend Pino has been tracking: denim in all sort of varieties — “jeans with front shreds, patched denim and panels, and Canadian tuxedos.”
Jon Harris was rocking a Canadian tuxedo when Pino spotted him and his wife, Nancy, in Union Square the weekend the Grateful Dead played reunion shows in Golden Gate Park.
Pino was struck by the couple’s “very current head-to-toe denim interpretation of Grateful Dead fashion.” She loved how they had customized their looks with elaborate panels and patches, each of which held a specific memory.
Their style captured the DIY trend that runs deep in the Bay. Nancy had tie-dyed her own overalls, and Pino was struck by their cheerful pastel pattern.
Speaking of cheerful, in contrast to his name, Tragedy Valois caught Pino’s eye for the boldness of his look, which mashed up tie-dye and ’90s musical influences. He made Pino smile instantly when she spotted him on Market Street.
“He had this amazing ’80s/’90s hybrid hip-hop vibe going on, with his hoodie being a nod to a classic ’90s song and his layered Mr. T-esque chains,” she said.
Mashup is the word that best describes his style. “I just buy everything I see and put it together,” Valois said.
Sweater vests are clearly having a moment in the Bay — and Raden James is right on trend, pairing his bright-orange knitwear with a decidedly un-preppy pair of camo pants.
Pino was struck by the warm palette of James’ look as he walked past the historic buildings in Jackson Square.
“This was such a beautifully styled look that I asked if he was a stylist,” Pino said.
When Pino saw Igor in Union Square, she had one thought: the Matrix. His look embodied the ’90s rave culture that’s having a big resurgence lately, “with the glasses, trench coat, and then the plaid flair of his creepers,” Pino said.
In fact, all aspects of ’90s culture are represented in the city’s street style. Pino has been noticing, in particular, raver fashion with narrow sunglasses, baggy pants, cropped tees, and baggy skater shorts.
Paul was walking on Market Street when Pino spied his panama hat, dapper paired with a cream blazer.
His look shows that the classics never go out of style. “A classic portrait for a classic man,” Pino said.
The Picasso-like pattern on one man’s sweatsuit caused Pino to pull her camera out of her bag as she was on her way to an appointment.
She loved how the shot portrays his fit in conversation with the mural behind him.
There was something very current about Conway’s look when Pino saw her walking around the Financial District: the way she paired a chic black gown with casual white sneaks and oversize glasses.
“She had a very minimal but polished look that I feel is very SF,” Pino said.