San Francisco Magazine Article on Riki Design

San Francisco Magazine article on riki design

Her look: Ursula Labermeier’s chic, streamlined clothing has a European sophistication but is relaxed enough to wear anyplace, any time. A pencil skirt or a swing coat manages to look retro and modern at the same time. Bright orange and deep chocolate mix with neutrals and basic black to make this a real urban wardrobe.

Ideal customer: women who like a put-together but unpredictable look. She has attracted both career women and the stroller set of Noe Valley, many of whom, Labermeier has found, share her passion for fabric and art.

Bonus: she supplies a head-to-toe look. “I never put everything into one piece - I always think about the whole line,” she says. Still, her unusual color combinations and fabrics keep her look from being matchy-matchy.

Background: Growing up in Germany near the French border, Labermeier would often take the train to visit the haute couture districts of Paris. With her penchant for modifying patterns from Vogue and Brigitte, she seemed destined for a career in fashion. But she chose science instead, doing research in molecular biophysics and biochemistry at Yale. Then her daughter was born and everything changed. “I wanted a full-time position working with radioactive isotopes,” Labermeier says, “but it didn’t work having a crib in the corner, and I didn’t want to put her in day care.” So she returned to what she had always loved, designing clothes. She opened her first store (for children’s clothing) in Davis in 1986, and it’s been uphill ever since.

Rave: Lauren Mahan, an associate at the public relations firm Davenport Design in San Diego, discovered Riki about 10 years ago on a business trip. “As a financial writer, I recognize a good investment when I see one. My own closet today is about 60 percent Riki and I’m still able to mix and match items I bought years ago with stuff just out this season.” Mahan and her partners make it a point to visit Riki whenever possible. “We’re all addicts and will opt for a Riki piece over anything else.”