Interview: Sarah Lefton
What’s in a name? Depends on the name. As far as names go, the Jewish Fashion Conspiracy says a lot about the proprietor’s sense of humor. So does the company motto: “Putting the racy back in conspiracy”. Starting with “Yo, Semite!” shirts, Sarah Lefton has managed to produce a line of clothing that is pretty much to induce smirks where ever they are seen.
As you may have picked up from SFist Rants and Raves, we have a mixed bags of emotions about public transit. Sarah Lefton has given us renewed determination to be nice on the MUNI, turns out you can make friends that way—who knew?! Read on and learn the ways of the raciest conspirator we’ve crossed paths with yet.
What prompted you to start the Jewish Fashion Conspiracy, and how did you came up with the awesome name?
The way I got the business started in a brief nutshell is that I am an incorrigible pun maker. When I saw that Yosemite was actually a secret encoding of the AWESOME pride shout-out "Yo, Semite!" I made myself a shirt and literally started getting stopped in the street by people who wanted to know where they could get one...things just snowballed from there - this business has definitely taken off DESPITE me rather than because of me.
The name? It was the only thing to call it! If I'm gonna get accused of being part of a conspiracy all the time, I may as well have it work for me,
What's your best selling, or personal favorite product?
Or both? My personal favorite item is the Chanukah Bush panties!
The Drill
Name
Sarah Lefton
Introduce yourself in one sentence
I'm an activewear magnate, bringing schlock to the asses of the masses!
(www.jewishfashionconspiracy.com)
Age and Occupation
31, owner of JewishFashionConspiracy.com and aspiring journalist
Home Town
Columbia, SC
How long have you lived in the Bay Area and Where and WHY?
3.5 years in Duboce Triangle, SF (Founding member of the Jewboce Triangle Neighborhood Association) I lived in Duboce because it's a vision of a San Francisco we should all get to live in - leafy yet urban, walkable, transitable, full of people of all kinds of persuasions and some damn good coffee. I just moved to an awesome new block in the upper Haight - nanoseconds from all the (dubious) action, but tucked away in a flowerfest of a secret little street. I love the hilly setting, the proximity to rum punch, and living next door to a fireman.
And why do I live in San Francisco? Because it's dreamy, and how can you not live in a dream when you get the chance?
Favorite website
www.nytimes.com
Favorite local business
I am a fiend for Riley James on Fillmore.
What are the pro's/cons of doing business in SF?
I'm not sure if the pros/cons of doing business here applies to me as much because I am really an internet based business (mostly) but I will say that I LOVE having an excuse to go down to City Hall, even if it's just to pay my business registration fees!
What I'm currently Reading
A Theory of Fun by Raph Koster, Black White and Jewish by Rebecca Walker, and the McSweeneys comix issue
Best Deal in San Francisco
The cable car museum! it's free and it's fun and it impresses the hell out of your friends from out of town.
Favorite mode of transportation
My 1980 vespa p200.
Best Band or Musician to come out of the Bay Area
I can unabashedly say the grateful dead. I also love cheb i sabbah and dj shadow if that helps restore any of my street cred with all the cool kids out there.
Favorite local hangout
hotel biron on rose st.
SF has the BEST:
freaking produce in the entire world.
You've never lived in SF until:
You've flown over the divisadero hill at about jackson street on a motorcycle, singing at the top of your lungs as the bay hovers in front of you and the city rolls around downhill on every other side.
Favorite Bay area politician of past or present:
Aaron peskin, although he's not my supe. He's so smart. It gives me great
pleasure that smart people can get elected.
You can tell someone is a local here IF:
They know what an its-it is
SF would be soooo much better if only:
Everyone gave up on the stupid car thing and the stupid parking gripes and got a scooter or a bicycle.
Best Burrito:
Cactus Fresh on market and 16th
Best Restaurant:
tallulah, tallulah, tallulah
Best movie scene filmed in or about SF:
The car chase in The Game
Favorite artist to come out of the bay area:
Jim campbell, the tech artist who makes lovely things out of LEDs
Favorite author to come out of the bay area:
Ruth Reichl
Place you always tell visitors to check out:
The seward street slides - yay!
Favorite Bridge in the area:
Bay Bridge
You have two hours and $15 bucks to kill in SF, what are you going to do?
Hang out at the ramp with a good book, a beer and a clam chowder
I have found/sold/bought the following on craigslist:
Apartment, roommate, job, vespa, boyfriend, rebound relationship, kinky night on the town, solace
I want all the SFists out there to know:
That "begging the question" is a formal term from rhetoric that is used improperly almost 100% of the time. look it up.
Tell us a San Francisco Story:
Here's how i met one of my great friends, Bryan. on my second day here, ever, I was sitting on the N Judah shuttle (natch, the train was broken) reading the New York Times. This guy leans over from 2 rows behind me and taps me on the shoulder:
"hometown paper not good enough for ya?"
"why, no, actually, it sucks donkey balls." (or something to that effect)
We shared a laugh or two over the horrific state of bay area journalism. Two months later, I went to see a friend perform at 848 Community Space on Divis, and I saw someone I knew in the audience. He starts to introduce me to his buddy and who is it but Bryan! we recognized each other immediately and cracked up. we're great friends now, and it turns out we went to college together and have tons of mutual friends. hilarious.
Question you'd ask if you were doing this interview:
Where will you move when it becomes finally clear that you can't afford to live in san francisco anymore because you're not a filthy rich programmer?
I don't know the answer yet...and I hope to marry a filthy rich
programmer. :)
So do we Sarah, so do we!