Real-life 'Project Runway' at 440 Brannan

Spools of colored yarn line the walls, and rolls of fabric hide under the tables in the back room of 440 Brannan, a boutique where the clothes are so local, they're made in the store.

The showroom houses both new and old designers whose brands are native to San Francisco, but just knowing what's trendy won't land a designer a spot on the racks - the tailoring and quality of clothing are what's important.

440 Brannan sells relaxed workwear, anything working professionals can wear from their cubicles to the bar. The studio sells clothes by 10 designers who, if they aren't making them in the back room, have them made in San Francisco. A mix of a showroom and retail store, 440 gives designers a chance to display new pieces and sell others from their collection.

"I really like the fact that they don't look too dressed up," said customer Christina Buchmann. She said the clothes take "care of all the requirements for being formal, but it's playful."

Designers, who pay rent if they use the studio, are often in the store, either working on pieces or interacting with customers. They can bounce ideas off one another, and newer designers can seek advice from those with more experience.

"I want to create a house of fashion," founder Roger Alan said. He opened the space in 1996 as a product developer for brands like Esprit, but decided to design and sell his own clothes after the dot-com bust because working for other companies was not financially viable.

He eventually began offering internships to aspiring designers and letting local designers display their clothes in the showroom. Ten years ago, Jill Giordano was one of those interns. She now manages the studio, designs the brand Gr.dano with partner Brian Scheyer and has eight interns of her own. The brand, established in 2005, is now sold in 25 states and three countries.

Others who sell at 440 Brannan include Piece x Piece clothing, which uses discarded fabric swatches from other designers, and Alley Collection, designed by a San Francisco firefighter who likes mixing his work wear and street wear.

For instance, one Alley Collection button-front shirt has a hidden zipper running up the chest to allow for quick removal, a feature on Alley designer John Robblee's work shirts.

"Not everyone is starting out, and not everyone is established," Giordano said. "It's a real scale of experience and breadth of where they are."

Robblee is one of the newer designers being featured at 440 Brannan. He doesn't have fashion experience - "I'm just a firefighter" - but began designing clothes because he couldn't find shirts that fit his athletic build. He has his clothes made elsewhere in San Francisco but said he creates his samples at 440 Brannan in the company of other designers whom he can go to with questions.

Giordano equates 440 Brannan to a real-life version of "Project Runway." Customers can see the clothes being made in person rather than watching people do it on television.

Prices hover around $100 for most men's and women's clothing, but can reach as high as $300 for coats and jackets.

"They're normal colors that real people wear," Buchmann said of the clothing. "These really make you look like a cute adult."

E-mail Matthew Gomez at mgomez@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page F - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle