The Almost Perfect World of Michael Lynch

San Diego is full of people who deserve a few thousand words on what they make, who they bring together, and how their work changes the city around them. The artists, makers, advocates, and behind-the-scenes talent below are a small part of that larger ecosystem.

To help us narrow our list, we looked for names that kept coming up, work that reflects the diversity of our region, and people building something bigger than themselves.

One look and it’s easy to see that local jewelry designer Georgina Treviño is overcaffeinated. She has to be. She’s just returned from a whirlwind trip where she finished a workshop residency at Penland School of Craft in North Carolina—while also finding time to pop up and down to LA and Mexico City to, among other things, deliver some custom pieces for a “very important, very secretive” client who sought her out to accessorize his outfit for Chloë Sevigny and gallerist Siniša Mačković’s wedding in Connecticut. Now she’s finally back at her Little Italy studio. And while she found time to create two custom pieces for the bride and groom, anyone who knows Treviño would not be surprised to learn she’s already onto the next thing.

Courtesy of Georgina Trevino

“I feel like I love to go into the chaos knowing that I can come home,” she says, adding that she often gets asked why, after all she’s accomplished so far, she doesn’t simply move. “I love San Diego. I just love being here, because I’m in between both worlds.”

Following Treviño’s Instagram is something of a whirlwind experience itself; a crash course in what it means when an up-and-coming designer generates enough buzz to where they’re becoming the go-to accessory for photo shoots and step-and-repeats for the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Lady Gaga, and Bad Bunny, the latter of whom insisted on keeping a pair of earrings she created after he wore them for a music video. “That almost made me cry,” she admits.

Courtesy of Georgina Trevino

Inspired by lowbrow pop culture as much as by ’80s punk rock aesthetics, Treviño’s custom rings, bracelets, and dangles have appeared in Teen Vogue, Purple magazine, and most recently, the Los Angeles Times, who commissioned her for a custom spread in their style magazine, Image. This is in addition to her even more notable accomplishments, such as appearances in a Nike Air Max campaign and a deal to bring her signature pierced designs to Chunks hair products. She’ll also be customizing purses and creating her own in- store intervention for Spanish fashion tastemaker Bimba y Lola inside their Mexico City storefront. Not bad for an Otay Ranch local who, only a few years ago, switched her SDSU major from painting to metalsmithing.

Courtesy of Georgina Trevino

Next up, she says she’s going to check out real estate while in Mexico City in hopes of opening her own brick-and- mortar space there. “There are so many more, other things I want to do to challenge myself,” Treviño says. “I’m just going to figure out how to do it, you know?”

Alexia Maria, hero

Courtesy of Alexia Maria

For San Diego–based designer Alexia María Esquer, style runs through her DNA. Her grandmother’s atelier in Mexicali served as her childhood playground. At five, she started to sew, paint, and design, using whatever materials she could find. Old zippers. Broken jewelry. Scraps of cloth.

“Together, my grandmother and I could make something out of anything,” she says. When she did take a trip to the fabric store, it felt like a trip to Disneyland.

In adulthood, Esquer’s lifelong passion translated into a career. With her grandmother’s mentorship, she launched an eponymous clothing line in 2014, opening the first Alexia María store in La Jolla.

The Alexia María aesthetic is classically feminine with a modern twist: oversized bows and detachable capes, mini dresses, and column gowns.

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Her designs pay homage to Golden Age film icons like Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn. A voracious vintage shopper, Esquer notes that the craftsmanship of decades-old pieces is unparalleled, though she’s known to tweak her finds to modernize their silhouettes. “If I can’t find it, maybe I can try to make it,” she explains.

One signature Alexia María look: overskirts. En vogue in the ’50s, overskirts offer two options: Add it on for a formal dress, or leave it off for a jumpsuit. The Alexia María overskirt made its red carpet debut in early 2016 when actress Abigail Spencer turned heads in a red ensemble.

That classic look in a sea of trendy gowns soon garnered A-list interest. Ariana Grande, Paris Hilton, and Gwen Stefani have donned Alexia María gowns.

Yet while big names come calling, the designs are attainable enough to also fit black tie events and weddings, most often on bridesmaids, mothers of the bride, and guests.

In 2020, mid-pandemic, Esquer began to cater to an influx of brides who were scrambling to pull together backyard ceremonies and courthouse weddings. “They needed something fast,” she says. “And they needed something white.”

For smaller-scale weddings, brides were favoring alternative styles like midi dresses or jumpsuits. Galas and events were on pause, so the Alexia María atelier’s production time was faster than ever: seven to 10 business days. Orders rolled in, and in the months that followed, grateful brides sent photos, thanking the Alexia María team for being a bright spot in a hard time.

Alexia Maria, dresses

Courtesy of Alexia Maria

As large-scale weddings returned, Alexia María pieces became go-to’s for rehearsal dinners, engagement parties, and bridal showers. The pandemic shifted the Alexia María shopping experience; though the atelier no longer offers in-person appointments, customers can peruse new collections at trunk shows and select Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus stores.

Alexia María’s latest collection—fall/winter 2022/2023—might be the label’s most feminine yet. “I captured the dreamy feeling of Paris in this collection,” Esquer says. “Like a dramatic ruby gown with a long train and long bow. It makes you dream of dressing up, a big event, a romantic moment.”

“As an entrepreneur, business owner, and mother, I see modern femininity as embracing your essence and being confident in who you are,” she continues. “I always tell my customers, the most important thing you can wear is your confidence.”

As one of the foremost designers in the San Diego bridal and formalwear space, Esquer says she appreciates the petite size of the city’s design community. “There are great artists here in San Diego, but they each have their own niche,” she says. “And I get to have my family life and my personal life without feeling the rush of the fashion scene.”

Her family plays a big role. Esquer’s husband, Ricardo Rubio, is the brand’s CEO, while her sister-in-law Gabriela Rubio is the brand director. And, she adds, “Every time my grandmother visits me, she comes to my atelier and wants to cry because she can’t believe it.”

Fish & Co owner

Molly Rose Photo

Fish & Co. may not be the most intuitive name for an on-the-verge interior design studio. For Lisa Carolla, however, the moniker is entirely logical. Her grandfather owned L.A. Fish and Oyster Co. on the Los Angeles harbor.

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“It was honest, salt of the earth, and centered around people,” says Carolla, who grew up in San Pedro and moved to Encinitas four years ago. “It’s always been a goal of mine to run a small business that was at least half as good as his, so I took exactly half of his business name.”

Driven by a desire to do right by the seaside environment that raised her, Carolla tackles her residential and hospitality projects with her unique set of sustainability values, and an aesthetic inspired by her coastal upbringing. “I like to joke that my style is ‘mid-century maritime chic’, but it’s actually a pretty accurate description,” she says.

“The colors and materials I love the most are reminiscent of modern design during surfing’s heyday in the 70s, the color palettes of low tide walks, and funky items you might find on a fishing boat.” Current projects include a Scandinavian-inspired new build in Asheville, North Carolina; the restoration of a 1920s Santa Barbara carriage house that she is gently reworking to function for modern life; and her homebase is a 1940s cottage that serves as a lab for eco-artistry.

By KVP: The San Diego-based fashion brand creates linen loungewear in small batches to reduce waste. 

Her ethos has drawn her to a diverse network of local creators who tread lightly while making big statements. She works to find new ways to reuse building materials while sourcing one-of-a-kind gems secondhand. For this lifelong surfer, a big part of reducing waste is being thoughtful about the longevity of a space.

“In real life, we see starting from scratch as a disadvantage, but in the design industry, it’s where most people choose to start. My philosophy is that we get something truly unique and inspired when we start from a place of valuing what’s already there,” says the designer. “Well-built, well-designed spaces that consider their community are the ones that stand the test of time.”

MUSHLOOM LIGHTING: This is sustainability to the max: These stunning lights are grown from mushrooms.

MITCHELL BLACK: “Nomalanga in Terracotta” wallcovering by Forbes + Master.

FORBES & LOMAX: Aged brass switch plate in one of Lisa’s latest projects.

JOGLO LIVING: Handmade woven copper pendant light made in Sumba, Indonesia.

JACK ANTAL: The San Diego artist creates timeless black and white photography with 10 percent of all profits going to Outside the Bowl.

STONESTEPS HERBARIUM: This Encinitas artist makes one-of-a-kind pieces from dried seaweed found on low-tide coastal walks.

THE CUTTING EDGE — Located on the edge of Maple Canyon, the award-winning Truax project is a testament to the blend of vintage and modern architecture Bankers Hill is known for. From a catwalk at the lofts, residents can take in bay views and watch jet landings at nearby SAN airport, a favorite local pastime.

Darren Bradley

Under the flight path, perched on the edge of a canyon at the end of a cul-de-sac, the awkward plot might’ve given some architects pause. Not Soheil Nakhshab. He’s built a thriving practice transforming odd-shaped urban infill sites into head-turning multi-residential developments. And the historic Truax property in Bankers Hill is no exception.

“We preserved, restored, and designed a tranquil, whimsical environment,” says the award-winning architect-developer, whose Truax project was announced a winner in the esteemed Urban Land Institute Americas awards this July. The development now moves onto an international competition.

Anchoring the unique site, the Truax House showcases classic Craftsman style, with overhanging eaves, multi-paned windows, and a cherry-red exterior that pops against crisp blue skies. Originally built in 1912, the spacious home became a hospice for AIDS patients in the ‘80s under the care of gay physician and advocate Brad Truax, who passed away from AIDS-related complications in 1988.

Set in Mission Hills, Clea is where sustainable engineering meets modern style in this 3,820 square foot, LEED Gold certified residence. The indoor-outdoor interplay serves as the ultimate expression of San Diego’s lifestyle

Darren Bradley

Before he’d even won his bid on the city-owned property, Nakhshab acted to preserve its important past. “I went around to LGBTQ organizations and community groups and spoke to them about my plans,” Nakhshab explains. “I was not going to tear down the house. I had my own historic attorney prepare a report to get the city to acknowledge that history.”

The gutted and fully restored Truax House, with minor exterior additions that meld seamlessly with the original, now contains 10 apartments and a community room open to the public by appointment. The traditional architecture contrasts the neighboring bright white Truax Lofts, which Nakhshab designed as a sleek L-shaped structure with an open breezeway over the sloping hillside beneath it.

“A normal institutional developer would’ve filled that space in with more units or parking,” points out Nakhshab. “But I’m an architect. I wanted to draw in that cool factor. From the street, you can see all the way to the courtyard. I didn’t want a monolithic building. There are pockets and courtyards. There’s a catwalk where any tenant can walk out and watch the planes land.”

Mitra, a downtown corner building, is a study in modernity—nine luxurious open-concept studios with minimalistic interiors, mezzanine lofts, and solar power

Darren Bradley

In addition to the modern Truax Lofts building, which features 30 smartly laid-out mezzanine lofts with balconies and views of Maple Canyon and the bay, Nakhshab built a set of four black, four-story townhomes, each of which contains a private elevator. “I wanted to create an alternative to living in a highrise condo,” says Nakhshab. “There’s no sense of neighborhood in a 40-story building.”

Creating a sense of community is critical to Nakhshab’s design philosophy. “Culturally speaking, family is core for immigrants,” says the architect, whose parents moved stateside from Iran with their two children in 1984. Nakhshab’s younger brother, Nima, handles construction management for Nakhshab Development & Design, and the whole extended family has lived under the same roof in various NDD-designed multi-generational homes.

“We take this idea and bring it into our projects and create environments where we have multiple demographics of people living in our properties, from college students to retirees and working people in between,” says Nakhshab. “We want to give them a safe, comfortable environment where they can make friends.”

Nakhshab first fostered this concept with the Sofia Lofts, a 17-unit “micro-community” in Golden Hill named after his daughter. “I designed mixed unit types and the idea was to be intergenerational, multi-demographic, and even enable aging in place. Truax Lofts is Sofia Lofts on steroids.”

WILD COUNTRY — In Del Mar’s coveted micro-neighborhood of Pine Needles, Nakhshab created a LEED Gold certified property that feels like a glamorous, secluded treehouse. Set in the sandstone and tree-filled lot, the architecture is organic, modern, and completely custom in how it harmonizes with nature. The Crosby Residence serves as a forward-thinking beacon in a neighborhood established by mid-century codes.

Darren Bradley

The architect also builds single-family modern residences but says such commissions only account for a small part of his business and come with a caveat. “I have to design everything myself, right down to the interiors.”

Not that his clients mind in the slightest. One Nakhshab homeowner in Del Mar recently tapped him to build an ADU, and his solution was ingenious: the spacious guesthouse is literally built into the hillside. “I cut it out and fit it with a hobbit’s den that’s wrapped in greenery and vegetation,” he says.

He’s also currently putting the finishing touches on a new Nakhshab family compound in South Mission Hills, which features three separate custom dwellings: one for his parents, one for his brother’s young family, and the third for his own family, including kids Shayan (12) and Sofia (9), who have lived in various NDD projects since they were born.

But it’s the multi-residential projects on the challenging urban-infill lots that truly inspire Nakhshab as an architect, including a new micro-unit building in Mission Hills that will open up the well-heeled neighborhood to a whole new set of workforce residents.

“I see it as a humanitarian contribution to the city,” he explains. “A lot of people can’t afford to buy in San Diego. I feel that as developers we are obligated to give people a higher standard of living. These aren’t cheap matchbox buildings. These are nice homes.”

THE NEW OLD — In East Village, Ezabelle features 46 residential micro-units and a rooftop community space. “These units are so versatile. They’re set up like Swiss Army Knives. They have a bed, a couch, kitchen, and laundry already in the unit. So you bring your clothes and you’re all set to focus your energy on building your career.”

Darren Bradley

THOUGHT LEEDER — Architect-developer Soheil Nakhshab in front of Truax House, which serves as the historic centerpiece of the visionary LEED-certified residential compound. He divided the property into three parcels: the house, the L-shaped lofts, and four townhouses. “The community feared a developer would scrape away the history,” says Nakhshab of Truax House, once a hospice for AIDS patients. The architect made sure that didn’t happen, earning the property a major national award.

Tomoko Matsubayashi

The expansive courtyard features fire pits, seating areas, an outdoor movie theater, and citrus trees for cocktail hour. “The idea was to activate the outdoor space connected to this historic house,” he says. “You can hang out with neighbors and entertain family and friends.”

Darren Bradley

The 3,800-square-foot Athena house is located on a four-acre ranch in San Diego. “I had the idea of bringing in Greek style and California modern which I equate to Palm Springs,” says Nakhshab. “The home has this feeling.” Here, the inside serves as an extension of the architecture, since Nakhshab also designed, built, and furnished the interior.

Darren Bradley

Ezabelle

Darren Bradley