Sorting through the overflowing metal racks of clothing, there is an explosion of vibrant and rich color. Yellows, blues, greens, purples, and reds shout from the various African prints fashion designer Martha Amachree transforms into her modern gowns. The Nigerian-born entrepreneur, sharing a Lauren Hutton-esque, gap-toothed smile, proudly displays her handiwork, which at the moment is housed in her Oceanview district home while waiting for the right boutique to carry the line.

By combining traditional prints and cotton materials from her visits to Africa, with a slimmer, Western shape, Amachree is hoping her contemporary ethnic designs will appeal to the diverse San Francisco fashion consumer.

“I use traditional African fabric but in a contemporary style,” says Amachree. “I follow trends and make it in a way that is more stylish.”

Amachree, who came to the United States over 28 years ago, is just one example of the trend of custom, ethnic designers who are set to fuse their own background and personality with the needs and desires of modern-day fashionistas.

Contrary to the misconception that ethnic designers face great difficulties producing their product, Amachree, like many others, has found an upscale niche clientele within the Bay Area who are interested in her designs.

Dr. Connie Ulasewicz, assistant professor of Apparel Design and Merchandising at SF State, says that in the Bay Area where cultural diversity and ethnicity are embraced, ethnic designers have no issues with marketing their lines. The trend of ethnic fashion is gaining popularity around the world.

“It’s very interesting what is happening now. A large influence is that technology has pushed us forward so we can see and hear what is going on around the world and we can react upon that and embrace it,” remarks Ulasewicz. “People can travel to any region of the world, get something made and come back. And that influences the culture.”

Instead of manufacturing their line through chain stores, these designers have chosen to create smaller and more exclusive retail businesses. For Amachree, who produces her line in Nigeria to benefit the society there, this allows her the freedom to interpret her ethnicity and culture through each creation.

Today there is noticeable ethnic diversity among designers and their work, even in mainstream fashion. This year’s annual SF Fashion Week in August saw a multitude of designers from different backgrounds and ethnicities, especially amid rising new talent.

Among this year’s catwalk shows was the label Pink Elf’s Bollywood-inspired pieces from Indian designer Kaushie Adiseshan, combined with many other Asian-American and Hispanic designers.

Donna Berry, spokesperson for SF Fashion Week, claims that the scene in the Bay is much different than cities such as New York and Los Angeles where consumers are more concerned with well-established labels.

“There isn’t really anything else like SF Fashion Week…This year we definitely saw a lot of diversity on the runway,” Berry says. “What we do is a world of difference. Of course their budgets are 20 times what ours is. Yet San Francisco sets trends.”

Carrying a price tag of up to $155, Amachree’s investment pieces may seem out-of-reach to those with lower incomes. However, according to Ulasewicz, the trend is becoming accessible at all price levels. Whether it is an influence of color or shape, ethnicity is seen even in shops like Forever 21.

“You are seeing it across all markets,” says Ulasewicz. “We are seeing more movies, hearing more music, understanding certain cultures better, and we are taking those ideas and putting them into the American market at different price points.”

With her customized, ethnic-inspired label, House of Mamasan, 26-year-old designer Andrea Lamadora claims to get her inspiration from the diversity of the Bay although she has recently relocated to Los Angeles to manufacture her line on a larger scale.

“You have hipsters, people who go out to clubs, and to poetry readings— it’s very eclectic. People of different genres, political views, are all mixed-in,” says Lamadora. “The Bay Area is culture, and that is what inspires me.”

According to Janice Paredes, fashion design coordinator at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Francisco, it is that very mix that makes the Bay more open to ethnic designs.

“San Francisco is a very individual environment with a small, growing area of individual fashion,” explains Paredes. “This makes us open to new talent regardless of what their background is.”

Although the trend of ethnic-inspired fashion is now available at all price levels, Paredes believes it is the culture of the times that has shaped us into desiring custom designs like those of Amachree and Lamadora.

“We are used to getting our own way and customizing everything we want,” Paredes says. “It’s a very customized, self-centered world and I’m not saying that’s a bad thing.”

Setting out to combine her own rather eclectic heritage with her passion for fashion, Lamadora creates her label to represent the strong, independent, and urban woman. Pulling from her Filipino, Spanish, French, and Chinese background, Lamadora uses textiles to tell the story and history of various cultures.

“I thought we are getting really far away from our culture and heritage. I want to somewhat preserve culture through fashion, and make it hip and fun,” says Lamadora. “I like to see people of one culture wearing clothes from other people’s cultures. I wanted a line that represented me as a person.”

Having been featured in a slew of magazines and working with numerous celebrities, Lamadora relates her success to her involvement with the Bay’s music industry and artists such as Goapele, who appreciate exclusive, personal designers. She, like Amachree, has decided against mass-producing her line because she believes her pieces would lose their individuality.

Although Lamadora’s line is also upscale, ranging from $150-$750, she believes there will always be a strong market for unique ethnic fashion, especially in the Bay Area.

“I found a niche. There are not so many people focusing on culture and history through clothing. They’re going toward more corporate and mainstream,” says Lamadora. “People are excited and happy that [my line] is out there and there definitely needs to be more.”