Punk Majesty: SF’s First Punk Art Showroom

Sure, there’s a lot of attention on Downtown First Thursdays, but there’s another, older art-focused crawl that lets you glimpse Rock’n’Roll history.

Punk Majesty: An Eco-Friendly Shopping Experiment

Hanging on the walls of a new Lower Nob Hill brick and mortar are five rare delicately painted leather jackets with phrases like, “Nothing Can Break Me,” and “London Calling.” Welcome to Punk Majesty (1124 Sutter St.) The showroom, available to visit on appointment seven days a week, sits on Sutter across from the Funeral Home Directory, waiting for the right person to step inside and discover its magic. 

Alisha Amnesia, the designer and owner, calls it San Francisco’s “only showroom dedicated to the rebellious energy of music, fashion, and art.” There you can find everything from hand-painted leather jackets to upcycled furniture, all with what the owner labels an eco-conscious twist. 

What’s a Showroom?

“I’m not sure everyone understands the concept of a showroom,” Amnesia admits. “A fashion showroom is typically, ‘Here’s an example of what we have,’ and then you can order it in any size and it’ll ship directly to you.” She describes how this enables her to customize, and it has the added benefit of sustainability. “I don’t have every single size of every single design in the store, because I don’t want to hold inventory. It would take up too much space and whatever didn’t sell would end up in a landfill. And that’s just not my business model.” 

Amnesia found out there was an appetite for her upcycled thrifted jackets around ten years ago. But it became apparent that if she was going to do leather, she’d need to buy new leather jackets. “For my size, I was having trouble finding upcycled ones. I went through a year of ordering leather jackets and sending them back until I found two that were perfect.” Now she uses what she calls the “dream biker jacket” that comes in sizes from XXS to 4XL. 

Art Walk Background

The original First Thursday Art Walk was started by Moth Belly Gallery, who are the stewards of the self-guided even. It spans parts of Lower Nob Hill as well as the Tenderloin. During it, shops, galleries, and unique multipurpose spaces like Punk Majesty are open for revellers to appreciate the authentic art scene SF still has to offer. 

For a lot longer than DFT has been throwing block parties, art galleries and shops in the Tenderloin and Lower Nob Hill have been opening their doors on the first Thursday of the month in an art crawl known as SF First Thursday. “It’s actually not called [Tenderloin First Thursdays],” Amnesia corrects this writer. “Maybe at one point it was called that. It’s called SF First Thursdays Art Walk because it actually expands into Lower Nob Hill.”

Visiting Punk Majesty During SF First Thursday

It’s a chance for art lovers and shoppers to see inside businesses, build community, and support local art. It’s also local, punk, and neighborhood-focused. Whereas DFT is an outside live music party, like going to a popular club, SF First Thursday is a little like visiting your local dive bar. You might run into someone you know either way, but the vibes are bound to be different.

As for Amnesia, she says, “I’ve been going just as a patron for a long time. I really enjoy it. I like being part of the community. I’ve lived in this neighborhood for like, 25 years. It was a conscious decision when I chose [here].”

Amnesia had been looking for commercial property for a long time. “The only part that I don’t like about it is that I get stuck in my own spot and then I can’t go to everyone else’s spot.” Several of the other galleries are open until 10. Amnesia says, “I close at 9 so that I can run down and still be a part of it and go to the other galleries!”  

Amnesia also says, “I’m very grateful to the organizers, Moth Belly Gallery, for their support of artists and local small businesses!” Check out SF First Thursdays, where you can visit Punk Majesty from 5pm to 9pm. And find the full event schedule on the official website at https://www.sffirstthursday.org/.