Fashion designer in SF gets car, inventory stolen

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- An up and coming Bay Area clothing designer is off the fashion runway after a big setback. Her car was stolen near the corner of Harrison and Hawthorne streets in San Francisco and most of her one-of-a-kind inventory went right along with it.

It's a moment designer Nikki Romero won't forget. She checked the trunk of her stolen Honda after San Francisco police recovered it last week.

"I was praying to every deity possible out there, 'Let my stuff be in the trunk,' and it wasn't," Romero said.

Most of Romero's livelihood was in that trunk. It was her inventory from her start-up clothing line "Stellatrix". A few original samples is all she has left.

"Tank tops, T-shirts, sweatshirts, underwear... gone," Romero said.

Romero's online business was just starting to take off. She had jewelry and accessories for sale, but her clothing line has been removed from the website because the inventory is gone. The only thing thieves didn't get was a princess dress, selling for $2,500.

Now, the self-made designer is back to square one. Romero said, "I poured all my money, all my time and I taught myself how to do all this."

Romero moved to the Bay Area just months ago. Now, friends have started an online fundraising campaign for her. They've raised over $1,000.

Romero is grateful. She's also learned a tough lesson about her valuables.

"It wasn't in plain view. It was in the trunk. I should have known better," Romero said.

Romero vows to be back in fashion soon.