Fashionistas and wannabe fashion bugs, welcome to the Philly 360 fashion video series!
In part one, host Rakia Reynolds – stylist extraordinaire, marketing maven and all around It Girl – brings you a taste of the hottest accessories from some of Philly’s most amazing indie boutiques.
You’ll get the scoop on what to wear and how at places like Topstitch, Bus Stop and Letau Designs. Come back soon for part two of the series when we explore more gems on the Philly fashion scene.
Old City
Top Stitch
54 North 3rd Street
Opened in 2006 by artists/designers Linda Smyth, Julie Waring and Francesca Sloan, Top Stitch features a cool, downtown mix of clothing, jewelry and accessories created by local designers. One of the shop’s hottest items these days: Smyth’s Fleather jewelry — a wildly unique collection of hand-dyed, customized leather earrings and necklaces inspired by nature.
Duke + Winston - available at Matthew Izzo
151 North 3rd Street (Matthew Izzo)
With roots in Nigeria and Wales, the London-born Seun Olubodun is the founder of Duke + Winston, an artsty (yet affordable) line of screen-printed T-shirts that’s quickly garnering a hipster following. Each shirt is emblazoned with Old English imagery, such as flags, royalty or wartime sayings and then deconstructed and rouged up with Olubodun’s own logos and hand writing. T-shirts go for about $32. Olubodun also makes sweats and dog scarves, and a line of canine accessories is in the works (after all, his label is named in part after his English Bulldog, Duke).
Vagabond
37 North 3rd Street
Part yarn shop, part clothing store, Vagabond sells local and contemporary designers such as Scout, Ashley Watson and Motion Clothing. They also carry the hand-knit sweater line Stellapop and City of Brotherly Love fashion collection created by co-owners Mary Clark and Megan Murphy. In the back, don’t miss the cabinet of curiosities, displaying funky accessories and house wares, as well as monthly art exhibitions.
Lost + Found
133 North 3rd Street
Well-priced items for every type of shopper make this friendly, laidback boutique a hit. Housed in a former Old City art gallery, Lost + Found is owned by two top vintage-clothing dealers—the mother and daughter duo Sandy and Jenny Martin. The pair have an eye for mixing old-school ringer T-shirts with new reversible wrap skirts. The airy space also features fair-trade goods among the rainbow-like rack of lightweight T-shirts, men’s cowboy shirts, 1980s minis, neon plastic rings and printed canvas totes.
Sevilla Smith
128 North 3rd Street
The year-old Sevilla Smith, named Best New Boutique by Philadelphia Magazine in 2009, carries all types of eco-chic clothing, including bamboo tank dresses from Covet, bamboo legging pants by Battalion and stylish pleated shorts from Larsen Gray. Owner Saye Smith will soon import an eco-conscious accessory line from her father Frederico “Boy” Sevilla Jr., who lives in the Philippines. His Leather Collection features purses, wallets and bags crafted in ways that help reduce waste, support the indigenous community and utilize fair trade labor practices.
South Street
Nikki London
520 South 4th Street
Proudly catering to curvy girls, Nikki London carries fashion-forward styles in sizes 12-24. Of Nigerian and Liberian descent, London-born owner Nikki Watts keeps clients measurements on file, hosts regular trunk shows and offers a personalized “style me” service: Simply call ahead and the shop’s stylists will pull together an edited mix of clothing based on the occasion. Expect to find glamorous dresses, skirts and tops from the likes of Kiyonna, Donna Ricco, Trentacosta, Svoboda, Eliza J and Igigi.
Bus Stop Boutique
750 S. 4th Street
Opened in 2007 by London-born Elena Brennan, Bus Stop Boutique stocks hard-to-find designer labels and styles, which were previously only available via a trip to New York, Lima, London, Paris, Milan or Rio. The New York Times-touted shop also hosts monthly events showcasing the work of local emerging artists (including Drexel University College of Design students) or spotlighting Philly fashion and accessories designers.
Center City
SA VA
1700 Sansom Street
At SA VA, fashionistas find glam clothing and accessories that do good for their wallets and for the community. Owner Sarah Van Aken’s offerings include reasonably priced fashions (a shirt goes for $40, while a hand-printed, hand-sewn coat or dress goes for $350) and custom-designed jewelry by Philadelphia artist Bela Shehu. Van Aken is deeply committed to the social sustainability of her items—at least 75% are created at SA VA’s on-site garment center, while the rest are fair-trade, organic, recycled, salvaged or natural. Another truly unique feature? An interactive Web site that allows visitors to not only shop, but find volunteer opportunities to help local women and children.
Zahra Saeed
1901 Walnut Street
Zahra Saeed, a budding new fashion designer born in Pakistan, makes sure that her clothes channel a jet-set lifestyle: sexy and bold; dramatic and feminine. All are made with high-quality fabrics from Italy, Austria and France and saturated in exquisite colors. Her fall 2009 line focuses on carefully tailored tops, jackets, dresses and skirts, accentuated with custom-woven fabrics, delicate beading and eye-catching embroidered hems.
Ubiq
1509 Walnut Street
Ubiq is the city’s leading purveyor for sneakers and street wear, often securing first-run and special-edition kicks that cannot be found anywhere else in town—or on the East Coast, for that matter. The proprietors support a mix of progressive mainstream and niche designers (Stussy, Obey, Original Fake) and produce a line of eponymous goods. They also frequently host live artist events, drawing hip-hop icons and sneaker aficionados.
Around Town
Made to Order
817A N. 2nd Street
Owned by African-American entrepreneurs Philip Dupree and Justin Waller, Made to Order carries high-end street wear and accessories. The duo stocks wares inspired by Philadelphia’s famous Love Statue, a collection of G-Shock watches, hoodies from 10.Deep and vintage-looking flat-top eyeglasses by RetroSuperFuture (Kayne’s a fan). They also host exclusive events, including artist shows and sneaker auctions sponsored by hip-hop DJ/producers such as Prince Paul, Bobbito Garcia and Rich Medina.
Letau Designs
2120 E. Westmoreland Street
Limited-edition scarves and accessories made from buttery cashmeres, lush silks, shapely cottons and delicate linens are the order of the day at Letau Designs. Owner Maren Reese, who is also a costumer and wardrobe stylist for television and films, launched the line with her late partner, Robert Matunda, a prominent African-American designer, in 2005. Their unique drawstring scarves can be worn traditionally, or with the internal drawstrings pulled to gather the fabric, morphing it into an organically shaped Elizabethan ruff. Handbags combine natural elements with vintage upholstery fabrics, giving each piece a custom feel, and everything for sale is produced by local manufacturers.
Showroom 77
1520 Kater Street
Showroom 77 give shoppers access to a fresh mix of up-and-coming designers—at hard-to-score wholesale prices. Founded by Angela Edmund, the force behind the ready-to-wear and couture line Sarai Style, the showroom carries red-carpet gowns, custom jewelry and pop-culture fashions. It’s underground success is based on Edmund’s eye for spotting talent in the city (like Elizabeth Bayu, an Ethopian-born, Philadelphia-raised designer of gorgeous bags) and giving them a space to show and sell their wares.
-- Published September 23, 2009
For years now, I’ve associated the word boutique with high-priced, unattainable clothing and accessories. I stayed away from small, locally run stores, for fear that my measly wardrobe budget and I would be laughed straight back out onto the sidewalk. However, a couple of weeks ago, a handful of us from uwishunu HQ had the opportunity to tour some of the local shops around town and that afternoon has totally changed my perspective on all these shops around town.
Signs from 3rd Street shops (photos by M. McClellan)
That afternoon, we stopped by Vagabond, Sevilla Smith, Top Stitch, Lost + Found, Matthew Izzo, Forbidden Planet, LeTau Designs (showroom in Fishtown) and Made to Order (in Northern Liberties). I was particularly impressed by the deals at Lost + Found (clearance priced Orla Kiely bags!) and by the second floor furniture sale at Matthew Izzo (he stashes the returned pieces up there and sells them for cheap).
For those of you who have always considered the many indie shops around town to be beyond your ken, consider giving them a second chance. They might just surprise you. More photos from our fashion tour are after the jump.
