You're Invited to the DesignPhiladelphia PopUp Celebration!

You’re invited to PopUp Place – the 2012 DesignPhiladelphia Festival kick-off party. Join us for an evening of design exhibitions, fashion showcases, and outdoor revelry, set on the fringe of Northern Liberties at Provenance Architecturals, a 10,000 square-foot salvage warehouse.

The free PopUp Place Street Party will ignite the 900 block of cobblestone Canal Street. Explore Provenance Architecturals. Build an interactive architectural structure with Public Workshop. Hangout in the pallet lounge by Bonzai Homes. Catch the So Re Fa fashion show produced by Arcadia Boutique. Experience /adaptations/ – an exhibition on sustainable design. View outdoor projections by Matt Suib and Nadia Hironaka.

We'll see you there!

xoxo Christina

Designer to Watch: Radlands Clothing

Radlands Clothing was founded by Sheldon Abba and Matt Gribben after a vision quest to Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Inspired by skate, music, art, and other creative forces, Radlands Clothing seeks to curate new dialogue and engage a wide variety of personalities and lifestyles. What originally began as a sustainable men's clothing line, Radlands recently teamed up with Linda Smyth of Topstitch Boutique and Fleather Fox to create an exclusive, one-of-a-kind women's tie-dye line. With the new women's line and their upcoming showing in the DesignPhiladelphia fashion show, I decided to interview both Sheldon and Matt to find out more information about their business:

Arcadia Boutique: What got you interested in sustainable fashion?

Radlands Clothing: Necessity and convenience. As a small brand you have to use what resources you have around you. Working with manufactures at the local level helps us keep better control of our production and also allows us to build a personal relationship with the people we work with. How awesome is that?!

Arcadia Boutique: What are some of the perks to being Philadelphia-based designers?

Radlands Clothing: Philadelphia is a great place to build a fan base. People really want to get to know the local brands and their advocacy of our brand to their friends outside the city have helped us to make an impression nationally. We also find a lot of inspiration from the people we work with in the city -  Artist Tiff D'agastino, Topstitch and Fleather Fox's Linda Smyth, Decades' Brooks Bell, Concrete Polishs' Angela Mercato - the list goes on. Having a tight network of creative beasts is what makes Philadelphia unique.

Arcadia Boutique: What can we look forward to seeing in your pieces for the DesignPhiladelphia fashion show?

Radlands Clothing: Our pieces are made for rugged individuals that value the highest levels of 'OK QUALITY'.

You can check out more of Radlands Clothing's products at their website http://www.radlandsclothing.com/, and look forward to seeing them at the DesignPhiladelphia fashion show on October 10th! http://www.facebook.com/events/410760185655756/

xo Alex

Designer to Watch: D'AGOSTINO Fashion Textile Design

D'Agostino Fashion Textile Design was founded by Philadelphia-based designer Melissa D'Agostino. Her mission, to create effortless, sophisticated silhouettes for unique individuals, comes to life through her beautiful, handcrafted designs. Melissa incorporates both traditional Shibori hand-dyeing and locally sourced sustainable materials into her garments to produce one-of-a-kind pieces. Inspired by Philadelphia and the idea of season-less looks, D'Agostino Fashion Textile Designs' latest creations feature a 'black and bone' palette that can all be worn in concert and transition perfectly from career to celebration. As a featured designer in the upcoming DesignPhiladelphia fashion show, I decided to interview Melissa to find out more about her creations and her love of Philadelphia:

Arcadia Boutique: What got you interested in sustainable fashion?

D'Agostino Fashion Textile Design: Learning about alternative architecture and sustainable ways of living over the years has provided a background of experiences that inspired my values. These values have been furthered by contact with the local community here in Philadelphia supportive of related ideals. There is something truly special about the words, "Made in Philadelphia".

Arcadia Boutique: What are some of the perks to being a Philadelphia-based designer?

D'Agostino Fashion Textile Design: Being a Designer In Residence in the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator Program! It is an amazing learning opportunity for local designers to focus on their business. I am so excited it will continue to be an opportunity for so many more designers in the coming years. There are also so many extremely talented people to work with in this city. Having the chance to collaborate with Arcadia and BusStop and work directly with Mechelle LaVelle on different photo and video shoots is always a perk!

Arcadia Boutique: What is 'traditional Shibori dyeing' and why does it make your designs unique?

D'Agostino Fashion Textile Design: The word "shibori" means "thin line" and refers to the "resist dye method" where one can intricately create a pattern by hand. I have been practicing this time-honored technique for over ten years, and love it for it's specificity, wonder, and unlimited potential. Each of the textiles featured in my collection showcase this hand-made technique, with patterns ranging from sophisticated stripes to subtle waves of print that accent and wrap the figure.

You can see more of D'Agostino Fashion Textile Designs' products at their website http://melissadagostino.com/index.shtml, and look out for Melissa and her latest creations at the DesignPhiladelphia fashion show on October 10th! http://www.facebook.com/events/410760185655756/

xo Alex

Designer to Watch: Duke & Winston

'God Save the Duke'.

Duke & Winston was founded by designer Seun Olubodun in 2009. The Philadelphia-based clothing line (and limited dog line) provides casual, sustainable clothing for guys who favor substance, refinement, and practicality above the flashy styles that have flooded the men's market of recent. Inspired by the designer's upbringing in various parts of the world, Duke & Winston strives to create products that meet the expectations for quality and style that their customers have come to expect.

As a featured designer in the upcoming DesignPhiladelphia fashion show, I decided to interview the man behind Duke & Winston to find out more about the brand's unique designs:

Arcadia Boutique: From what part of the world do you draw the most inspiration?

Duke & Winston: I moved here from England when I was much younger and a lot of my graphic and brand inspiration comes from old British themes.

Arcadia Boutique: What got you interested in sustainable fashion?

Duke & Winston: My reasons are purely from a business standpoint - as a small company, I want to be aware of where all of my products are made, so it is better to keep production as close to home as possible. Not only is it easier to manage, but it saves me time to know that my printing is being done down the road and that my shirts come from a few states away.

You can check out more of Duke & Winston's products at their website http://www.duke-winston.com/, and look forward to seeing some of their fall/winter pieces at the DesignPhiladelphia fashion show on October 10th! http://www.facebook.com/events/410760185655756/

xo Alex

Designer to Watch: CherylAna

CherylAna organic atelier was founded by Philadelphia-born designer Cheryl Washington. Inspired by her mothers sewing as well as all things pure and natural, CherylAna designs exude beauty, style, and simplicity while keeping true to her holistic lifestyle. Cheryl's garments feature natural sustainable organic fibers, including silk wool, cotton, and hemp, and are made 100% in the USA. In an effort to find out more about the designer, I asked her a few questions about her current inspirations and about her upcoming debut in the DesignPhiladelphia fashion show:

Arcadia Boutique: What inspired your latest designs?

CherylAna: This collection - uncomplicated, modern, and upbeat - is for women who prefer not to think too hard about getting dressed but still want to look sexy, modern, and chic. CherylAna organic atelier brand designs, for the most part, knitwear and hand-loomed sweaters, because they move and give naturally with your body, and with natural fibers only, because they breathe just as your skin does. We like to refer to our brand as 'Feng Shui for the personal temple'.

Arcadia Boutique: What can we look forward to seeing in your pieces for the DesignPhiladelphia fashion show?

CherylAna: Our fall/winter 2012 collection is day-to-evening sport wear for the mindful, modern woman. Staying true to the holistic design process, the fabrics are a mix of organic wool, peace silk, and a hemp and organic cotton blend.

You can see more of CherylAna's products at her website http://www.cherylana.com/, and look forward to seeing her latest designs at the DesignPhiladelphia fashion show on October 10th! http://www.facebook.com/events/410760185655756/

xo Alex

SoReFa at DesignPhiladelphia!

We'll be curating a fashion show with DesignPhiladelphia for their Opening Celebration! Wednesday, October 10th from 7:30pm-10pm at Provenance Architecturals featuring models from Wilhelmina of Philadelphia and hair and makeup by Moko, Philadelphia's Organic Beauty Salon! Philadelphia Magazine Fashion Editors Emily Goulet and Carrie Denny will be hosting the event with us!

Check out DesignPhiladelphia's Blog for more info on the PopUp Place Event: http://www.designphiladelphia.org/2012/09/popup-place-festival-kickoff/

The DesignPhiladelphia fashion show will feature five of Philadelphia's top designers - Cheryl Washington of CherylAna Organic Atelier, Melissa D'Agostino of D'AGOSTINO Fashion Textile Design, Seun Olubodun of Duke & Winston, Bela Shehu of NINObrand, and Sheldon Abba and Matt Gribben of Radlands Clothing.

RSVP through DesignPhiladelphia's Facebook Event here: http://www.facebook.com/events/410760185655756/