Philadelphia Designers get Ready for their Close-Up

Philadelphia is earning its place in the spotlight in the media as a creative capital again, especially in music and fashion. The city has produced some of our times best artistic talents like Jill Scott, Kindred- the Family Soul, Miskeen clothing line and others.  This visionary vibe is one of the reason students everywhere flock to Philadelphia to study.

Something is happening here.  On the way from an event in Old City to the subway, I notice a store full of really edgy but sweet dresses.  Their business card reads Carmelita Couture- Philadelphia gets Runway Ready.  In the last four years, the city has been embracing its own fashion. At one time Philadelphia was considered a fashion capital.

This fall, the city held an event called the Philadelphia Collection, which hosted Philly Fashion Week and other fashion shows, business panels, exhibits, awards ceremonies, beauty consultations and a host of other activities.  Philadelphia’s designers got the opportunity to shine. The city has claimed the Collection a success.

Cheryl Washington has been a professor of Fashion Design at Philadelphia University for almost a decade.  Ms. Washington is also the owner of Cheryl Anna Organic Atelier a sustainable line.  She describes designers from Philadelphia as, “Very diverse like in most major cities. “ She showed her work in the Philadelphia Collection at the Four Seasons.

When asked about her hopes for the Philadelphia design community Washington says,

“I would like if we could manufacture more professional lines. We have manufacturing facilities in Chinatown and thru-out the area,” Washington says, “New ventures are happening in the city that hope to support professional designers. These opportunities will be presenting themselves in the next couple of years.”

 Kristen Haskin-Simms, a native of Philadelphia, received worldwide recognition as designer when she was selected as a contestant on the television show Project Runway. Like Washington, Mrs. Haskin-Simms talks about how she desires to see manufacturing and more resources for designers.

“If I have a small run I go to New York. I don’t know of any manufacturer that can do what I need them to do and that’s unfortunate.” 

The city is trying to remedy that problem. They recently held a forum where it’s manufactures got to meet local designers.

Local networking whether through events or through social media seems key. For example while looking on Facebook, I saw a friend of a friend wearing the most absolutely fabulous pair of turquoise pants covered with ruffles. I wanted to know who designed these pants.

“Well, I will just ask. One email and I know. “Oh that’s Carmelita Couture,” my Facebook friend says.  It’s Carmelita Couture again. Carmelita Martell the owner of the line moved here from Miami about four years ago to Society Hill.

Ms. Martell’s clothes are sold in New York and L.A..  Paula Abdul bought a dress that she wore in her farewell parade to American Idol.  Kourtney Kardashian was on the cover of Us Weekly sporting an off the shoulder, balloon Carmelita design.

“Since I’ve been here I’ve seen the evolution of people being more into fashion and the city.”

Haskin-Simms got publicity for her line during the Philadelphia Collection. She says it all started with her grandmother who was a seamstress, Fairmont Park and her love of nature. Her designs have been called organic with many different textures in one design.

“The park is the biggest urban landscape in the country. Even if I’m in the city area or downtown you can always ride your bike and you are in the park.”

Haskin-Simms grandmother was from Georgia and migrated to Philly in the 50’s.  Fashion history is here “Whatever she sewed it was immaculate, it was perfect.” She talks about how although her grandmother wasn’t a designer it was a skill in itself. "My grandmother used to get all her fabrics in Jomar's. " The young designer describes this as a place in Philadelphia for low-income people to shop-off the truck stuff.

Martell’s influence from the city is the lack of. She describes one of the attractions of the Philadelphia as the chance to maintain such an original quality to her line is because she is not surrounded by pressure. 

It is fitting that on my ride to Philadelphia University the silence was soothing. The university is holding an exhibit that is part of the Philadelphia Collection. Haskin-Simms gives a tour. Here the design department is bustling with creativity but the noise is contained.

The students are carefully focused on their work. The talent is obvious from the student displays. When asked Ms. Washington agrees with many others that for her students to become fashion designers they have to be really, really passionate about it.

Local designers can speak to that. Martell’s journey has not been without setbacks. Her store in Old City has closed since I was there. Despite this, she still feels that it is a really exciting time to be in the city. Martell will open more of a combined space with other designers. The overhead will be lower and there will be more time to design and do other things like raising her three year old daughter.

Haskin-Simms plans to have her business based in Philly. That doesn’t mean that she is limiting herself to just the Philadelphia marketplace. She wants here to be a jumping point to sell her fashions around the globe.  Who knows what can happen when media and technology meets talent?

Philadelphia is decisively on a path to work it. We just might really find out that the world is not flat as fashion continues to go local and global at the same time.