FALL GUIDE 2007

A Stitch in Time

Piecing together a homegrown look this Fall.

by Philadelphia Weekly Editorial Staff

We look good.

Not “we” as in PW—though alt-weekly types are known to be a fashionable bunch—but “we” as in Philly.

Our look as a city is singular, and says a lot about who we are: We take the lowest forms and elevate them to high art, and not just by pasting random shreds together with Elmer’s. It’s a fashion informed by hand-picked care and love, and fused into something uniquely Philadelphian.

Take the folks at Tymbal, who screenprint artsy photos and drawings onto vintage “boring” tie designs to create a handmade, one-of-a-kind hybrid.

Or the Godda Godda girls, who sequin, splatter and lamé their glam hoodies until they’re rockstar-ready.

And the endearingly oddball Suzie Morris, who chops and sews a David Lynchian stitch into everything she creates—from wool suits to one-legged stuffed animals.

We’re a DIY town. And proud of it.

And our indie-spirited fashionistas don’t stop at clothing and accessories. Philly is also home to ultra-hot trendsetters like Croatian-born makeup artist Nives Riddles, rising fashion photographer Kelly Turso and hair-styling phenom JoJo Clapson.

Our style wouldn’t fly just anywhere. But here it flies high. (Jeffrey Barg and Kate Kilpatrick)

K. Louise Designs

Candace Karch offers me a glass of wine. She’s run out of the leftover $4-a-bottle champagne she got doused with, and now has to tap into her personal stash at her gallery on Frankford Avenue, a few blocks south of York. “I picked this location because there were a lot of artists here, but not a lot of art,” she says. “The place is pretty, and the Fishtown locals like it. I’m community-minded and I wanted to bring a gallery into the neighborhood.” The 2-year-old Bambi Gallery has held such varied shows as Ron Ribant and Veleta Vancza’s “Rocks and Glocks,” Mark Mothersbaugh’s postcard illustrations, and currently a juxtaposition of porn-lite by Derek Myers and innocent yet slightly jarring depictions of toys by Terrence Laragione. But the gallery doubles as an artists’ consignment shop that sells the jewelry and clothing of 15 designers whose items Karch rotates frequently. Look out for upcoming jewelry designs by Linda Smyth and Aileen Abercrombie, and clothing and objects by Jen Roder, Nicole Ray Styer and Kelly Miller. (Meredith Lindemon) >> Bambi Gallery, 1817 Frankford Ave. 215.423.2668. www.bambiproject.com

Sailor Jerry’s long been the go-to brand for tattoo-inspired Ts and spiced rum that’ll put your choicest whiskeys to shame. Now the badass label also offers a grownup line for the pinup girl who’s not yet a woman, but wants to dress like one. The quietly rebellious new collection includes tasteful dresses, jackets and tops, all with that signature rockabilly edge. A sweet tank dress in pristine white is tarted up with a bold black rose cutting across the skirt; everyday black pants get the high-waisted, wide-legged treatment; and white swallows swoop across a solid black tunic with a deep V-neck—perfect for showing off a lace cami or a little flesh. “Fashion becomes a farce unless it’s appropriate to the lifestyle and occasion,” says the line’s designer Chi Kim. “We grow up and need the right clothes to live our lives, but we don’t have to dress boring and lose ourselves.” (Caralyn Green) >> Sailor Jerry, 116-118 S. 13th St. 215.531.6380. www.sailorjerry.com

“‘Bring me a one-legged woman, a monkey and a lumberjack,’” says Suzie Morris. “That’s my inspiration.” When not quoting David Lynch, Morris is busy working on a line of woolen dresses, jackets and skirts that would suit Audrey in Twin Peaks. Morris is a strange bird, but affably so. None of it is tiresome pretense. Instead it’s a genuine love for what she creates. “I make whatever needs making,” she says. “It could be a chair, a dress, a lamp or stuffed animals.” And those stuffed animals are pretty creepy. “I get a bunch of stuffed animals, put them on a table and whack them apart. Sometimes a horn becomes a tooth, a face an ass … ” What we’re left with is an impressively Lynchian toothless teddy bear with one porcelain doll leg that might talk in reverse in your dreams. “I don’t make stuff because I want to be cooler than other people. I actually love making things,” says Morris. “I get excited about it, and I want other people to get excited about it. Because I’m not a dick.” (M.L.) >> Conspiracy Showroom, 910 N. Second St. 215.925.2153; www.suziemorris.com

Suzie Morris

The stylist’s mohawk and many piercings are the first signs that it’s not going to be a standard clipper cut. The horror punk, goth industrial and psychobilly soundtrack blaring out the speakers is the second. “A lot of haircuts lack definition and texture,” says Jeremiah Sisco, whose 7-month-old Alley Hair Salon, though catering to all styles, specializes in more progressive, aggressive-looking cuts. “I give really cool haircuts with a lot of texture to them, a lot of movement to them, without being over the top.” Sisco, who moved here from Ohio, always asks for his clients’ boundaries—like restrictive office jobs—but offers special prices for things like mohawk maintenance, leopard spots and zebra stripes. “People here are actually kind of nice in an honest, harsh kind of way,” he says of Philly. “There are a lot of young people trying to figure things out.” (J.B.) >> The Alley Hair Salon, 1223 Mifflin St. 267.825.8573

Two years ago Amy Voloshin (then Amy Eldon) didn’t really know what a blog was. Her boyfriend (now her husband) introduced her to a bunch of emerging fashion blogs, and she decided to start her own. “My friends and I thought Stylediary.net was hilarious, so we’d read that in the mornings at work,” she says. (Stylediary is where some random chick takes a picture of her outfit, posts it, then writes about how she loves it/hates it/whatever.) On Seamsters.net, Voloshin offers her opinion on anything she deems aesthetically pleasing—a cute pair of shoes, a picture from a cooking magazine, an awesome outfit. The 26-year-old—who also designs the gorgeous Moonblood T-shirt line with her husband, and is the art director for a textile design studio in North Philly—updates her blog every other day. She thinks the Philly fashion scene is unique compared to those of other cities where she’s lived. “It’s really centered around vintage, craft elements and deconstruction,” she says. “It’s a bit sleepy, but it’s refreshing that Philly residents aren’t so impressionable. Philly fashionistas tend to stick to what they like, rather than being fashion chameleons.” (M.L.) >> www.seamsters.net

For embroidered mohair cardigans, belted floral shirtdresses and wicker handbags, it’s gotta be vintage. But the quest for throwback fashion can be terribly expensive, time consuming and stressful. So retro-loving wimps on a budget turn to Plaid Pony Vintage, a killer online boutique run by Fishtown resident and former Urban Outfitters merchandiser Lara Long. “I like stuff that has a sense of humor, and I believe good design is timeless. I don’t pay too much attention to what’s trendy because trends come and go so quickly,” says Long. Plaid Pony is well stocked with affordable men’s and women’s fashions, accessories, housewares and even old-school board games and needlepoint sets. Long takes the guesswork out of online shopping with elaborate descriptions of all merchandise, including precise measurements, close-up photos and honest disclosure about aging fabrics’ inevitable wear and tear. (C.G.) >> www.plaidponyvintage.com

“Making history fashionable is what it’s all about,” says graphic designer Kristin Haskins of her progressive clothing enterprise Strangefruit, which started with a card the artist designed for her father. The MLK-themed card, she says, inspired a T-shirt and, ultimately, a whole line of “deconstructed T-shirts” bearing retro images from the civil rights and black power eras. Her own heritage makes the theme particularly relevant, she says, harkening back to the adversity her ancestors faced making their own clothing from rags. Though Haskins has yet to unveil her fall line, her current creations can be seen by appointment or online. A series of women’s tank tops features text from MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Another highlights the huge-afroed head of Angela Davis. Men’s shirts riff on reggae and roots. A preview of the fall collection promises rough-hewn layered jackets with vivid graphics such as images of Malcolm X. Haskins, who grew up in Philly and attended Germantown Friends School, completed an M.F.A. at Rhode Island School of Design before returning home. She now lives in Germantown, not far from Philadelphia University, where she teaches graphic design. She also has her own design firm. And then of course there’s Strangefruit. She’s still able to make all the customized clothing herself, but that should change once this issue hits the streets. Better place your order now, before the hardworking Haskins contracts carpal tunnel. (Sara Kelly) >> www.bestrangefruit.com

[2 One 5]

“I felt, as a graphic designer, maybe I can get my message across through T-shirts,” says Nik Greenblatt, 32, of the advertising agency and clothing outfitter [2 One 5]. In this case his message is about violence—both in Iraq and Philly neighborhoods. The company recently collaborated with the nonprofit group Peace and Love to create the Peace Collection, a line of antiviolence Ts that hits streets this month. The alliance resulted in a shirt that asks “What Happened to Peace?” in ’80s old-school graffiti on the front, and repeats “Peace Peace Peace” on the back—borrowing lyrics from a song by ’80s rappers Eric B & Rakim. But if you want a part of it, act fast—[2 One 5] produces just 100 shirts of each style. Next up for September: a soft brown shirt featuring a tree and the words “Demand Peace.” “Right now we’re doing what we love and what we believe in,” says Greenblatt. “If you get up on it, you get it, and if you don’t, maybe we’ll release it again at another time.” (Cassidy Hartmann) >> Agent Aloha, 506 South St. 215.238.5880; Cue Records, 617 S. Fourth St. 215.413.3525; Omoi, 1608 Pine St. 215.545.0963; Out of Time, 1410 Chestnut St. 215.569.3669; www.2one5.com

It’s been a year since Ivory Coast native Dramain Moussa opened his boutique/fashion house/tailor shop on Baltimore Avenue. Though his work obviously appeals to the neighborhood’s African immigrants, who sometimes prefer the conventional dress of their home countries, Moussa does more than just replicate tradition. “I’m trying to take African dress to a higher level,” he says above the steady clacking of a sewing machine. Sometimes people bring him their own sketches or fabrics, but Moussa seems most interested in the way his two stylistic influences—African and Western—can be interwoven to create something new. “I’m trying to do haute couture design but with African fabrics.” He points to a mannequin in his shop window. Its skirt is narrow at the waist, then flares toward the floor like an elegant wedding dress. The top is a formal halter, but in bright colors—miles away in spirit, though not in form, from Vera Wang or Christian Dior. (Liz Spikol) >> D. Moussa Fashion, 4618 Baltimore Ave. 267.266.7633

For now most Organic Culture customers are in carbon footprint-concerned Cali, but 27-year-old Ulysses Mcghee hopes to increase green consciousness on the East Coast one style maven at a time. “There’s enormous growth potential regarding organic and sustainable products, especially in Philadelphia,” says Mcghee, who studied fashion marketing at the University of the Arts. Organic Culture, which she founded last year, unites fashion-forward with eco-friendly by sourcing and supplying sustainable textiles—both wholesale and to smaller-scale clients. Among her customers are design students, DIY stitchers and Courteney Cox, whose “people” contacted Mcghee last fall. The toxin- and sweatshop-free fabrics include bamboo, soy, hemp, and eco-spun and organic cotton—and they’re way softer and more luxurious than the scratchy burlap most folks envision when they think about organics. (C.G.) >> 267.639.3516. organicculture.tripod.com

Store-bought patterns and grandma’s hand-me-down Singer does not a master DIY-er make. It takes practice, practice, more practice, and at least a little guidance from someone who knows what the hell they’re doing. With both amateur and veteran crafters in mind, Philadelphia Sewing Collective offers classes in sewing basics, embroidery and alterations. “You’re not going to make a gown in the beginning; you’re going to make drawstring pants. But if you work up to it, you can,” says Megan Haupt, a former costume designer who founded the Collective in 2005. Advanced stitchers can get in on the Collective’s drop-in Monday Night Sewing Café, fabric swaps and invitation-only classes, like this month’s session on hand-stitching couture. “There’s nothing like having something designed for you, by you,” says Haupt. “A well-fitted handmade garment can make you look like you’ve had an instant 10-pound weight loss.” (C.G.) >> Philadephia Sewing Collective, Old Pine Community Center, 401 Lombard St. www.phillysewing.org

Bryan Poerner talks a mile a minute and does 30 things at once. Besides fronting Philly’s screechy hip-hop duo the Yah Mos Def, he launched a line of sporty handbags in April under the name Track+Field. The concept began in 2005 when he saw a bag in Hong Kong made from Sunbrella awning fabric. At the time Poerner was marketing performance sneakers. “I put a lot of energy into working for a huge company, and I’d rather invest that energy into creating my own product,” he says. While Poerner was launching Track+Field, his longtime friend Philip Leone opened the Old City streetwear boutique Deep Sleep, and Poerner began operating his business out of the second floor. “Running my own business is awesome,” he says. “I’m in charge of everything, and I had to figure a lot of stuff out, but it’s exciting selling. I’m not gonna lie. I’m in business to make money. At least I’m not making it for someone else.” (M.L.) >> Deep Sleep, 54 N. Third St. 215.351.9124; PR, 1601 Sansom St. 215.972.8333; Ubiq, 1509 Walnut St. 215.988.0194; www.trkfld.com

Fashion-y females have been frequenting Topstitch since the designers behind HoneyMilk and Babooshka joined forces and opened their store/design studio in February. But beginning in a few months their male companions will be able to do more than just hold purses and pet the resident husky. “In a couple months we’re bringing in men’s clothing. We’ve had a lot of requests for it,” says co-owner Francesca Sloan. The eclectic, reasonably priced boutique also just started monthly trunk shows to highlight the work of local artists in addition to fashion. “If you don’t like art, you can shop—you get the best of both worlds,” says Sloan. And what will the Topstitch faithful be wearing this fall? “Blacks, grays, beige and jewel tones—that’s our thing,” Sloan says. Very pregnant co-owner Julie Stone Waring adds, “I’m working on some clutches that are all animal-inspired, because you can never go wrong with animals.” Oh, baby! (C.H.) >> Topstich, 311 Market St. 267.322.4057

“Either you’re slinging crack rock or you got a wicked jump shot.” Biggie’s nihilistic take on the narrow options of ’hood youth is emblazoned on one of UndrCrwn’s hilarious shirts that imagines what would’ve happened had Biggie balled for the Knicks instead of Bad Boy. On it, a caricature of Biggie reminiscent of the classic Magic, Bird and Jordan painted “sportraits” that graced T-shirts in the early ’90s sees the tubby, thick-tongued heavy breather waiting, arms flailing, for an inbounds pass. Another shirt touches on the NBA All-Star game (the “black Super Bowl”) logo and says “East vs. West” with caricatures of Biggie and a shirtless Tupac representing their respective coasts. It’s fun and clever, and sums up what UndrCrwn does best—mixing hip-hop and basketball culture better than anyone since Iverson. (Brian McManus) >> Arsenal, 623 N. Second St.; www.undrcrwn.com

“People always come to me for my color,” says 26-year-old photographer Kelly Turso, a UArts grad whose recent work on the set of Plastic Little’s “Dopeness” video ventures into surrealist territory and looks like early David LaChapelle. Turso has already made a name for herself doing product shots for magazines, and for her coffee table book Antiques of the Future, but is garnering serious attention for her work as a glossy photog for the streetwear scene. Clients range from clothing company UndrCrwn to PR lady Rachel Inc. to Fluid nightclub. She launched her own business, Kelly Turso Photography, at the beginning of this year, and now photographs nearly seven days a week. “I just hired four apprentices for the fall,” says Turso. “It’s going really well.” (Alli Katz) >> www.kellyturso.com

Prep & Pauper

Nicolas Newbold, 26, started his indie-prepster tie company after jumping ship from the PR firm he worked for in New York. “I remember sitting at my desk and thinking, ‘I’m not good at this job,’” he recalls. “I felt bad cold-calling journalists. I had more of an interest in starting something organic.” So he moved back into his parents’ home in East Falls and started Prep & Pauper. “They’re like country club meets punk rock with pastels. Basically, I dream about ties.” Newbold sketches his designs, then sends them to a tie contractor in New York who cuts and sews them. They return resembling the silk ties you might find at Vineyard Vines, except forgoing the pussy angelfish for skulls and crossbones. “The Corporate Takedown tie was my fuck you to the corporate world,” he says. (M.L.) >> www.prepandpauper.com

“Being fashionable is not a burden,” says Grasshopper boutique’s Regina Mandell. “It’s effortless,” co-owner Tracy Lutz adds. But then they disagree. Mandell says being fashionable is a never-ending job. “No,” counters Lutz. “It’s not really a job. It’s a blessing.” Mandell agrees. Mandell and Lutz opened Grasshopper last September, carrying Grey Ant, Manoush, Touch Luxe and Candela for women, and Brown Sound, Gsus and Outlaw Print Co. for men. They say these are also their favorite labels for the moment. What happens when they see less fashionable people? “I can’t even look at them,” says Mandell. “I look at them with only one eye,” says Lutz. And their fashion peeves? “I hate clown dresses! They’re all over the place for fall,” says Lutz. Mandell dislikes when people have a defeatist attitude about clothes, “when they automatically assume something won’t fit, or they don’t know how to handle an outfit.” (M.L.) >> Grasshopper Boutique, 727 Walnut St. 215.925.3959. www.myspace.com/grasshopperproject

Amy McConnell had a decade’s worth of cinching experience when she finally made the full-time move from Kinko’s to kink by opening Delicious Boutique and Corseterie with partner Psydde Delicious a year and a half ago. Area coquettes have been pouring in and lacing up in silk, brocade, dupioni and toile ever since. But the possibilities don’t end there. “A customer can say, ‘Can you make me a corset with the biohazard symbol on it?’ Yes, we can,” says McConnell. She’s also up to her decolletage in orders for wedding attire, and while a few alterna-brides have walked the aisle in red and black creations, Delicious also does them in the traditional white lie. The rest of the carnival-themed boutique can keep both guys and girls properly gartered, holstered and studded with leather goods from Skin Graft and T-shirts from local designers like Sub-Missionaries. (Jessica Lussenhop) >> Delicious Boutique and Corseterie, 1040 N. American St. 215.413.0375. www.deliciousboutique.com

Come the chill, you can look Philly by sporting a “Not NY” hoodie or a Jeremiah Trotter (sniff) Eagles jersey. It’ll get you by. But to achieve serious Illtown cred you need to slip into something that underscores your native status—like a West Philadelphia High Speedboys hoodie, or a Simon Gratz Bulldogs crewneck. It gets no more real than public school apparel. You can also strut the city’s Catholic school legacy with a Resurrection or Neumann-Goretti jersey, or go way back to grade-school days with a Gesu Elementary sweatshirt. Prep Sportswear offers attire with dead-on logos and mascots from more than 300 Philly schools (as well as thousands of schools across the country). And you can pick your sport. Quality is high, colors true and prices fair. (Tim Whitaker) >> www.prepsportswear.com

Gotta tie a noose around your neck to go to work each morning? Tymbal found a way to let you sit at your desk job while maintaining your indie cred. Husband-and-wife team Ryan Kozar and Melissa Colosi run Tymbal out of South Philly, where they hand-screenprint original photos and drawings onto vintage ties for a stylish city look. “It has an urban twist to it, but we like to mix in organic elements as well. It’s kind of a city vs. country combination,” says Colosi. “One tie is a photo of a building on 49th Street in West Philadelphia overlapped with some bonsai photos we took at the flower show. We really like the contrasting elements.” Colosi and Kozar, both University of the Arts grads, do the printing themselves, so all the ties are one-of-a-kind. (J.B.) Art Star, 1030 N. Second St., Unit 301. 215.238.1557; Mew Gallery, 906 Christian St. 215.625.2424; www.tymbalart.com

Nives Riddles

“I work the best when I don’t have anything planned, because [it makes me] open-minded and creative. I can look through magazines, but I’ll subconsciously guide myself through what I saw, and that’s not the way to be creative and succeed,” says Nives Riddles, who first learned how to apply makeup in her native country of Croatia. After studying movie makeup application and how to apply prosthetics, she started working with fashion photographers. Now 26, Riddles lives in New Jersey, teaches makeup application, freelances for fashion shoots and has a cult following for brow shaping. Despite once questioning the validity of her work, she’s happy to be doing what she loves. “When I go to shoots, I don’t feel like I’m going to work,” she explains. “I used to think, ‘Do I make a difference with what I do?’ But I stopped thinking that way. You do what you love, and that’s what matters.” (M.L.) >> Rescue Rittenhouse Spa, 255 S. 17th St. 215.772.2766; www.nivesriddles.com

Philadelphia’s campaigners against foie gras should pay attention to the persistent rumor that the Port Richmond-based Outlaw Print Co. keeps angels

chained up and perma-stoned on acid, using the resulting psychedelic angel puke to paint their mind-bending T-shirt designs. These shirts are things of deranged beauty—a jarring mashup of the mundane and the insane once described as “Greek mythology car-crashed into Grimm’s Fairy Tales and reassembled by surgeons from a mad alien planet.” Philadelphians wearing them on the street stand out like peacocks among pigeons. Pete Whitney and Joel Peterson—two friends with three and a half years of college between them—founded Outlaw in 2003 in search of “independent ownership, total creative freedom and a true explorer’s zest for boundless limitations.” Why bother with anything else when you can wear something that both screams your city’s cultural superiority and looks like God has used your torso to mop up his holy spunk? (Steven Wells) >> Grasshopper Boutique, 727 Walnut St. 215.925.3959; www.outlawprintco.com

Bike Wear

Philly has remarkable pull for people who run in every direction simultaneously, and thrive on the chaos that results. Carrie Collins is one of them. She started her company Fabric Horse in 2003 as her senior thesis, and continues to create bike gear like utility belts and spats to protect pants from bike chains. “I’m still in the process of creating a business plan, and hope to team up with some strong-minded people to grow Fabric Horse into something much more than just what I want to make,” says Collins, who takes the occasional commission (she costumed the latest Plastic Little video) and also stitches for R.E.Load Baggage (using their extra fabric to make her own products). As one of the founding members of Black Floor Gallery, she keeps a studio in the same building (reopened as Copy Gallery), where she runs her business. Aside from all this, she also creates elaborate headdresses, costumes and one pair of “Rediculously Tall Boots”—an art installation commenting on the absurdity of women’s boots. (M.L.) >> Fabric Horse, 319A N. 11th St. 215.694.9034. www.fabrichorse.com

The Roots’ ?uestlove is a tight dude. But, yeah, you’re pretty cool too. And even if traveling the world and being universally respected isn’t within your grasp just yet, at least you can walk around with the same kind of bag from R.E.Load the ’froed one totes. R.E.Load bags are sturdy, well crafted, stylish and—best of all—built right here in Philly. At www.reloadbags.com you can choose from several different designs. If none of them stokes your fire, you can build your own by picking from an assortment of materials and colors. If it’s personal contact you crave, get off the Web and hop on down to R.E.Load’s flagship East Coast store on North Second Street, and pick the right bag for you. Be sure to bring money. Quality like this is going to cost you. Hey, no one said swinging like ?uest would be easy. (B.Mc.) >> R.E.Load Baggage, 608 N. Second St. 215.922.2018. www.reloadbags.com

If you’re a serious shoe whore, you know your brands. And you know Philly is lacking in places to get them. Elena Brennen thought the same thing when she opened Bus Stop, a 6-month-old shoe boutique on Fabric Row catering to fashion designers and more daring solesters. “I love to travel and always bring home great finds. I wondered why we couldn’t have that here,” she says. Brennen carries a great selection for the collector. She has hard-to-find labels like Shoes for Lovely People, Terra Plano and Twenty Two, ranging in price from $200 to $500. As far as her higher price goes, she says, “I’m definitely taking a chance with high-end, but my clients trust me, and they’re getting a great item. You can go to Steve Madden and get two pairs of boots for $500. You come here and get one, but you know they’re not mass-produced.” (M.L.) >> Bus Stop Boutique, 750 S. Fourth St. 215.627.2357. www.busstopboutique.com

Whether you’re a Nike guy, an Adidas girl or a hermaphroditic Puma person, there’s one place in town you know will have you fiending for a new pair. The newly redesigned Ubiq flagship store—that welcomed bit of light on that oh-so-dark stretch of chain hell on Walnut Street—is like the Baskin Robbins of shoes. But it doesn’t stop at Jordans and Air Force 1s. Ubiq’s got you covered on the apparel front too, stocking boutique streetwear labels like Answer, Twelve Bar and Royal Fam; local fave Track+Field; and industry giants like Levis. If sneakers and T-shirts don’t get your blood flowing, just gape at the kickass designer toys, with samplings from Toy Tokyo, Strange Co. and Dape. (B.Mc.) >> Ubiq, 1509 Walnut St. 215.988.0194. www.ubiqlife.com

Brookadelphia

Sisters Heather and Amber Zezeck were in West Virginia visiting their mother for Christmas when they hatched a business plan. While scavenging through a table of discarded pieces of jewelry, they decided to start their own line: Brookadelphia. “We’ve always come up with different ideas together,” Heather says. “We definitely have this synergy thing.” Heather, 28, lives in West Philadelphia, while Amber, 24, lives in Brooklyn. The two are opposites—like most sisters—but unlike most, they actually get along. It helps they have the same design taste, but are different enough to know how to implement each other’s ideas. According to Amber, Heather is the idea person, while she’s good at executing the designs. Their jewelry is laser-cut from solid or mirrored acrylic, and spells out ideas they take from everyday life. “A lot of it’s personal,” says Amber. “We have a ‘No Bombs’ necklace and a ‘Read’ necklace—we think people should read more.” (M.L.) >> Conspiracy Showroom, 910 N. Second St. 215.925.2153; Topstitch Boutique, 311 Market St. 267.322.4057; www.brookadelphia.com

Bargain Thrift is known for its ridiculously cheap vintage that gets snapped up to be resold by boutique owners or used on-set by costume designers and stylists. The Germantown hotspot dates back to 1976 when current owner Suzanne Quinn’s father, a police officer in the 14th District, started recycling aluminum and tin to supplement his income. Daughter Quinn describes her father’s community efforts as “snowballing into this,” as he got involved in clothing drives for the American Cancer Society. Community-mindedness seems to run in the family. Quinn, who now owns the business, keeps prices low in order to move merchandise and make it affordable for people who live in the neighborhood. In March of last year she moved and expanded the business, which now operates in three locations: the original store (which sells only furniture), the clothing store and the warehouse. “It’s been a good run,” says Quinn. “Germantown’s been good to us, and I hope we’ve made an impact.” (M.L.) >> Bargain Thrift, 5245 Germantown Ave. 215.849.3225

Need the Beyoncé look but can’t afford the chinchilla coats and VVS stones just yet? Not a problem. Go casual with a girly rockstar hoodie from Godda Godda, a fashion experiment from stylist Meeka Johnson, 28, and model Tenee Nelson, 24. The Philly girls’ new line of over-the-top hoodies ($40 to $100) are covered with painted skulls and splatters, sequins, lamé—anything glittery and flashy. “They did hoodies for the guys, but every girl wants to dress like her boyfriend,” says Johnson, who will also customize a pair of sequined Converse Chuck Taylors ($40 to $60) to go with your new star-power. Both women have worked extensively in the fashion industry, but starting their own label is a first. “We don’t know what the hell we’re doing,” admits Johnson. “We’re learning as we go along. But we know it sells. There’s a market for it.” Look for the Godda Godda goddesses at their brand-new “I Love Hoodies” cart in the Gallery starting this month. (K.K.) >> Godda Godda at the Gallery, Eighth and Market sts. 215.925.7162; www.myspace.com/goddagodda

You can go into Head Area salon with no idea what you want, say something like, ‘I was kinda thinkin’ my hair could do this … ?’ while waving your hands around your head—and Jojo Clapson will shape and dye your ’do into something that doesn’t suck at all. “It’s up to us as hairstylists to bring out the individual style within people and put a creative spin on their original ideas,” says Clapson of her hairstyling credo. After being a colorist in the city for 10 years and also working for the infamous Philth Magazine, Clapson, her partner Stephen McFalls and partner/husband Lee Clapson branched out on their own, opening a salon in the back of Matthew Izzo’s Walnut Street Lifestyle store in 2005. Another plus? She’s no snob. “I can walk through the city with hair-blinders on,” she says. “What gets to me now is when people cut and color their own hair, and I have to do damage control and corrective color.” So put that box of dye back on the shelf. You’ll be saving yourself. (M.L.) >> Head Area Salon, 1109 Walnut St. 215.829.0699

Sure, the ladies who lunch at Brasserie Perrier are well dressed in a way that implies class and, well, cleanliness. But for style that’s dirty, sexy and a bit unhinged, look no further than YapSnaps, a photoblog by local paparazzo Angelo Yap. Much like L.A.’s Cobrasnake and N.Y.C.’s Last Night’s Party, YapSnaps catches the city’s hot young things engaging in dance floor freakouts and barside scandals, mugging the night away in graphic Ts, oversized plastic specs and colorful tats. Yap’s loyal to certain DJ nights, like Making Time, Immediate! and Broadzilla, but will click away at anything and anyone that exudes an air of intrinsic cool. “The aesthetic I’m going for is somebody who doesn’t try too hard to look good. It’s got to look like you just got out of bed, and you wear this and you wear that, and you’re a Vice Magazine ‘Do.’ Effortless.” (C.G.) >> www.yapsnaps.com