The Style Social in Philadephia

Annually in Philadelphia, the Style Social brings international fashion to buyers, press and consumers in a local market to present collections that might not otherwise be seen.   

Each Style Social also draws fashion, art and design talent from the community to offer local artist and designers an opportunity to present their work alongside international fashion designers.  This year's Style Social and Launch Party, happened on Wed, Faeb 12, 2014 and featured Macy's Fashion Incubator as wwell as fashion designers from Italy, Hungary, Colombia and Franc. It occurred to celebrate the success of the Incubator designers as they launch their collections in the international fashion market.

In a unique setting combining art, fashion, design, with an emphasis on sustainability, the event was hosted by The Transfer Station, an ambitious entrepreneurial project imagined to revitalize the Manayunk neighborhood, with local businesses and restaurants supporting the event with their signature offerings.

The Style Social and Launch Party was a collaboration between Macy’s Fashion Incubator, which is a one-year intensive designers-in-residence business training and ongoing mentorship for selected Philadelphian fashion designers to provide all of the resources they need to launch or grow their companies in the city of Philadelphia; and international showrooms Bel Espirit and Showroom International.  These two Philadelphia-based showrooms carry international ethical fashion designers and well as highlight and support each brand’s ethical principles and global ethical initiatives such as Andes Made, a line of premium alpaca scarves, socks and accessories for me and women .

Andes Made

The event was a combination of a runway fashion show with a complementary display of fine art, accessories, home décor and furniture; much of which was available for sale through the Transfer Station. As an innovation resource center for entrepreneurs located on Main Street in Manayunk, the Transfer Station provides a retail market space, co-working spaces, artist studios, creative labs and tailor-fit solutions to work, create, sell and collaborate with like-minded individuals.

Some of the works of the fashion designers were proudly displayed on the handcrafted furniture from one of the area's finest emerging makers: Don Yacovell. 

"...(my) designs are simple. They are meant to highlight the natural look of the wood, not fancy moldings. I mostly work with local domestic hardwoods such as cherry ,black walnut or maple.I look for wood with "character" cracks ,knots ,holes, and color variation. I like to highlight any marks left behind by the original craftsman when I work with salvaged lumber. Seeing the history in an old piece of lumber just enhances this style of furniture."

Don Yacovella has work for sale at The Transfer Station in Manayunk.

Learn more about Don Yacavella here.

Stay in the loop of what's happening on Philly's style scene by following Bel Esprit showroom in Twitter @bel_esprit.

LIVE BLOGGING of Philadelphia Open Studios Press Trip

I'm spending a jam-packed wknd exploring Philly's art scene--behind the scenes--on a tour of the hot spots, including amazing restaurants, galleries, and artist studios.
All updates will post RIGHT HERE. Stay tuned!

xo,
Meca
 9:04 am Today (Saturday)
Staying at Le Meridien, a swanky hotel in the Art Museum district, located directly across from the Love Park. It was once a YMCA, which really turns me on since the condo that I'm renting now in Bayonne was once a YMCA in the 70's. I really dig it. I highly recommend eating at their dining room, Muse. starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien

9:35am
 On a MuralArtsProgram tour. Philly has the most murals in the WORLD! Over 3,800 murals. I'm becoming a great fan of muralist, Paul Santileri. Check out a great mural of his on SpringGarden and 2nd. And one of his in Olde City. MuralArts tours are totally custom: book a Latino Mural Tour, an African-American Mural Tour, or a American History tour. I hear the Mural Mile Walking Tour, which is actually 2 miles long, is the bomb. :) Paul lives right in Philly in Northern Liberties. muralarts.org

Ken Twitchell is the world-renown artist of this spectacular mural of Dr. Jay done on parachute fabric and gelled to the wall in the 1990s. Words can't express its beauty. Go see it on Clay and Ridge St.

10:00-11:05
 Hanging in Rittenhouse Square. The weekend market of fresh food and floral vendors is popping. Even a wine tasting going on...much too early for me, I'll stick to my green tea. :)

10:30-12:15
 Very cool to go to The Center for Emerging Artists cfeva.org. I am on their mailing list so I know how amazing this organization is and the support it provides artists jn all stages. We were blessed to have the Director, Ann Peltz, give us a guided abbreviated tour of POST.

 Visited the studio of Printmaker/Mixed Media Artist Rebecca Gilbert. We chatted about juggling all of her teaching gigs, her art work and family life in the pursuit of happiness. It's always nice to know that I am connected to a community of creatives who are all also struggling to create balance but doing so beautifully and on their osn terms. Learn more about Rebecca at http://www.inliquid.com/artist/gilbert_rebecca/gilbert.php

Noon: Dropped into Fleischer Art Memorial, a gem in art community. fleisher.org
Peeked into a Cambodian dance class happening in the temple. In the gallery, I was very much impressed with the work of Kay Healy. She does screenprinting of everyday objects and creates these flat pillows, for lack of a better description, that embody home. It's one of those things you'd have to see to believe. She is the recipient of Fleisher's Wind Challenge Award.

1-2pm
 Lunch with the press crew at Farmicia. farmiciarestaurant.com 

 Yummy organic dishes, I do recommend the Crabmeat and Apple Salad. The Bloody Mary tastes like a liquid shrimp cocktail,  which is great! :)


After lunch we visited a few more artist studios and right as we pulled up to our last stop, 915 SpringGarden, which is a 5 story bdlg full of artist studios, I dipped off on my own to visit The Center for Art in Wood. I missed this visit last night so I wanted to back track. Wood is one of my fave new mediums. centerforartinwood.org
 3:00pm

 All of the wood art above were creatived by artists in residence and are for sale and on exhibit until 10/12/13. There is a wonderful gift shop and a permanent colllection there as well.
4:00pm I made my way back to 915 SpringGarden to view the works of some of the many, many artists who are housed there. My favorite by far: Wild Chairy Studio! wildchairy.com

5pm


We quickly scanned the bounty of greenery behind the Art Museum and had a tour of the Ben Franklin Parkway for the journalist from Complex Magazine who had never been to Philly. Below is a shot of me behind the museum along the Skuykill River.

6:45pm-9:15pm
Heading out to Le Virtu ( levirtu.com)  for dinner, I'm all refreshed and ready for an amazing meal for an eclectic group of fun folks. The night did not disappoint. Le Virtu was absolutely fantastic. Between the 8 of us, chicken, seafood, rabbit and fennel was ordered and everyone agreed that the food was tremendously satisfying. We dined on the outdoor patio and recieved a visit fromthe co-owner who was kind enough to give us the details on the beautiful mural of Italy behind us. The service, wine selection and ambiance were all top notch. Kudos Le Virtu!
The risottto with shrimp was cooked to perfection with just a little kick. Delicious! The restaurant is situated on Passyunk, a street with a lively nightlife.

Philadelphia's POST is tremendous and virtually impossible to see and document in a day but I hope that through this blog post you get an understanding that Philly's art scene is one of the best in the world. There's no need to look any further to experience a great food, accommodations, and world class art and design.
S/O to the amazing folks at VisitPhilly.com, special thanks to Cara, Veronica, Lynda, and Jenea for making this such a memorable trip.

I Love Philly! xoxo

Expand Your Horizons: 4 Fab Things to Do Right NOW in NJ/Philly

I am all about having fabulous new experiences, chilling in new settings, and meeting interesting people. Here are my picks to help you get this summer started with that on your agenda:

1. 

When: Wednesday, June 19, 2013 @ 6pm

What: Enner Beauty Art Reception @ The Renaissance-Newark Airport

Where: The Renaissance Hotel, 1000 Spring Street, Elizabeth NJ 07201

View and celebrate the work of Abstract Expressionist Anthony Boone exhibited in the chic setting of The Renaissance Hotel-Newark Airport.

The complimentary food and drinks served will be centered around Newark-themed cuisine with Spanish, Portuguese, Caribbean, and South American specialties while the evening's highlights will center around a gallery exhibit by Anthony E. Boone, a self-taught abstract expressionist and mixed media artist, as well as music by a flamenco guitarist.

RSVP: http://www.punchbowl.com/parties/6237920-enner-beauty-art-reception-at-the-renaissance-newark-airport

 

 

2. 

When: Thursday, June 20, 2013 @ 7pm

What: Film Screening At Vivant Art Gallery 

Where: 60 N. 2nd Street Philadelphia, PA 19106

This event is part of Vivant Art Gallery's monthly Season of the Arts Summer Series.
Co-Presenter ReelBlack Films
Waste Land directed by Lucy Walker starring renowned artist Vik Muniz

Synopsis: Filmed over nearly three years, WASTE LAND follows renowned artist Vik Muniz as he journeys from his home base in Brooklyn to his native Brazil and the world's largest garbage dump, Jardim Gramacho, located on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. There he photographs an eclectic band of “catadores”—self-designated pickers of recyclable materials. Muniz’s initial objective was to “paint” the catadores with garbage. However, his collaboration with these inspiring characters as they recreate photographic images of themselves out of garbage reveals both the dignity and despair of the catadores as they begin to re-imagine their lives. Director Lucy Walker (DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND, BLINDSIGHT and COUNTDOWN TO ZERO) and co-directors João Jardim and Karen Harley have great access to the entire process and, in the end, offer stirring evidence of the transformative power of art and the alchemy of the human spirit.

RSVP: http://movienightvivant.eventbrite.com/

3. 

WHEN: Saturday, July 20, 2013 10am -5pm 

WHAT: Handy Chic DIY Upholstery Workshop (Beginners) 

WHERE: Syndicated Media Studios, Philadelphia PA

Register: http://www.handychics.com/

 4.

WHEN: Every 3rd Thursday June 20th until Sept 19th 6-9pm

WHERE:  Race Street Pier, Columbus Boulevard and Race Street

WHAT: Third Thursdays FREE Live and Local Music at Race Street Pier 

More info: http://www.delawareriverwaterfront.com/

Get out, have a blast! Happy Summer!​​

Beth Beverly

I'm Teaching a Fashion Design Course at The South Jersey Center of The Arts

Classes begin this Saturday. It will be a 6 week intensive that will take  students from "inspiration to creation."





Creating a mood board, sketching, sourcing materials and hardware, sewing, patternmaking and collection building will all be taught. The students will leave the course with a mini portfolio, a collection of 3-5 pieces and knowledge of what it really takes to be a fashion designer.



Class size is small. Register now before there spaces are full.



Email: jypsealeathergoods@gmail.com for an invoice.




Can't make it to South Jersey? Teach yourself from my book, "ENVISION: The Young Designer's Guide to Collection Development."

FiberPhiladelphia2012-Get Your Fiber ON!

FiberPhiladelphia2012 is in progress. New exhibitions are opening; presentations and workshops are taking place in venues around the city.
 
Full list of exhibits

FiberPhiladelphia is an international biennial and regional festival for innovative fiber/textile art. Exhibitions are planned for 40 locations including major institutions and independent venues. They will include work by renowned international artists and a new generation of artists breaking into the field.

For more information:
http://www.fiberphiladelphia.org/

Cirque Du Soleil: Quidam

Last Thursday, my pumpkin and I saw Cirque Du Soleil: Quidam in Philly. It was truly spectacular. and the costume designs were spectacular. Check out my full review for EdgePhiladelphia.com and go see it, if you get the opportunity.

Watch the preview video.

METAMORPHOSIS: Have you ever seen 1000 butterflies in 1 place?

"...it is an incredible installation and a great concept done for the first time ever in Philly...an installation of thousands of butterflies in the color spectrum throughout Philadelphia. The installation launches June 1st and is up until July 28th. it will be installed in all of these locations at all times : Bus Stop Boutique, Carmelita Couture, Vintage Wine Bar and the historic Head House Shambles. The main purpose of this installation is...to make people move through 3 different locations of Philadelphia: Queens Village, Old City, Midtown Village and Society Hill.
All of the buterflies are cut out by hand by Conrad Booker, an incredible local artist, and are made out of recycled fashion magazines and recycled soda cans. They are elaborate and just purely beautiful."~Curator Zivile Pupinyte

Opening receptions with specialty cocktails sponsored by Absolute Vodka and conversations with the artist will be held on the following dates:

• June 1, 2011

            ‘Mourning Cloak’

5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m

BUS STOP Boutique

750 S. 4^th st. Philadelphia

• June 8, 2011

            ‘Scarlet Jezebel’

5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Carmelita Couture

17 N. 3^rd st. Philadelphia

• June 15, 2011

            ‘Blue Doctor’

5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Vintage Wine Bar

129 S. 13^th st. Philadelphia

Closing reception: July 28, 2011 @ Headhouse Square Shambles. Begins at 5:30PM, 2nd & Lombard Streets, Philadelphia PA.

Curated by Zivile Pupinyte http://ziv-a.com/Curating.html

About the artist:

Conrad Booker - Booker is an architect/designer with more than 20 years experience as creative director for a local architecture and interior design firm. He also assists antique textile pillow designer MaryJane McCarthy, whose pillows can be found in high-end stores including Bergdorf Goodman, Takashimya and Bloomingdales. A Queen Village resident, Booker combines his architecture and design experience to create new conceptual pieces of artwork that use common materials in an unusual way. Booker is donating the tabs from the cans he uses to a local charity.

For more information on the artist contact Conrad Booker @ 610 416 8688,

Roberto Capucci @ Philadelphia Museum of Art

Today I enjoyed a lovely outing at the Art Museum. On exhibit were the "sculptural dresses" of Roberto Capucci in his own room with an audio guided tour. It was truly phenomenal. The craftmanship speaks for itself, the craftmanship has truly inspired me as an artist. Learn about the exhibit here: http://www.philamuseum.org/exhibitions/411.html

Italian fashion designer and artist Roberto Capucci (born 1930) is revered by contemporary designers for his innovative silhouettes and masterful use of form, color, and materials. This exhibition--featuring over eighty works, as well as original drawings and sketches--will be the first survey of his work in the United States. It includes work ranging from the beginning of his career as a boy genius of Italian fashion to his legendary sculpture-dresses--including his seminal 1978 "Colonna" silhouette, based on the Doric column--as well as his series of sculptures from 2007 honoring the city of Florence.

Capucci refers to his work as "a study in form" inspired by art, architecture, and nature. His early career was intertwined with the rise of the Italian fashion industry and of Italian high fashion following World War II. He opened his first couture salon in Rome in 1950 at age twenty, and by 1956 the international press had declared him Italy's best designer, lauding his "vigor, imagination, and uninhibited originality." In 1962 he moved to Paris, where he created both classical and experimental collections, incorporating surprising materials such as plastic and stones. Capucci returned to Rome in 1968, where he has continued his work as couturier and artist.

Philadelphia Art Museum
www.philamuseum.org - 26th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - (215) 763-8100

Become the next Roberto Capucci. Emerging designers, learn how to design a collection to present to stores. Read my book ENVISION: The Young Accessory Designer's Guide to Collection Development. Get the softcover or download it instantly.

Braving the wind/rain in the name of art & design

In the abstract art room