Candle Con 2024

Calling all candle lovers and Mother’s Day gift shoppers! Don’t miss the first ever Candle Con on Sunday, May 5th from 12:00pm – 6:00pm at Location 215 (990 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123). This is a unique marketplace featuring luxury, novelty and specialty candles, candle making workshops, wine & spirts and entertainment. Curated by

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Tinsel Town

The holiday gift-giving season is upon us- make a star of your local makers It’s become something of a sport to call out how much earlier each year stores begin to put up tinsel and displays announcing the holiday gift-buying season. I started seeing Facebook posts as early as mid-October from unsettled friends who went

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The Brine Street Picklery gang brings the zing

Photo by Jillian Guyette Spears Over Chips by Emily Kovach Big decisions are part of launching anycompany. When Brine Street Picklery was forming, its five co-founders had a particularly pressing dilemma on hand: spear or chip?  “It’s the age-old pickle question,” founder PJ Hopkins laughs. “I was outvoted for spears four to one.” The seeds

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Fifth of a Farm Creations busts a jam

Photo by Margo Reed Lady and Mr. Marmalade by Emily Kovach Every two or three weeks, Jennifer and Steve Horton play hooky from their 9-to-5 jobs in marketing and economic development, respectively, and spend the whole day transforming local produce and sugar into hundreds of jars of jam and preserves in the Greensgrow Community Kitchen.

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Four great CSA-based buying clubs

Beyond the Brown Box by Emily Kovach If you’re a seasoned CSA buyer, you probably already have a favorite farm that does heirloom tomatoes just right, or you know a farmer who will surprise you with a crazy new item you’ve never seen. This season, try a new kind of CSA. Here are some options

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February Shop Local: Philly Fashion

Photo by Sophie Secile Xu A glimpse into the creative process of four eclectic studios by Emily Kovach Our burgeoning fashion scene bears all the hallmarks of the Philadelphia spirit: authenticity, cooperation, grit and ingenuity. Pia Panaligan, a co-owner of the local line Senpai + Kohai, gets to the heart of it: “Philly isn’t thought

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An interview with Nicole Haddad of Lobo Mau

Photo by Ross Erickson Secret Sweatshirts interview by Emily Kovach What’s your overall design style? NH: I like to work with stretchy fabrics because it fits a lot of bodies. Our last collection was about torn paper and collage: We’re always taking things to a more artistic and less predictable place. My customer base is

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Senpai + Kohai’s international inspiration and modern silhouettes

Photo by Anthony Nocella Matched Set by Emily Kovach When Melissa Choi and Pia Panaligan met in a fashion illustration class in 2004 at Philadelphia University, their creative chemistry was immediate. They spent hours in the studio sewing side by side, sharing what inspired them.  “I always wanted to find someone to design with,” Choi

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An interview with Ty Antoine DeSouza of Suddenly Fem

photo by Amanda Roberts Becoming interview by Emily Kovach When did you first become interested in clothing, fashion and design? TD: My mother is quite the fashionista. She was keen on outfitting my sister and me with new fashions each school season. She taught us a lot about style and finish… I look back now

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