Philadelphia – The Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy and the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator announces the launch of the Philly’s Fabulous Looks from the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator collaboration to showcase some of the best and most innovative fashion designs and designers coming from Philadelphia. Philly’s Fabulous Looks will feature an online promotional campaign that will spotlight each of these Philadelphia designers, behind-the-scenes looks at the design selection process, and the stories about the Philly’s Fabulous Looks designers’ collections and businesses.
The first Philly’s Fabulous Looks collaboration will launch on the occasion of the Philadelphia Orchestra Opening Night Concert and Gala on Friday, September 30. Kelly Lee, City of Philadelphia’s Chief Cultural Officer, will be wearing a skirt and top created by womenswear designer and Moore College of Art & Design graduate Victoria Wright and she will be carrying a clutch by women’s accessories designer and Temple University graduate Conrad Booker. Throughout the year, Chief Cultural Officer Kelly Lee will wear selected Philly’s Fabulous Looks designs to Philadelphia arts events to showcase fashion and accessories designers from Philadelphia.
This week, Victoria Wright and Conrad Booker will be profiled on CreativePHL.org and viewers will be able to get a behind-the-scenes look into the selection process of the designs, as well as stories about these clothes and accessories and the designers that created them. These stories and photos will be featured on Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy’s social media channels, Facebook.com/CreativePHL and on Twitter @CreativePHL and Instagram @CreativePHL as well as the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator’s Twitter @philaincubator and Facebook.com/philadelphiafashionincubator.
Elissa Bloom, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator based in Macy’s Center City, developed the idea of the collaboration between the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator and OACCE. “We have so many talented designers-in-residence and alumni and we at Philadelphia Fashion Incubator are always looking for new ways to promote them in Philadelphia,” said Bloom. “Kelly Lee is the perfect brand ambassador and the designers are honored to have her wear their brands and thereby give them exposure at cultural events like the Philadelphia Orchestra Gala.”
Chief Cultural Officer Kelly Lee also echoed this sentiment of promoting local Philadelphia designers and their businesses. “We at the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy are excited to be able to collaborate with the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator in showcasing Philadelphia fashion designers and I am personally thrilled to be able to play a role by wearing the designs of two of our city’s up and coming fashion designers, Victoria Wright and Conrad Booker to the Philadelphia Orchestra Opening Concert and Gala,” said Chief Cultural Officer Kelly Lee. “Both designers are a testament to the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator’s stellar program that has helped local designers grow and develop their creative businesses here in our city.”
Victoria Wright, the first womenswear designer to be featured as a part of Philly’s Fabulous Looks expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to be showcased through this collaboration.
“I am so thrilled and honored to have been chosen as the first womenswear designer selected for Philly’s Fabulous Looks,” said Wright. “Having one of the City’s officials supporting my brand and the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator by wearing one of my designs is so exciting. It’s a way for the city to show its advocacy of the growing talent and entrepreneurial spirit in Philadelphia’s fashion community.”
About City of Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy
The mission of the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy is to support and promote arts, culture and the creative industries; and to develop partnerships and coordinate efforts that weave arts, culture and creativity into the economic and social fabric of the City. For more information on OACCE, visit: www.CreativePHL.org, Facebook.com/CreativePHL and on Twitter @CreativePHL and Instagram @CreativePHL
About Philadelphia Fashion Incubator at Macy’s Center City
A collaboration between the City of Philadelphia, Center City District, Macy’s Center City, Drexel University, Moore College of Art and Design, Immaculata University and Philadelphia University, The Philadelphia Fashion Incubator at Macy’s Center City (PFIMCC) is a 501 (c) (3) organization that provides select emerging designers the workspace and essential business resources needed to run successful and sustainable fashion companies in Philadelphia. PFIMCC encourages full support of local businesses and organizations across the city in order to achieve its mission of developing a business-savvy foundation for the growth of the Philadelphia fashion industry. Learn more by visiting www.philadelphiafashionincubator.com. Join the conversation on Twitter @philaincubator and Facebook.com/philadelphiafashionincubator.
About Victoria Wright
Born and raised in Bucks County, Victoria Wright knew from an early age that she was going to be a fashion designer. She studied in New York City at Parsons the New School for Design as well as Philadelphia’s Moore College of Art and Design.
Upon completing internships and freelancing for companies such as Rebecca Taylor, Urban Outfitter’s, and Club Monaco, Victoria began to visualize her brand. After being chosen as a finalist in the Philadelphia Magazine Fashion Project, and showing her first collection in Atlantic City Fashion Week, Victoria was accepted into the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator. Through the vast resources and support of the incubator, along with the encouragement from the Philadelphia Fashion Community, Victoria Wright continues to develop her line with the goal of bringing her vision to women worldwide. For more information about Victoria Wright, visit: http://www.victoriawrightdesigns.com/, Facebook.com/victoriawrightdesigns, and on Instagram @victoriawrightdesigns, Twitter @lavie_victoria.
About Conrad Booker
Buffalo native, designer and artist Conrad Booker puts his architectural skills and creative mindset together to fashion beautiful masterpieces from handbags, shoes and clothing to decorative pillows, frames, and murals. Through multiple achievements and awards, such as The Pella Window Award for Outstanding Window Design and Temple University’s Outstanding Thesis Award in Architecture, Booker has the experience and drive to push him to the top of the design world, with appearances in Architectural Digest, Interior Design, and Southern Living.
A graduate of Temple University’s School of Architecture, Booker now lives in Philadelphia where he has had his clothing and shoes designs appear in ASI’s Stitches and Wearable Magazines, as well as featured at The South Street Head House District’s 2014 Street Fair and Fashion Under Shambles 2014. Booker was the winner of the 2013 Philadelphia Flower Show’s Best Commercial Window “Daly Girl” and runner-up of the 2014 Queen Village Winter Wonderland Window “Rise of the Phoenix” window display. For more information about Conrad Booker, visit: rawartists.org/conradbooker and follow him on Instagram @conrad_booker.