Feature: fabric row
Where Fashion Designers Materialize Some envision couture fit for the runway; others see slow fashion made for long life. Yet even designers with distinctly different styles, are likely to have one thing in common: their fabrics, feathers, rhinestones and leathers came from Fabric Row. by Martha Morowitz
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hile Fabric Row, the area of 4th Street from Bainbridge to Catharine streets, has seen a good many of its textile storefronts replaced by other ventures, it still remains a destination in the city and beyond. Here on the Row, neighbors meet for coffee or a meal, run errands, and pick up groceries. Recently named “Best City Shopping Destination” by Philadelphia Magazine, the street is evolving, with intriguing new businesses popping up while older stores just seem to get better. Let’s take a peek at a few of the fashion centered establishments that have staked their claim on the street in the last ten years. Their presence has added to the small town feel of Queen Village, while pumping up the fun factor with some very alluring fashion and fabric! One of the unique offerings along the street is Steel Pony, a beautifully appointed boutique featuring women’s clothing, handbags and accessories. All the store’s clothing is “individually created and dyed by hand,” onsite by the husband and wife team of Joanne Litz and Dennis Wolk. They have been committed to sustainability since the business started in 1992, producing high quality,
Queen Village Quarterly Crier \\ spring 2020
Steel Pony, 758 S. 4th Street, Queen Village.
slow fashion [the movement of designing and creating garments for quality and longevity; encouraging slower production schedules, fair wages and (ideally) zero waste], with pieces that are meant to be enjoyed for years. This fashion design duo have “30-year customers, including many from Europe, who still wear clothes they bought long ago,” says Wolk. Litz is the artist behind the clothing designs. Her work has a distinctive flair with its detailed construction, the sumptuous
Photo by Riley Loula
drape of the natural fabrics, and lush shibori dye [Shibori is a Japanese dyeing technique involving folding, twisting or bunching cloth and binding it, before the dyeing process.] One of the hallmarks of the apparel line is that everything can be dressed up or down, looking equally fabulous whether worn with stilettos or sandals. Not to be missed is the collection of alternative wedding wear that Litz made for a show at Dilworth Plaza not long ago. The elegant dresses are subtly embellished, ren-
