Best of Philly

Best Local Designer

2023 Best Hat Trick

Abby Misbin

The humble cowboy hat has been reborn of late as the number one party-girl fashion staple. Fairmount-based Etsy seller Abby Misbin takes it to new heights with handmade designs, one of which has crowned the head of Beyoncé herself. Just two years after the Temple grad started her shop as a side hustle, she was personally contacted by one of Queen B’s stylists about using one of her disco-ball-inspired 10-gallons in Renaissance promotional material. Since then, Misbin has shot into local small-business stardom, and her hats are almost as hard to get as Bey’s concert tickets. Read More »

2022 Best Top to Wear All Summer

Madison Chamberlain

With its whimsical French toile patterns and romantic peplum­ and bow details, the semi- custom Rococo top begs to be your warm-weather uniform, making a perfect pairing with denim shorts for a casual look or a flowy skirt for a night out. Even better? The top is made from repurposed upholstery and deadstock fabric — part of the Fishtown designer’s commitment­ to (stylish!) sustainable fashion. Read More »

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2021 Best Kardashian-Endorsed Knitware

JBD Apparel

Reality TV mogul and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian has been all over Instagram in JBD Apparel’s body-skimming custom knitwear. (Kardashian found the brand on, you guessed it, social media.) The dresses, tops and skirts are intricately made and flattering on absolutely every body type, and because they’re made to order, every piece feels extra-special. Read More »

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2021 Best Women's-Wear Designer

D’Iyanu

Life’s too short for boring clothes, and Philly’s own D’Iyanu is here to help you live it up again. African-inspired prints of all kinds complement crop tops and high-waisted shorts, with ruffles and puff sleeves galore. Read More »

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2019 Best Urban Outfitters Alum of the Year

Alana Oates of Llani

Haddon Heights-based Oates’s hand-embellished, globally inspired women’s slides, babouches and moccasins do the impossible: They make any boring faded jeans or little black dress feel entirely new. Read More »

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2019 Best Sustainable Local Brand

Lobo Mau

Brazilian-American brother and sister Jordan and Nicole Haddad craft high-fashion-inspired pieces that still manage to be utterly wearable. Think geometric-print wrap dresses, puff-sleeve crop tops and high-waisted pants, all made with locally sourced textiles and sustainable ink by a South Philly-based production crew. Look for their brick-and-mortar this fall. Read More »

| 610-764-9035 | Website

2019 Best Streetwear

Milano di Rouge

The badass casual-but-high-end looks by designer Milan Harris (unisex logo-emblazoned sweatshirt/shorts sets; women’s crushed-velvet neon jumpsuits) have become the go-to for those in the know, including Meek Mill and songstress Monica. Read More »

1509 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA | 267-239-0000 | Website

2019 Best Local Designer for Matching Sets

Aunt Tot

Tatyanna Nance of Germantown’s Aunt Tot morphs colorful materials into funky two-piece (matching crop top and flared pants) and three-piece (matching socks and bags) ensembles that Whack and her DJ regularly don onstage. Instagram.com/aunt.tot. Read More »

| 267-250-8585 | Website

2019 Best Lilly Pulitzer Alum of the Year

Jane Winchester Paradis of Jane Winchester Jewelry

Oversize coin pendants emblazoned with symbols and words (and, soon, zodiac signs) without any cheesy trappings are what make this Wayne designer’s necklaces smart. What makes them brilliant? How they only get cooler when layered. Read More »

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2019 Best Breakout Designer

Renee Hill

Sure, Hill wowed Karlie Kloss and Christian Siriano on this past season of Project Runway, but we’re happy the Moore College of Art and Design alum is back home, because her fierce-but-feminine designs (that genius five-way VersaCoat!) could only be dreamed up by a Philadelphian. Read More »

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