This Certainly Couldn’t Have Been Predicted: The Reading Viaduct Gets Stylish

The endless conversations about what might happen to the Reading Viaduct–the old elevated train tracks that run above Callowhill and further north–have pretty much been centered around terms like “blight,” “adaptive reuse,” “economic development” and other terms that tend to glaze the eyes of the average Philadelphian who’s not involved in similar issues. But this weekend, the Viaduct gets fashionable.

Friday night designers Bela Shehu and Melissa D’Agostino will showcase their work in an exclusive fashion show at a Victorian mansion at 2200 Walnut. There will be wine and hors d’oeuvres, and it’ll be just like Fashion Week. Bela Shehu’s apparel is described as “architectural,” which should pair nicely with the architectural renderings of the future Viaduct on display.

After the fashion show, there will be a public reception for Julia Blaukopf’s photography and the opportunity to chat with Shehu and D’Agostino or with the folks advocating for turning the Viaduct into a neighborhood park.

As if that weren’t enough, 2200 Walnut will be open again on Saturday and Sunday for one-on-one shopping with the designers.

It’s all to benefit the Reading Viaduct Project, whose mission reads thusly:

The Reading Viaduct Project is dedicated to the preservation and remediation of The Reading Viaduct as a public open green space; to the creation of a unique elevated linear park to be used by residents of and visitors to the Greater Philadelphia area.

Want tickets? Go here.