As a new segment we will be focusing on the individuals who make up the Philadelphia Fashion Scene – the Phashion Insiders. For our inaugural story I thought I’d talk to Abigail Bruley, Two. One. Five’s Style Editor. Her shoots have been simply fabulous with a distinctly Philly vibe. Here’s what she had to say,

Name: Abigail Bruley

Age: 27

Occupation: Music & Fashion Editor at two.one.five Magazine.

How would you define your personal style?

Seventies Ivy-League by day, femme rockabilly by night. Lots of wool blazers, leopard, leather and beige.

In 3 words describe the Philly fashion?

right-brained, miscreant, studied.

What would you say the biggest style difference between New York and Philly is?

Philly is were creativity and ideas are given birth, New York is where those ideas go to get a marketing department.

Do you have a go-to shopping destination in the City? If so, what is it?

Reward is where I get all my Opening Ceremony. Rabid Fox rings from Top Stitch. JoMar for scarves. Wilbur Vintage has great blouses. I like the necklaces at Verde.  I’m also obsessed with Franklin Mills, so sue me.

When did you first get into fashion? Is it something you’ve always been interested in or is this a recent discovery?

I first got into fashion through music. As a kid, I had a lot of records, and I emulated the women on the record sleeves. Most of them were punks, many were pre-war crooners, some prog-rockers, and a hint of folk.

What is one accessory you can’t live without?

I’m not huge on accessories.  Mainly, I guess, because I tend to gravitate towards statement-type pieces ,and have very little in the way of basics, so any further flair would just look overdone. I despise the gratuitous scarf. If I’m dressed plainly, I’ll wear art deco rings. I like Chloe sunglasses. Their designs remind me of something Jane Goodall would have worn. I am also never without my Marc Jacobs Paloma bag which is such a work of art, it makes me feel like someone who might own a successful art gallery or maybe throw Warholian dinner parties. What more can you ask of from an accessory?

Are there any trends you can’t wait to get into for Fall?

Oh, I adore Fall clothing! I intend on acquiring a dropped-collar, camel coat with a  breast pocket where I will place a red handkerchief. I may dye my hair Carol-Burnett red. I will splurge on a long-haired, mohair bucket sweater a la Dries Van Noten. I’m also going to hunt down a classic varsity jacket with leather-sleeves and have my equestrian blazer lined with fur.

In a perfect world, everyone in Philly would be dressed head-to-toe in _____ ?

Something that wholly captures their true disposition and doesn’t include leggings as pants, anything bought pre-shredded or pre-distressed (only suckers buy those), flip flops or American Apparel.

Do you have a style icon? If so, who?

I have so many — The women in David Lynch films and The Cramps videos, Rhoda Morganstern, ’80s Beverly DeAngelo, Catherine Deneuve, cool aunts (everyone’s got one), Prince Harry & his girlfriend, Billie Davis, Francois Hardy. Claire Huxtable knew how to wear silk pajamas. The Hitchcock women knew how to wear skirt suits and fur.

Where is Two.One.Five’s fashion going? What’s next?

My hope is that no matter how big we get, we stick to our sensibilities. I try very hard to include a great mix of high-end, independent and outsider-type fashion in the magazine. I enjoy trolling Etsy for someone making amazing stuff out of their parent’s basement and pairing it with a YSL dress. Next, we are going to up-the-ante on our website. Style will have it’s own section and a whole slew of great new features, including fashion shoots comprised of clothing entirely from graduate collections.

Ya know, I don’t know about you, but the first thing I think of when I think of Gucci is “Frank Miller”. For the longest time I thought I was alone, but it seems that someone agreed with me. Is it so wrong to want to see glam and glitter in the style of the got-really-old-really-fast-style of Sin City? Is it wrong to want to see Chris Evan and his incredible, multi-functioning eyebrows driving a nice sports car while jamming the Friendly Fires? Wouldn’t you want your woman to smell like something out of a Frank Miller comic?

Yeah, I was wrong. Very, very wrong.  If you needed another reason to not watch the MTV Movie Awards, here it is.

Philadelphia Fashion Week is back again. From October 6th through the 9th, Philadelphia will play host to emerging designers from our city and abroad. This year the organizers, CMK Entertainment, are hoping to have over 3o designers over the 4-day event. “We want this show to prove that Philadelphia is an up-and-coming fashion destination deserving of recognition,” said Kristie Bergey, a partner at CMK. Philly really does have a distinct style and the designers here have something to say. Unlike New York Fashion Week, tickets are available to the public. Sure,  you won’t be seated behind Anna Wintour, but you’ll get a chance to see fashion come to life and all you have to do is visit their website.

The line-up is pretty exciting. The first night (Wednesday October 9th) the show ill be all about local designs, from stores like Arcadia and Delicious Boutique. Then its school night, featuring designs from schools like Art Institute and Drexel. The final two days will showcase international and domestic designs, ranging from the accessible to the over-the-top.

CMK also hopes to diffuse fashion with art and music this year. “Rather than exclusively offering fashion, we’re seeking to make Philadelphia Fashion Week a cultural experience,” said Michael Anderer of CMK. Its turning out to be, like Philly itself, pretty unconventional. See you at the shows.

Los Angeles-based retailer American Apparel  has been making headlines for its raunchy ads and even raunchier CEO for years. But this time the trouble is a bit bigger. On Tuesday the country’s largest clothing manufacturer’s stock plummeted 25.9 percent and has since been subpoenaed over a change in accounting firms. All this financial jargon is already confusing but it shows the serious hole the company is in.

The Walnut Street favorite’s stock has fallen 67 percent this year while the New York Times blames the mess on a poor management team (which no doubt includes CEO Dov Charney). The company’s debt is also at a staggering $120.3 Million, which for a company that only went public in 2006 is pretty steep.

Its unfortunate because, while they’re business seems mismanaged, the company also stands for some pretty good things. An advocate for LGBT and immigrant rights, American Apparel is deeply rooted in youth movements. Additionally all American Apparel garments are made in the country. We’ll have to see what happens in the next few months. It seems like liquidation is in the near future.

We’re big BIG fans of Alexander Wang. His eponymous collection is so effortless and tough while remaining incredibly chic. So when his diffusion line T launched we were celebrating in the street. But the first few seasons were a little lackluster. The men’s collection launched for Spring ’10, and was just a bunch of T-shirts. As a fashion-fan I’m not appalled at a $100 short-sleeve shirt, and Helmut Lang’s wares always make me drool, but this just seemed silly.

All things considered, when I took a look at the Fall ’10 look book I was pleasantly surprised. The collection is cohesive and modern, still with that effortless downtown feel. There’s lots of black jersey, of course, but there’s also a ton of great work-wear inspired jackets and even a few button-down shirts. The collection wouldn’t look out of place at a show at Johnny Brenda’s as well as dinner at Parc.

A look from the men's line.

The women’s collection is also more diverse than previous seasons. There are tons of separates, jackets, and dresses. There’s a full-length, long-sleeve T-shirt dress that is unreal; perfect with some boots or even sandals. For the first time I feel like T by Alexander Wang is worthy of the brand. Its not just over-priced T-shirts, but an actual diffusion line, and with Zoe Kravitz as the face, who can resist?

A look from the women's line.

T by Alexander Wang is available at Barneys Co-Op (1811 Walnut Street).

As the Resort 2011 season wraps up its exciting to see the new direction designers are going in. Resort collections can stay in the stores for up to six months and are like a pre-spring line, yet they hit stores in the middle of Winter. Does that sound like it makes a lot of sense? When you need a jacket there are frilly linen frocks and when you need a bathing suit, Barneys is filled with wool jackets. But despite the logistics there were a few stand out collections. Jason Wu wowed audiences by balancing a french femininity with the New York downtown feel. Think Coco Chanel’s Riviera-bathing attitude with the girls of Williamsburg. Oscar de la Renta’s consistently classic collections never fail to create a fantasy. This season his color palette was optimistic, bright,a and cheery; something that New York desperately needs as this recession fades. Balenciaga’s collection was like a Jetson’s ode to the 70′s, tons of Halston-inspired silhouettes and explosive bursts of color. Another interesting collection was Thakoon, his looks were so easy and romantic. I forsee the girls of Soho rocking these frocks left and right.

Marc Jacobs courtesy of Style.com

The CFDA Awards – fashion’s Oscars – were presented on Monday June 6. The ceremony marks the first of many events held in and around Lincoln Center as New York Fashion Week migrates uptown. The awards can make or break designers and this year the Council celebrated both the world renowned and the barely known. Marc Jacobs, who garnered some bad press after posing nude in his own advirtisments, had the best show of the season (and perhaps his entire career). Jacobs was awarded the Womenswear Designer of the Year after the incredibly tranquil and romantic collection. Rag and Bone recieved Men’s Wear Deigner of the Year while Jason Wu was awarded the Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent. The most significant award is the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award, which went to Michael Kors. The designer as been a powerhouse for New York and certainly deserved the award. The CFDA is one of the most influential institutions in the fashion industry and serves as both power broker and cheerleader. I think its incredibly important to celebrate the Americans in this global fashion world. The designers, even the major ones, are always teetering on destruction and excellence should be rewarded. Bottom line.

Photo courtesy of Jodi Arnold

Lakskmi Hair Studio will be hosting New York-Based designer Jodi Arnold’s pop-up shop titled ‘Shared Discovery’ tomorrow, March 5. The Spring 2010 collection will be on sale with 25% of sales going to Doctors Without Borders. Arnold’s designs are feminine with a modern twist. The dresses come in a variety of exclusive prints and textures. The designer is known for her artistic collaborations and her exceptional designs have never been available in Philly until now. In addition to a wothy cause, shoppers can enjoy a 20% discount on the unique pieces.  Friday’s event will also feature tapas by Bar Ferdinand and Finlandia Cocktails. Feel-good fashion and fundraising, what could be better?

What: ‘Shared Discovery’

Where: Lakshmi Hair Studio. 21 N. 2nd Street.

When: Friday March 5, 8-11 P.M.