Shepp : Fashion is supposed to be fun
Michelle Cwanger
Issue date: 11/18/05 Section: Entertainment
In his introduction to the group of students in attendance at "Joan Shepp" on October 19th, Emil DeJohn said of creating founder, Shepp, "I think she's brilliant. She has an incredible fashion sense; she gives students windows… more than that, she's a wonderful person."
"You have to love what you do." Spoken by a true patriarch of good design, it's evident that Joan Shepp has mastered the art of fashion. What makes her business so successful is that it is driven by pure passion and a zest for bringing beautiful clothing to the Philadelphia forefront. A fashion maven with a taste level that breaks barriers, curves the standards and distinguishes her among other top retailers of the industry, Shepp might just be this city's best source of conceptual, innovative, influential design.
More reminiscent of a Parisian couture house or a modern museum of art than a 16th and Walnut Street shop, Shepp's store has received national recognition as a primary establishment in the finer field of fashion. It is both a breeding ground and a designer-label haven to a style-conscious crowd. What's more, Shepp started it all on a mere $100 budget; the store is amongst the top 20 in the country with Vogue Magazine listing it in 2002 among its "top 8" in the U.S.
Never one to brag (she doesn't need to, the store speaks for itself) Shepp is quick to mention that fashion students have it harder than she did. It may be true that the industry has changed-perhaps becoming a bit more difficult to break into-however, the formulation and implementation of the business plan she drafted 30 years ago is no less inspirational or compelling, and so indicative of a woman who clearly has both the brains and the backbone to pull something so chutzpadik off. This is a woman who clearly knows what she wants and how to go about getting it. It's truly fascinating to see the by-product of so much work and dedication based solely on a single entrepreneurial vision. Much of the success Shepp has achieved can be attributed to her appreciation and commitment to "fashion, for fashion's sake", which is precisely for all the right reasons.
"You have to love what you do." Spoken by a true patriarch of good design, it's evident that Joan Shepp has mastered the art of fashion. What makes her business so successful is that it is driven by pure passion and a zest for bringing beautiful clothing to the Philadelphia forefront. A fashion maven with a taste level that breaks barriers, curves the standards and distinguishes her among other top retailers of the industry, Shepp might just be this city's best source of conceptual, innovative, influential design.
More reminiscent of a Parisian couture house or a modern museum of art than a 16th and Walnut Street shop, Shepp's store has received national recognition as a primary establishment in the finer field of fashion. It is both a breeding ground and a designer-label haven to a style-conscious crowd. What's more, Shepp started it all on a mere $100 budget; the store is amongst the top 20 in the country with Vogue Magazine listing it in 2002 among its "top 8" in the U.S.
Never one to brag (she doesn't need to, the store speaks for itself) Shepp is quick to mention that fashion students have it harder than she did. It may be true that the industry has changed-perhaps becoming a bit more difficult to break into-however, the formulation and implementation of the business plan she drafted 30 years ago is no less inspirational or compelling, and so indicative of a woman who clearly has both the brains and the backbone to pull something so chutzpadik off. This is a woman who clearly knows what she wants and how to go about getting it. It's truly fascinating to see the by-product of so much work and dedication based solely on a single entrepreneurial vision. Much of the success Shepp has achieved can be attributed to her appreciation and commitment to "fashion, for fashion's sake", which is precisely for all the right reasons.
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