Sansom Street's SA VA to Shutter at the End of December

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This month marks the final weeks of Sarah Van Aken's four-year-old Sansom Street flagship boutique, SA VA, and her sustainably-made, community capital-funded women's fashion brand by the same name. Van Aken reveals that while sales in her flagship store have been on the rise, the label's wholesale division hasn't seen the same success. "The amount of capital and time it would take to scale it to the level of success that I and our investors needed was greater than we were able to pursue," says the entrepreneur. The flagship will close for good by Sunday, December 22.

The SA VA label comprises women's contemporary apparel and accessories manufactured within the flagship's on-site garment center, a sustainable business model new to Philly and celebrated by many for a reliance on responsibly-sourced textiles and ethical business practices. Despite her decision to discontinue the SA VA brand, Van Aken remains adamant that the enterprise was, overall, a success. "I do not believe in any sense that our closing is a definitive judgement against the possibility of [socially driven, sustainable fashion] movement."

Beginning Monday, December 2, SA VA will discount its remaining fall/winter inventory. Regular priced items will be half-off, while everything on the boutique's second floor will be $15. The sale will continue through the boutique's closing. Then on Wednesday, December 11, 6pm to 9pm, the boutique will host a farewell party that promises huge markdowns, sips and snacks, plus access to SA VA's limited-edition Spring 2014 items at a discount. You can continue to follow along with Van Aken as she pursues other projects at her website, sarahvanaken.com.
· The Double Meaning Behind Sansom Street's SA VA [Racked Philly]
· SA VA [Official Site]