How to Win a Spot in Joan Shepp's Emerging Designer Residency

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Play your cards right and you might see your own designs among the racks of 3.1 Phillip Lim, Rick Owens, and Stella McCartney at Chestnut Street's Joan Shepp. As of today, the boutique is accepting submissions for its brand-new Emerging Designer Residency, which will award select local fashion designers—two at time—the opportunity to have their collections displayed and sold at the prestigious, 40-year-old boutique for three-week-long stints. The program intends to foster budding local talent, all while giving up-and-coming designers a front row seat to the goings-on of luxury retail.

The program is open to talent of all experience levels, making competition all the more fierce. So if you really want to grab the attention of Joan Shepp staff, co-owner Ellen Shepp has some words of wisdom for you, young grasshopper: "Designers should keep in mind, great fashion design is also wearable—practical." Submit now for August consideration (application instructions here).
· Joan Shepp [Official Site]
· Emerging Designer Residency Program [Joan Shepp]
· Joan Shepp on Change, Bad Fashion Choices and the Evolution of Philly Retail [Racked Philly]