Shoe Royalty - Savoir Phaire May, 2009
Shoe Royalty - Savoir Phaire, May 11 2009.
Fitting that we would stop by BUS STOP on historic Fabric Row on a rainy Sunday last week, as owner Elena Brennan originally hails from East Finchley in North London, near Highgate and Hampstead. It was no surprise to us to learn that Elena’s background is in advertising and marketing; she has a huge web presence & has clearly attracted the attention of media far and side. (She’s in Timeout, and The New York Times just featured her in their “36 Hours in Philadelphia” piece in the weekend’s travel section.) It’s equally unsurprising to us that Elena just won Best Shoe Boutique in Philadelphia and Best Customer Service. While we were chatting with her by her desk, a woman came in looking for a size 11 shoe (very hard to find), but Elena took down her name and number and promised to call just as soon as new size 11s arrived.
Elena moved to Philadelphia in 1985, and it’s plain that she loves the city and is dedicated to its improvement, particularly to the development of Fabric Row, in which her small shop resides. (Stop in to pick up a pamphlet Elena engineered for Fabric Row and you’ll start to understand why creative professionals like her are this city’s pot of gold.) For example, she supports local artists by showcasing their work from month to month, and a fashion intern from Philadelphia University works at the shop (and Elena went to Fashion Fantasy the other night to support her.)
Analogously, the selection of shoes is both international and grounded. Elena strives to stock what’s unique (and sometimes limited edition), in addition to footwear you won’t see five other people wearing as you walk down the street. The brands she carries she selected during her considerable travels and brought back for our benefit; the shoes hail from Portugal, Britain, and Brazil, to name a few. She’s seeking shoes that are extraordinary in some way, but that have broad appeal; accordingly, she’s attracted an eclectic following of stay at home moms, fashion students, out of towners (she takes particular pride in selling to a discerning New Yorker), professionals, and artists. Her own style she describes as edgy, funky, and comfortable. (These are all good qualities to find in a shoe, natch.)
See full article & photos - Shoe Royalty/Savoir Phaire.
