DesignPhiladelphia

The leaves are changing, the weather is cooling (well, it’s raining), and design is in the air!  DesignPhiladelphia, a nationally recognized, open participation festival celebrating design, is back for its ninth year.  It showcases the role that design has played historically in this region, and celebrates Philadelphia’s contemporary significance as a center for creative advancement.

There are a ton of events between now and October 18 (over a hundred!).  Like Society of Pythagoras (formerly of Hidden City).  The Rabid Hands Art Collective has transformed Hawthorne Hall, a former vaudeville theater turned fraternal lodge turned church, into the “Society of Pythagoras,” using materials collected on-site and around the city. Collective members explore the tangled history of the fraternal lodges that once made the site their home, drawing from past and present secret spiritual and fraternal customs to create a mysterious, multi-storied club built on ritual and exploration.  Tonight at 6 PM!

The Salem by Kate Spade is evocative of the geometric shapes in Society of Pythagoras.  (There’s one room that’s like a triangley Aggro Crag.  It’s super cool.)  Blues, reds, and pinks cover the blocky 3.5-inch heel, the straps at the toe (and the bow on top!), and the straps around the ankle.  Find them at Nordstrom for $298.

Or go to Ristorante Panorama instead for a book signing for Meat America, an eye-opening and artery-closing visual essay on the American spirit, as told through meat!  Not kidding—Elvis in steak.  Tidbits about Abraham Lincoln’s butchering skills.  Even a Liberty Bell out of what looks like meatloaf!  Freedom is delicious.

Know what else is delicious?  Bacon.  These flip flops appear to be covered in strips of crispy bacon, and you can pick black or white straps and footbeds.  (Mmm, now I want bacon.)  Yours for $36 from Zazzle.

On Sunday, head over to the Penn Museum for C.U.R.V.V., an exhibit will consist of 12 handmade gowns inspired by the art work currently on display at the museum. The collection will focus mainly on the Egyptian sector of the museum, which was assembled through nearly a century of archaeological research.

The Shoreline by Naughty Monkey is just a beautiful sandal.  It is evocative of both ancient Egyptian footwear and the Nile River, what with the undulating gold upper.  I hope it warms up again, so you can wear them before winter!  Yours for $52 from Zappos.

DesignPhiladelphia runs between now and next Friday.  Go!  Explore!  Experience design!

Sales this weekend:
Aerosoles: Up to 25% off boots
Call it Spring: Extra 20% off all in-season styles
Lord & Taylor: 25% off one pair of boots; 30% off two or more pairs
Macy's: 20% off one pair, 25% off two pairs, 30% off three or more pairs
Nine West: Buy one, get one half off
Payless: Fall fashion sale-- up to 30% off