Page 96 - The Hunt - Spring/Summer 2023

Tendril Flutter knit dress with silk beaded cording straps ($398); Zephyr’ silk chiffon overskirt with silk beaded floral tassels and art print ($675); Tiffany Arey ”Make an Entrance” straw/textile percher with feathers ($425).
ABOUT THE SHOOT
Brian Cawley went to his first Point-to-Point at Winterthur at age 15 and never looked back. “After
35 years of working December holidays in retail, Point-to-Point is my holiday season—I haven’t missed any,” says Cawley, a visual merchandiser at Macy’s flagship Philadelphia store and a confirmed steeplechase aficionado.
In July 2021, Cawley collaborated with the Elissa Bloom, executive director of the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator, on its 10th anniversary. “We had so much fun on the project, we immediately started looking for other opportunities to partner,” says Cawley, who’s also on the Radnor Hunt race committee. “For over a decade, the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator has given [Macy’s] the opportunity to foster emerging designers. This season, we asked some of their most talented alumni to reimagine race patrons’ wardrobes. They embraced the project and have given us glamorous looks for this season and seasons to come.”
The Philadelphia Fashion Incubator began 12 years ago as a one-year residency program for a handful of designers in the 800-square-foot workspace on the store’s fourth floor. “Our coursework is like an MBA for fashion entrepreneurs,” says Bloom. “Steeplechase is a perfect showcase opportunity.”
Originally drawing upon recent graduates from
Drexel University, Moore College of Art & Design and the University of Delaware, the incubator has evolved to include second- and third-career designers. Each of them is focused on thoughtful solutions in fashion—gaps in the market. “The pandemic gave us a pause to consider how we’re investing our money,” says Bloom, “to be discerning about selecting timeless and long-lasting items—as these pieces are.”
Visit philadelphiafashion-incubator.com.
60 STEEPLECHASE LOOKBOOK 2023 | todaymediainc.com