Established in 2007 and founded by Kate D'Arcy, Toggery is a contemporary fashion collection for women that blends beautiful design with luxurious, environmentally conscious fabrics.  Created and sourced with the best intentions for the community and consumer, the line uses more than 50% organic fabrics from us knitting mills and manufactures all garments in its Philadelphia based facilities.

Karina dresses are all made with love in Brooklyn, USA by happy seamstresses earning a living wage. The brand's dresses are designed for busy, multi-tasking gals as they do the stuff that makes their life truly authentic: family, romance, work, volunteering, travel, pregnancy, spiritual growth, exercise, creative work work, DIY projects...the list is as long as women are diverse. Meet Karina herself at the event!

The J & I jewelry collection, designed by Ian Gibson, distills the essence of organic forms to highlight the timeless quality of sterling silver. Highlighted by gemstones and freshwater pearls each item is completely hand formed in their Philadelphia studio.

BCS Designs are handcrafted in Center City, Philadelphia by designer, Beth Soffer. Her pieces are made with exquisite gemstones and 18K gold plated chains. Meet Beth at the event!

Come to our retail store at 1700 Sansom Street and discover these talented designers, and you'll even get the chance to meet a few of them too! Light refreshments will be served. Rsvp@savafashion.com by Friday, May 18th!

The organization believes in the power of local businesses to transform communities for the better by working cooperatively toward a shared vision. BALLE imagines cities and towns of every size and political stripe engaged in shared learning to build community assets like sustainable agriculture, green building, renewable energy, community capital, zero-waste manufacturing and independent retail - what we call the building blocks of Living Economies. We envision a time when local economies not only generate community wealth, but also are catalysts for civic action, social diversity and ecological health -- for sustainable communities.

Sarah Van Aken will be speaking during the main conference on Friday, May 18^th during an Interactive Session called: Localize This!: Bringing Global Supply Chains Back Home in which Sarah and the rest of the panelists will discuss how their trailblazing business have taken supply chain localization to new heights in food, fashion and manufacturing.

The BALLE Conference connects you to the best people, resources and ideas to unleash local prosperity. Join more than 700 community innovators, business owners, and investors.

If you are interested in attending, you can register here.

Follow BALLE on facebook and on twitter!

Patricia Washington is Vice President of Cultural Tourism for the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC), a nonprofit organization that makes Philadelphia and The Countryside® a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region's vitality. In her role as vice president, Washington serves as a leader in the development of the company's arts and diversity initiatives. She has headed up new projects such as Philly 360°™, reaching out to young, tech-savvy African-American travelers; Boundless Philadelphia®, focusing on the region's plentiful outdoor offerings; and the Neighborhood Tourism Network, helping community-based attractions benefit from the tourism industry. Washington also oversees Philadelphia's Quest for Freedom program, a marketing collaborative of 20-plus sites that promotes the region's Underground Railroad and African-American history.

Before joining GPTMC, Ms. Washington was a program officer in the areas of Arts & Culture and Children, Youth and Families for the William Penn Foundation, where she worked on a variety of citywide arts and youth development initiatives.  As a lawyer, Ms. Washington also worked as an assistant city solicitor in the City of Philadelphia's Law Department, served as district office chief of staff for a state senator and practiced as an entertainment lawyer.  Prior to that, she served as program director for the Painted Bride Art Center.

Ms. Washington serves on the boards of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, Preservation Pennsylvania, the Multicultural Affairs Congress of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau and Interim House. She is also on the national steering committee and served as former chair of the Cultural & Heritage Tourism Alliance.

Emily Goulet is the Lifestyle Editor for Philadelphia Magazine. Her amazing sense of style is never short of fabulous. She loves monogrammed stationery, vintage furs and interior design reality shows. She writes every Friday on The Philly Post about what's hot right now, from the latest design news to style ideas and commentary.

Jennifer is an active leader in her community working with several non-profit organizations. She is a member of the Junior League of Philadelphia, a women's non-profit organization, and has accepted a leadership position with the League for 2013. Currently, Jennifer is also running for a seat on the Alumni Board of Rosemont College. She has been active with The Spruce Foundation of Philadelphia, which supports local organizations working with at-risk youth in the city of Philadelphia. Last year, she was also instrumental in raising funds for the ALS Association of Greater Philadelphia Walk to Defeat ALS.

Jennifer enjoys standing as a member of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. She is also an avid runner, who participated and finished in the 2010 Broad Street Run in Philadelphia, PA.

Meet these lovely ladies and see them in our 'New Classics' collection during our Style Event this Sunday, May 6th from 4-8pm at The Sofitel Hotel!

What makes their company so unique and a perfect jewelry partner for our brand is their ethical practices. Bario-Neal uses 100% reclaimed precious metals whenever possible, derived from recycled jewelry or industrial materials. Anna and Page use everything from conflict-free and recycled diamonds to ethically sourced gems that are closely monitored from mill to market.  Bario-Neal works with specialized craftspeople on Philadelphia's historic Jeweler's Row to hand-make many of its pieces.

We are thrilled to be showing off their pieces with our 'New Classics' collection at The Style Event. Their exquisite and one of a kind jewelry is a perfect compliment our clothing.

Join us for our exclusive Style Event on Sunday, May 6th from 4-8pm at The Sofitel Hotel to get an up close look at Bario-Neal's collection and support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeastern PA.  Space is limited so make sure to get your tickets!

Dawn Timmeney

Emmy Award-winning news journalist Dawn Timmeney joined NBC10 in 2001. She currently co-anchors NBC10 News at 4PM as well as The Good News every Friday at 5:30. She hosts and co-produces Dawn's Pet Project (seen on NBC 10 Nonstop), and is also a health & general assignment reporter.

Before coming to NBC10, Timmeney was an anchor for seven years at WBRE-TV 28 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.  During her tenure, the 5PM newscast won an Emmy for Best News Broadcast in the Region.

A Pennsylvania native, Timmeney began her television career as an anchor/reporter at WFMZ-TV 69 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. She graduated from the George School in Newtown, Bucks County PA, and earned a B.S. in Mass Communications/Broadcast Journalism from Emerson College in Boston.

Timmeney is the co-founder of the Max & Lorraine Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping children with asthma , which she started with her husband, Mike Tracy. The Foundation is the driving force behind Camp AsthmaCadabra, a summer camp in the Poconos for asthmatic children.  She is also on the Board of Directors of the Philadelphia/Delaware Valley Chapter of the Crohns & Colitis Foundation of America, is very involved with Little Smiles, and serves on various committees for the Community Partnership School in North Philadelphia.  Additionally, she has been very active with the Make-A-Wish Foundation for children and is a past board member.

Timmeney lives in the Philadelphia area with her husband and daughter, her golden retrievers Joplin and Bhodi, and kitty Luna.

Colette deChalus Lee

Colette has been a resident of Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania since 2005. Previously, Colette was a resident of the Washington, D.C. suburbs and a native resident of Red Bank, New Jersey. Colette has held corporate positions with American Express and Citibank during her career.

Colette currently volunteers with several not-for-profit organizations. She holds a Board position with Philadanco. Philadanco is a resident company in the Perelman Theatre at the Kimmel Center. Also, she is currently the President of the Brandywine Workshop's Philadelphia Friend's Chapter. The Brandywine Workshop is a print-making facility in the Northeast.

Colette has been a shopper at SA VA since the opening. She has had the opportunity to purchase suits, career dresses and even outfit for New Year's Eve!!

Rakia Reynolds

Rakia Reynolds has sky-rocketed to success by serving as a "media superwoman" for Philadelphia. She is sought after by companies to provide her expertise in a wealth of subjects and projects like media and art direction, branding and strategic planning, creative development, and producing content for television outlets such as MTV networks and TLC and print outlets such as Lucky magazine. She currently serves as the president of the Philadelphia chapter of Women in Film & Television and the events chair of the National Association of Multi-Ethnicity in Communications. In 2009, she received their Rising Star award, which hails achievements within the communications industry.

She runs Skai Blue Media, a full service PR agency with clients that run the gamut of lifestyle PR from a local politician, various restaurants and boutiques, and the South Street Headhouse District. Her work has resulted in national, local, and regional media placements.

In addition, Rakia is called on by local jewelry and clothing designers as a consultant on how to grow a local business. She is on the pulse of fashion trends, as the Philadelphia 360 Fashion Ambassador, where she covers the latest and greatest in beauty, clothing trends, and hair styling, just to name a few. Rakia also works with the Greater Philadelphia Tourism and Marketing Corporation on heightening the exposure of local boutiques and Philadelphia's shopping scene. You can catch her on Good Day Philadelphia on Fox 29, Talk Philly on CBS3, The NBC 10!Show, 6ABC's FYI Philly and mystyle.com from time to time talking about all things fabulous.

Rakia attended Temple University's Fox School of Business where she graduated with a degree in International Business and Marketing.

Don't miss the chance to meet these amazing women at our Style Event.

Get your tickets today!

Following the fashion show, attendees will be invited back to the SA VA retail store for 6-8pm at 1700 Sansom Street across the from The Sofitel Hotel for a private shopping party to shop for the looks they have just seen. 20% of all proceeds will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeastern PA.

Since we are a company committed to giving back to the local community by empowering women and children we knew that supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeastern PA would be the perfect partnership. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeastern PA is a donor and volunteer-supported organization that enriches, encourages and empowers children to reach their highest potential through safe, one-to-one mentoring relationships. More than 3,500 children annually are more successful socially and academically because of the work of Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA.

We truly believe that supporting an organization like Big Brothers Big Sisters where children are given the tools to succeed at a young age will not only create a positive impact on themselves but will also nurture learning and leadership skills which will ultimately effect these children that some day could be the future leaders of our community.

Leading up to the event, we will be sharing information on our blog about this amazing organization including videos and links of their incredible work in the community and stories of Big Brothers and Big Sisters. Take a look at this video to get an overview of BBBS!

Big Brothers Big Sisters is always looking for volunteers so visit their site and see how you can become a mentor to these amazing children! Visit bbbssepa.org for more information.

Don't miss the Spring Style Event to support the cause! Space is limited.

The Sustainable Business Network is a national leader in the creation and integration of entrepreneurial and sustainable business practices. While priding itself on challenging the business community to protect the environment and participate in ethical practices, SBN makes a point to support businesses and individuals who are willing to make an impact. As the Greater Philadelphia region continues to thrive, SBN wants to create an even bigger imprint through educating policymakers and the public.

To further increase the influence of SBN, the Social Impact Campaign will collaborate with high school students so they will be inspired to pursue careers in business, technology, engineering and construction. Knowledge is a tool that SBN has been working with since the start, and who better to carry on the values of sustainable business practices than the next generation of leaders? SBN will be hosting the Social Impact Campaign Fundraiser at the Franklin Inn at 205 South Camac Street, on Thursday, April 26th from 6-8pm. All ticket proceeds go towards bringing in more professionals to visit students, and demonstrating their successful business practices. For more information about this event and others, please visit www.sbnphiladelphia.org to help support, impact, and help sustainable businesses.

We absolutely love the Malla skirt and we know you will too! Made of a comfortable stretch knit jersey, this ruched faux wrap dress is ideal for the weather now with a flat, boot or pump and can easily transition into the warmer Summer days and nights with a wedge or an open toe heel.

The neutral color makes it easy enough to pair with virtually any color. We love it paired with a bright saturated hue, but also love it with other neutrals like our brown silk Collistia top with sheer yoke detailing. Add a drapey sweater or tailored blazer or jacket and you're look can easily go from day to night!

The Malla skirt retails for $129 and is available in store now in sizes XS-XXL.  Look out for it online soon!

Born in England, jewelry designer Ian Gibson has spent many years traveling the world absorbing various cultural influences. Schooled in geology and petrology, his love of rocks and fossils was transformational in his exploration of metals. Being completely self taught in the jewelry arts has led him down paths and to conclusions that have garnered his work acclaim for its freshness and originality.

Ian fabricates the various elements from raw materials by hand. Casting processes are not used. Using sterling silver as the base, the collection is developed with touches of semi precious stone, aspects of pearl, and hints of gold. An oxidizing patina is added to many pieces to embellish the hand etched details.

J&I Jewelry is rich with classic statement pieces, which can highlight any wardrobe. Best of all, all of the pieces we carry are under $100 so you can afford to pick up any piece as a gift or for yourself! Stop by SA VA today or shop online for J&I to check out the work of these fabulous artisans and add a unique flair to your wardrobe!