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Philadelphia is a city that moves in layers. Cobblestones and murals, rowhomes and skylines, jazz spilling from basements while chefs plate poetry upstairs. Here, history and reinvention are always in conversation — the past holds your hand even as the future pulls you forward. In this rhythm, art is not a luxury but a way of breathing, and community is stitched together by makers who refuse to separate life from creation.
Fashion here doesn’t simply follow trends; it tells stories. It grows from quiet studios in South Philly, from light-filled workrooms in Old City, from hands that know fabric, leather, stone, and metal not as commodities but as instruments. This is a Philadelphia of intimacy and boldness, of risk and resonance — a city whose designers are shaping not just wardrobes but identities, one silhouette at a time.
It is in this current — alive, restless, deeply human — that FIRST BELL: A Preview of Private School arrives as part of the 2025 DesignPhiladelphia Festival. On Friday, October 10, 2025, from 4–8 PM, Wind Studio in South Philadelphia will transform into an immersive fashion and design showcase for one evening only.
Private School is not about conventional retail. It is about designing 1/1 experiences that stay etched in memory — moments that remind us why independent design matters. This collaboration continues that tradition, presenting jewelry, fashion, handbags, and accessories as living vignettes. Each designer brings not only a collection but a story, each piece carrying the fingerprint of the maker and the pulse of the city.
Angela Monaco — Angela Monaco Jewelry
Philadelphia jeweler Angela Monaco creates pieces that marry raw, organic beauty with mysticism. Through Angela Monaco Jewelry and her boutique Ritual Shoppe, she has become a cornerstone of the city’s indie design scene. Her collections often feature crystals, unconventional gemstones, and sculptural forms that invite wearers to express both strength and spirituality.
Bela Shehu — NINObrand
Albanian-born, Philadelphia-based designer Bela Shehu is the founder of NINObrand, a label defined by quiet luxury and architectural silhouettes. Her designs embrace modularity, subtle drama, and technical fabrics sourced globally, crafted with uncompromising attention to detail. Shehu’s work has been featured in The New York Times, Harper’s Bazaar, and Philadelphia Magazine, and she is widely recognized for shaping the city’s modern fashion identity. Beyond garments, she curates a design philosophy: clothing as emotional architecture — meant to be lived, layered, and reimagined.
Jurgita Stahlecker — JURGI
Founder of JURGI, Jurgita Stahlecker blends Lithuanian heritage with global inspiration to create handbags that are functional, minimal, and timeless. Working closely with artisans, she ensures each piece — whether leather, suede, or canvas — carries durability and understated elegance. With designs that are simple yet distinctive, JURGI redefines everyday luxury.
John Wind — John Wind Jewelry
For over four decades, John Wind has built a career at the intersection of fashion jewelry, art, and narrative design. His brand John Wind Jewelry is known for Modern Vintage pieces and the much-loved Charm Bar experience, with work represented in the permanent collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, and Paris’ Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Wind’s presence at FIRST BELL anchors the evening in both legacy and reinvention.
Gaya Chopra — Simitri
The creative force behind Simitri, Gaya Chopra brings the bold sparkle of India’s artisanal traditions into global fashion. Each Simitri bag is meticulously handcrafted with embellishment, metallic fringe, and rich color stories — wearable art designed to turn heads. Rooted in slow fashion and artisan collaboration, Simitri celebrates individuality, drama, and the beauty of a grand entrance.
DesignPhiladelphia is the city’s largest design festival, drawing visitors, media, and tastemakers from across the region. But FIRST BELL is not just another trunk show. It is a rare chance to engage directly with the designers shaping Philadelphia’s creative future — to step into staged vignettes, hold pieces infused with story and intention, and leave with a memento that anchors you to this unreplicable night.
Whether you’re drawn to fashion, handcrafted jewelry, or the intimacy of meeting the makers behind the work, this event offers a chance to discover, connect, and collect.
📍 FIRST BELL: A Preview of Private School
🗓 Friday, October 10, 2025 | 4–8 PM
📍 Wind Studio | 1610 S. 8th Street, Philadelphia
🎟 Part of DesignPhiladelphia Festival 2025
Join us for an evening where design becomes memory, and shopping becomes story.
