Philadelphia isn’t always thought of when someone says fashion, but BLACK WEDNESDAY designers Lindsay Leichner and Diana Bader completely changed my perspective and, I have a feeling, they’ll will change yours too. We sat down for a little Q&A and got a sneak peak at some of their Spring/Summer 2014 collection!

These girls design for the “free spirit rocker”. They say, “she’s a little unconventional and quirky but knows how to put pieces together to create an overall sleek, badass look. She knows fashion and knows what she likes not just because it may or may not be a trend.”

What’s your favorite material to work with?
Leather and knits with four way stretch & good memory (no one likes booty marks after sitting down for a half an hour) are staples for BLACK WEDNESDAY. We are really into mixing different materials together to change up textures. Studding is a huge part of the Meet the Family collection and we have plans for metal embellishments for SS14 as well.

What’s your favorite thing about designing and manufacturing in Philly?
In NYC you’re just another person, especially as a fashion designer. Philly is large enough to still be able to explore and network but small enough to feel like home. The people that live in Philly are the real deal.

Why did you decide to manufacture locally in Philly? 
Truthfully, we stumbled upon our manufacturer and at that point we officially started BLACK WEDNESDAY. Staying local is great for new designers — our manufacturer worked with us through the production process (we were not exactly taught the business end of fashion design in school). We were able to work directly with the staff constructing the garments to work out all of the issues and even make last minute changes.

Any advice to designers trying to make it in Philadelphia? 
DO NOT sign contracts without reading them 10 times first. Get a very large calendar and mark that bad boy up with deadlines because if you don’t you literally will have no idea where your days disappear to. Then make (and remember to update) an Instagram for your brand. We made so many connections through that silly phone app.

What’s your favorite fall trend?
We cannot wait to break our real and “vegan” leather jackets from the back of the closet. A little black moto jacket can pull any outfit together and complete the look. Pair it with a maxi skirt, broken in t-shirt and some combat boots– you are ready to go.

Spring/Summer 2014 Lookbook

Urban Outfitters carries five of their pieces, but also check out their website at www.ShopBlackWednesday.com to see more designs and the full Spring/Summer 2014 Lookbook! Lookbook photos by Mark Shiber.

It’s great to see such talent from Philadelphia. Click here to see more Fellow Philadelphians!