You know a store is doing something right when even the employees become compulsive shoppers. That being said, Echochic is both a cozy, welcoming boutique and an incredibly successful business. The mix, both in terms of merchandise and the vibe of the store, can be attributed to its owner, Jennifer Ramsay.
The first time I met Ramsay she was very Sarah Jessica Parker, circa Girls Just Want to Have Fun. From the big earrings to the over-sized off-the-shoulder sweatshirt, she was definitely more '80s than Sex in the City, but fabulous nonetheless. Indeed, she even describes her current merchandise and style as being "all about the '80s." The reason? "The '80s are so hot right now."
Not to fear, however, if the '80s aren't really your thing. The entire store is centered around a '60s lounge feel, complete with bright red Eames chairs, and a tightly-wound spiral staircase. A TV behind the register plays muted French movies while end tables are stacked with magazines in which the store has been featured, ranging from local favorites such as Philadelphia Magazine to larger publications like W, Vogue and Sportswear International. Tucked in among the magazines are classic French children's books like The Red Balloon.
The French theme is very fitting, given that Echochic is located at the corner of 17th and Sansom, right in the middle of Philly's own French Quarter. However, the store was not always in its "chic," prestigious locale. In fact, it began on South Street, with a vintage clothing store owned by Ramsay's father.
"My family's always been in the rag business," she says, "so I began to be interested in fashion and help my father out when I was around 17 or 18."
When her father decided to sell his business, Retrochic, Inc., Ramsay saw her opening. Though her father originally tried to talk her out of it, she took over the South Street location and opened the store under the name Echo on April 1st, 10 years ago this year.
"At first I didn't want to do vintage," she says. "I didn't have the capital and was still paying off loans on the space. I stocked mainly unknown, underground designers, but also labels like XOXO and Dollhouse."
She stops and rolls her eyes, flipping her long, curly hair out of her face.
"OK, so I know that sounds really not cool now, but they were new then and very in, I swear!"
I take her word for it. Even then, she was on the forefront of Philly fashion. Remember when no one wore jeans and then suddenly they were everywhere? Ramsay was there to usher denim back in.
"I was the first in Philadelphia to carry Sergio Valente jeans. Everyone thought I was crazy, but suddenly Jay-Z was singing about them and they were cool! We were selling almost 20 pairs a day. They were flying off the shelves so fast we had to devote an entire stockroom just to Sergio Valente jeans."
The reference to Jay-Z belies Ramsay's own connection to the Philly hip hop scene. At the store on South Street, Eve -- the gangsta-fabulous female rapper -- was a frequent customer and also used Ramsay's fashion skills as a stylist. Ramsay has also styled such artists as Charlie Baltimore, Rah Digga and others for concerts, videos and album covers for Ruff Nation. In fact, her husband is Schoolly D (a.k.a. Jesse Weaver) -- Philadelphia's own original gangster rapper.
With such prestigious clients and hot labels, Ramsay says she felt the need to expand. At just the right time, the building in which her store was housed went up for sale.
"I thought, why not?" she says, smiling. "Here I was, in a tube top and a bindi, applying for a half million dollar loan. I don't know what I was thinking. I don't know what they were thinking. But I got it."
With that, she bought the building, but never expanded the store.
"With 9/11,"Ramsay says, "retail totally changed. So did the whole culture of South Street."
By that time, Ramsay had become a mother and wasn't thrilled about bringing a baby to South Street every day. She also felt that her personal style and the style of the store had evolved into something more sophisticated. After seven years, Echo closed its doors.
"I worked for a while as a stylist, but I got bored. I was doing things by appointment only and also designing some things out of my home. It was nice to be home, because my husband has his music studio there as well," she says.
In fact, the couple's apartment, complete with sound and design studios, has been featured in Philadelphia Style magazine.
"I was designing those t-shirt dress things that were big for a while. Eventually, Schoolly said to me that I had to get out of there. He was right."
Ramsay then took up a friend's offer to share some retail space at Echochic's current location.
"I had a couple racks, some buying power, but I could see that he was trying to get out, so I decided to take over the whole space."
The term "chic" wasn't the only thing that she added to the concept. In addition to the boutique on the first floor, a vintage collection -- arguably the best in the city -- is housed upstairs.
"I had always wanted to do vintage but didn't really have the funds, time or space. Now I had all three."
All of the vintage pieces housed in Echochic -- from accessories, to lingerie, to outerwear -- are handpicked by either Ramsay herself or dealers that she works with regularly. She describes her buying approach as "trend-driven." In addition to selling the clothing as they come, Echochic also deconstructs and reconstructs pieces. For example, they are currently engaged in recovering vintage clutches with reproductions of vintage fabrics.
Jammie Lucas, an intern at Echochic and a student at the Philadelphia Art Institute, is heading up the process. At any given time, Echochic has roughly four full-time employees and two interns. Most have a background in design, and many showcase their own designs within the store, such as jewelry and handbags. Lucas' job basically involves ordering and displaying merchandise, creating window displays and doing things like restoring vintage bags.
"Even though I don't wear jewelry, I love looking at the earrings we have. They're all so cool. I also love the Miss Sixty shoes," Lucas says.
Lucas says she enjoys her job because of the relaxed atmosphere and the one-on-one contact she gets from working with Ramsay. She notices that this personal attention carries over into her work with customers and the vintage collection.
"Jen [Ramsay] devotes time to every customer and every article of clothing she buys for resale. She's always very careful that the vintage collection will connect with customers' style."
Thus, any of the vintage pieces are things that you could easily mix in with a more modern ensemble. Layer a slip from the '30s over a pair of Earl Jeans, and you're ready to go.
Indeed, this idea of mixing it up is what Echochic is all about. Ramsay describes her store as perfect for the "hip Philly girl." When asked what the "hip Philly girl" is wearing, she says, "Well, she's not going to Nordstrom and buying Jimmy Choo shoes, a Prada skirt and a Michael Stars t-shirt. She knows how to mix her labels and her vintage to create her own personal style."
Since Ramsay does most of the buying for Echochic personally, the store really is a reflection of her personal style. Just like in high school, she likes the thrill of having what no one else in Philadelphia carries. For example, Echochic was the first store in Philly to carry labels like Marc Jacobs, Christian Lacroix and Seven. However, Ramsay has moved on.
"We did Seven, we're over it."
Now, in keeping with the French vibe, Echochic features labels like Seeby Chloe -- "so hot right now" -- and Botkier handbags which "look like Balenciage but are, like, $1500 less." Some other trendy labels on the Ramsay racks include Lamb, Leroy's Girl, Lindstrom and Mimi Turner.
Turner, who is actually a friend of Ramsay's and a Wharton grad, is one of her current favorite designers. Turner has been designing on her own label for about six or seven years, after leaving Harvard Law for fashion. It was Turner who turned Ramsay on to the Sergio Valente craze when the store was still on South Street.
"Mimi's clothes are so cool and elegant. They're all silk, and she uses great color names, like 'moss' and 'mushroom.'"
"I love mushrooms! "Ramsay bursts out.
"No, not like that, well not any more," she continues sheepishly. "I'm just a child of the hippie culture." Indeed. The fact that her daughter's name is Jordan Dream Weaver was my first clue.
Ramsay pulls out a spring style sheet for a handbag designer called Toast. She points to a '70s style, bamboo-handled bowling bag with a mushroom design. "See? I love that. Look at my checks, even they have little '70s mushrooms on them." I nod, wondering why anyone would ever put that on their checks.
Though her inner flower child may make Ramsay appear unabashedly flighty, that's certainly not the case, at least not past the first impression. In fact, she's a very savvy businesswoman. This comes across when she describes the financial aspects of running the store. The buying process apparently works both ways. Some designers contact the store after seeing credits for Echochic in magazines. Otherwise, Ramsay herself goes to "big" fashion shows like those in Bryant Park, special "buying" shows and designers' private showrooms. She spends two days a week doing this, and the other four in the store. She usually brings her daughter along on these buying excursions.
"One kid I can roll with," she says lightly. "Past that, I don't know."
For now, Ramsay embraces the "rock star" aesthetic, and celebrities visiting Philadelphia seem to appreciate this. Repeat customers include Shirley Manson, Gwen Stefani and Jamiroquai. Hillary Swank recently stopped in and walked out with what I hear was a really cool hat.
What's in for spring for the hip Philly girl? Ramsay says it's all about white, anything white. So, in the words of Schoolly D, "looking at my Gucci it's about that time" for you to go out and find yourself something white.
