The addition of Barneys Co-op to Center City's shops is comparable to the $1,500 Prada bag that completes an already fashionable outfit - the necessary extra that ties a look together.
The city's fashion renaissance has been taking place over the last five years, as a spate of independent boutiques helped Philadelphia start to build a reputation as a place to find unique fashions.
The burgeoning restaurant scene, along with the multimillion-dollar condominium projects - and the well-heeled owners they hope to attract - fueled bigger fashion projects.
Last September, the contemporary women's department at Boyd's, B3, opened with much fanfare. The store carries fashionable favorites such as Diane von Furstenberg and Nanette Lepore alongside forward designers Roberto Cavalli and Fendi.
The Maryland-based retail chain South Moon Under, which carries the cute-top-and-denim combos that fashionable women crave, opened earlier this month on Chestnut Street, offering Pucci, Ben Sherman and Kate Spade. Blue Sole Shoes, an exclusive men's shoe store carrying Caporicci and Donald Pliner, also opened in March.
"I think fashion in Philadelphia is being revived now," said Steven Jamison, Blue Soles' owner. "There used to be a few select stores, and if you bought something from them, everybody knew it; you had to go out of the city to find uniqueness."
It's not only Center City that has seen an influx of upscale designers. A major remerchandising push at the King of Prussia mall has added more oomph to the fashion cachet of the stores there, too.
