People Watching: Senpai + Kohai

If you're a fan of beautiful, one-of-a-kind, Free People-esque style, you must check out the designs offered by fashion label Senpai + Kohai!

Created by designers Melissa Choi (a very old friend of mine!) and Pia Panaligan, this line is unique in both its textiles and its purpose.

About their designs, quoted from their site:

Artistic approaches to fashion characterize our line. For our first collection, we were inspired by traditional embroideries and embellishments gathered from Melissa's travels to India. Our first collection used mainly natural based fabrics, many of which were hand dyed or painted. All the pieces are one-of-a-kind, hand-sewn party dresses, reworked found jackets, recycled fur and some hand painted hosiery, along with some silk scarves.

And about their purpose, which personally, makes me love their line even more:

The fashion industry being a fast paced business has been taken over by “disposable fashion”. We want to create a line of great quality-made pieces that don’t necessarily follow fashion trends and instead focus on traditional craftsmanship. With our world travels and multi-cultural heritage, we will incorporate these influences into our collections... Because we are from Philadelphia, a city that is a minority in the fashion world, we will stand out among our peers and help bring attention to the creative minds that dwell here.

I appreciate their desire to encourage fashion and the arts in their city, as well as their goal to produce clothing that is beautiful enough to transcend trends. I can't wait to see where Senpai + Kohai ends up in the fashion world -- I'm sure it's going to be amazing!