Dear Laney, a women’s fashion brand, is hosting a grand opening for their new Jenkintown storefront on Saturday, October 4, from 10:00am – 7:00pm.

Owner Cali Shabazz is relocating her South Philadelphia studio to 721 West Avenue after 11 years of business.

A self-taught designer who has participated in Philly Fashion Week and produced two independent fashion shows, Shabazz was also a winner of Best of Philly in the Metro Paper in 2023.

“I truly love fashion and honestly have never wanted to do anything else in life. It might sound cliché, but it’s genuinely my life. I feel like fashion saved my life,” Shabazz told Glenside Local. “I love to express myself creatively through outfits, and Dear Laney is my hobby turned career. In fact, that’s my mantra: ‘Hobbies become careers.'”

The brand was developed after Shabazz’s grandfather, Laney, passed in 2012.

“At the time, I sold vintage and felt like I had reached a ceiling with that. I wanted more and decided to create a brand,” she said. “When my grandpa died, I wrote him a letter, and after I wrote ‘Dear Laney,’ a light switch turned on, and I thought, ‘Oh my God, this is the name of my business!”

For more on the brand, you can visit their website, Facebook page, and Instagram page.

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Photos: Dear Laney