Pastel organza in pink, green, and cream drapes elegantly, encasing satin roses within airy bags and oversized scrunchies. Sunlight filters through the sheer fabric, casting soft, diffused glows that dance across the space. Room Shop’s accessories—ruffled chokers and garters, multicolored scrunchies adorned with whimsical charms like shrimp, stars, and crystals—are displayed against the industrial backdrop of a refurbished school. Concrete walls and oversized windows provide a striking contrast to the dreamy atmosphere, where golden light reflects off the satin textures, illuminating vintage home decor: funky figurines, ceramic vases, and personal treasures. Each piece speaks to an ethos of creating a world tailored to you and your personality by refashioning existing materials.
Shelly Horst’s Room Shop operates out of Bok, a repurposed school in South Philadelphia that has become a hub for glassblowers reshaping recycled glass, artisans making garlic za’atar and jalapeno–paprika flavored cashew cheese, and many other creatives. The former classrooms and locker–lined hallways now serve as creative studios, blending history with modern entrepreneurship. For Horst, the location is more than just a workspace; it’s a symbol of reinvention and sustainability, values that are deeply embedded in Room Shop’s ethos.
Room Shop first gained widespread attention in 2020 through social media. The brand’s visibility skyrocketed when a Teen Vogue editor featured a matching scrunchie–and–mask set, turning Horst’s designs into a sought–after staple for a time when even a small pop of color could bring a sense of joy through the Zoom workplace.
What started as an unexpected boom, however, has evolved into a more complex challenge: competing against the relentless fast–fashion industry. “We see fast–fashion companies mimicking designs from small brands, and they can do it faster and cheaper because they don’t have the same ethical constraints,” Horst explains. Unlike mass retailers reliant on disposable trends and exploitative labor, Room Shop remains committed to small–batch production in Philadelphia, ethical manufacturing, and quality materials. “It’s hard to keep up when the industry is built to favor overproduction and waste,” she says.
Marketing a small business presents its own difficulties. Consumers are constantly bombarded with cheaper, more accessible alternatives, making it essential for Room Shop to stand out not just through its products, but through its story. “It’s not just about making something pretty; the products mean something,” Horst emphasizes. By embedding her identity and values into Room Shop, she ensures that customers aren’t just purchasing an accessory—they’re investing in a commitment to thoughtful design. Those who align with the brand’s vision choose to support a business model that prioritizes artistry and sustainability over mass production.
To Horst, fashion isn’t just aesthetic—it’s political. “What we wear is a reflection of who we are, what we care about, and how we want to move through the world,” she says. “Fast fashion strips that away—it takes identity and turns it into a disposable commodity.” By creating pieces meant to be cherished and worn for years, Room Shop challenges the throwaway culture of mainstream fashion. “I want people to feel like they’re wearing something that speaks to them, not just something they bought because it was trending for five minutes.”
Owning a small business is inherently political. “The way we run our business, the decisions we make—they all have impact,” Horst explains. “I think people don’t always realize that when you support a small brand, you’re making a political choice. You’re saying, ‘I value ethical production. I value craftsmanship. I value independent creators.’”
Navigating sustainability while maintaining creative fulfillment is an ongoing challenge, but for Horst, it’s a welcome one. “The creative process isn’t just about making something beautiful; it’s about problem solving,” she says. “How do we make something ethically, but also in a way that feels fresh and exciting?” She views these constraints as an integral part of the design process, pushing her to innovate with materials, techniques, and production methods. “It forces you to be more intentional,” she explains. “Every piece we create has to earn its place—not just aesthetically, but in terms of how it’s made and why it exists.”
Room Shop’s commitment to intentionality is woven into its latest collections, such as its award ribbons—wearable tokens of appreciation meant to be gifted or kept as reminders of small victories in times of political strife and uncertainty. The central rose, sewn from carefully folded fabric, minimizes waste, ensuring that even the smallest fabric scraps are repurposed into something beautiful.
The award ribbons are large and colorful, adorned with lace and rosette trim and crafted from satin—a fabric that lends an air of sophistication suited for an adult, while the playful design itself feels lovingly childish, evoking a sense of nostalgia and joy. In a time when so much feels heavy, wearing something loud and joyful becomes an act of quiet defiance—a way to reclaim a bit of happiness.
“It’s this idea of a pin you can wear, something that acknowledges an achievement, even if it’s just making it through a hard day,” she says.
Sustainability is central to Room Shop’s identity, though Horst is candid about the complexities of that label. “There’s no such thing as true sustainability when you’re producing new products,” she acknowledges. “But we can be responsible. We can make things that last, that people will keep instead of discarding.” From using deadstock and remnant fabrics to minimizing waste by repurposing fabric scraps from purses into cute lipstick holders, every aspect of production is approached with care.
Every purchase from a small business is an act of support—not only for an individual creator but for the values they uphold. When customers choose Room Shop, they’re choosing slow fashion over fast trends, artistry over mass production, and a business that aligns with them. In this way, fashion becomes more than just adornment; it becomes a statement, a connection, and a reflection of the world we want to build.
For Horst, Room Shop is about self–expression—finding beauty and being creative in the everyday, even as the world seems to push against it. In a world that often prioritizes mass production and fleeting novelty, her designs stand as a testament to the power of thoughtful craftsmanship. “Being hopeful, finding joy—those are acts of resistance,” she says. “That’s what I want to bring to our customers. That’s what creation brings to me.”
