Kill two birds with one stone at this charming furniture/clothing store hybrid.
Shopping at Matthew Izzo is like entering a kitschy, candle-scented Wonderland, with wildly different items from African drums to delicate silver chains tempting your wallet in every direction.
After years as a Manhattan interior designer, Matthew Izzo’s eye for layout and style has translated beautifully into his store, giving the place an artfully cluttered and homey feel, as if you’ve arrived at a friend’s apartment for dinner ten minutes too early. At times, the clutter borders on distraction and sensory overload (for what reason the presence of a single, plastic, neon green ice skate is necessary is beyond me), but the balance of the place is never negatively disturbed. The furniture that launched the designer sits mainly in the back of the store, a mix of turquoise, wooden shelves ($53) and modern chairs that seem to embody a Santa Fe–meets–L.A. atmosphere.
The clothing at Izzo is an odd blend of earthy essentials and crisp button downs (boys only), but somehow it works out nicely. The Cold Method scarves (appx. $40) are tossed on a rack by the window in shades of neon, grey, brown and every pattern that’s trendy to clash in between. The Duke & Winston Tophat Henley is an eco–friendly (read: itchy before a few washes but much cuter than anything at American Apparel) basic that stands out from the rest of the Alternative Apparel basics on the women’s rack. In the men’s section, dress shirts of the Wrath Arcane variety (think high–end, trendy Abercrombie & Fitch) were most prevalent. One notable item is the Cold Method Crosby Hooded Down Jacket, a remarkably warm alternative to the standard North Face puffy coat in a cerulean-navy blend, priced at $320.
While Izzo’s roots are purely in interior design, he has since diversified his creative sphere to now include clothing and jewelry. Perhaps the most notable piece in the store is an Izzo original necklace made from African beads from the early 20th century all in tones of red, green, yellow and orange, priced at $250.
Bottom line: N. 3rd Street is filled with boutiques trying to make Philadelphia that much more now. Izzo is unique in that, with everything but their clothing, it succeeds.
Matthew Izzo 151 N. 3rd St. (215) 829–0606 matthewizzo.com
