Burch, who grew up on a farm just outside the city, cites Philadelphia as a key character in her personal history. “I love looking at the architecture, the changing skyline and the mix of old and new,” she says, identifying the juxtaposition of 18th century Georgian row houses with modern buildings as the defining look of the city’s skyline. Parks and gardens, such as Valley Forge, an encampment used in the time of George Washington and described by Burch as “beautiful year-round,” are also iconic not only to Philadelphia but also to her experience of it. She recalls many visits to the Longwood Gardens, a vast horticultural feat that houses 11,000 different types of plants and numerous fountains that are the main spectacle in the Garden’s year-round themed shows.

Burch recalls that in her childhood days in the Pennsylvanian countryside, there was always a wide spectrum of people at their home: sculptors, interior designers, artists, poets, actors and musicians. “My brother Jamie describes our Kodachrome childhood as ‘Huck Finn meets Andy Warhol’ and that definitely shaped who I am today.”

This exposure to art and culture is one of the things the designer is most proud of about the city. “One thing visitors might not know is that Philadelphia has more Impressionist paintings than any other city outside Paris,” she shares. Its Barnes Foundation hosts an incredible collection of impressionist and early modern paintings, including the works of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso. The Institute of Contemporary Art, meanwhile, displays works by Andy Warhol, Laurie Anderson and Robert Mapplethorpe.

Another famous art and culture spot is the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which is not only revered by locals as their own version of the Parthenon, but also well-loved by fans of modern film. “My boys always loved running up the steps [of the Philadelphia Museum of Art] in homage to a famous scene in the movie ‘Rocky’ which was set in the city,” Burch shares. She identifies the Fairmount neighbourhood, where all these museums are located, as the place where her love of art began and the reason behind her decision to take up art history at the University of Pennsylvania. “I was in awe of the paintings by Monet and Manet,” she says.

The influence of these monuments of the art world is also evident in her work. “Our ballet print was inspired by Edgar Degas’ paintings there [in the Barnes Foundation]. We loved the motion of his dancers.” Burch likewise remains a fan of local artists such as Isiah Zagar, the award-winning mosaic artist whose work can be found on more than 200 walls around the city and the world, and who has most notably contributed to the Philadelphia art scene by transforming half a block of space in the city’s Magic Gardens into a work of “outsider art” using mosaics, tiles and pieces of glass.

And while it is important to Burch to acknowledge Philadelphia as an important influence in her work, she is careful to never be too literal about it. For example, for the Fall/Winter 2017 collection, she found inspiration in the fearlessness and irreverence of Katharine Hepburn’s character in The Philadelphia Story, a film deemed “culturally, historically and aesthetically significant” by The U.S. Library of Congress. “Her [Hepburn’s] outdoor glamour, combined with a confident femininity creates a modern take on the familiar style of my own roots in Philadelphia,” Burch explains.

Her latest collection is a nod to her hometown as well as an invitation to those  she can influence to look at Philadelphia as an exciting destination in its own right. Her must-dos include walking around the Old City; cycling past Boathouse Row along the Schuylkill River; shopping for books at Joseph Fox; and visiting the Italian Market and the many farmers markets found around the area. On her long list of must-eats, there are: the city’s trademark handmade pretzels with mustard; Philadelphia cheesesteaks (“I love Pat’s, but Jim’s and Geno’s are also great”); Pizzeria Beddia, where the owner only makes enough dough for 40 pies and locals start queuing for dinner at 5:30 p.m.; and Villa di Roma, a family favourite. “Fall and spring are my favourite seasons,” she adds. “But there’s really no bad time to go.”

For Burch, Philadelphia’s continuing quest to both preserve history and participate in a cultural renaissance ensures a warm surprise at every turn. Whether it’s South Philadelphia, where there’s always a game to cheer for and an exotic cuisine to sample; Fishtown, comparable to Williamsburg for its being a hub of artistic and culinary action; or University City and its youth culture of food trucks and dive bars; Burch hopes that more people will discover the city’s true joy: the classic American experience set within vibrant spaces that know how to celebrate their roots.