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Exuberance and Restraint: Louis Vuitton, Chloe, and Martin Grant
Well, sports fans, we have made it to the end of something exhilarating, maddening, frivolous, and momentous: another fashion month has ended! I plan on taking a restorative weekend in which I will stay far away from high heels, but I’ll be back here next week with input from...
Paris’s Most Fashionable Venues (Valentino, Andrew Gn, Lanvin, and Akris)
Fashion Week involves much back and forth across the city, and when shows aren’t held at the Louvre or Tuileries (blessedly uncomplicated central locations), it means more planning. But sometimes the distant venues are so gorgeous you forget the extra time it took to get there...
Beau Chanel
It seems black is the reliable bet during this economic crunch. Why should designers pretend it’s not what women go for most of the time? But this is still Paris Fashion Week—we want a little drama, right? Well, the Chanel show yesterday provided a good mixture: a little theatricality with a lot of practicality...
Fashion Week Diary: Shelby Coleman
Skokie-based model Shelby Coleman (whom you may remember from our Q & A in October 2008) gives us a brief behind-the-scenes look at a day in her life:
March 4, 2009
First day of Fashion Week! Today I have a full schedule, which consists of five castings and two shows! I wake up at...
Getting Flushed at Dries Van Noten (plus Issey Miyake, Christian Dior, Isabel Marant, and Yohji Yamamoto)
There have already been some memorable moments during this Fashion Week: seeing the incredible Beth Ditto at the Jeremy Scott show on Saturday and having a “gros dejeuner” with friends to kill time between shows. But a fashion memory I will certainly never forget: I accidentally...
Paris: Pushing off the Pool Wall
Paris Fashion Week, the final and most important lap in “fashion month,” kicked off Wednesday, but most would argue that it really got started with Thursday morning’s Balenciaga show. And oh, things are just rushing forward. The draped silk looks, harem pants and bubbly skirts paired with pert shoulders, called to mind...
Points for Showmanship
HAYDEN-HARNETT
Thursday night, I found myself in a room in the Hotel Chelsea with a bunch of models who were lounging around and indulging. Wait, it's not what you think. The models were indulging in junk food—or at least pretending to—and showing off the latest collection by Hayden-Harnett. Probably not the same type of shenanigans that Bob Dylan and other rock stars practiced at this famed hotel...
Come On, Get Happy
Head-to-toe bright color is a curious trend right now. It intrigues the introvert in me. I couldn't wear it, but I might want to be friends with the person who did.
Young, party-loving Chris Benz referenced the late '70s in his warehouse presentation this season—specifically the clubgoers of New York during this era. It made me think of '70s Sonia Rykiel, with her superhero matching ensembles of red, blue, and yellow. Rykiel said she...
Sex Sells: Altuzarra, Derek Lam, Doo.Ri
ALTUZARRA
There's a new designer coming to Chicago, and his sexy
ruched dresses have people heated up. Givenchy and Proenza Schouler
alumnus Joseph Altuzarra has the kind of stuff to draw power buyers
from Barneys, as well as Chicago boutique owner Ikram. First time out of the ring and he has an
order from such an influential force in the retail world. Promising. His incredibly...
On the Marc: Strange Beauty at Marc Jacobs
Swirling paisley eyeshadow, highlighter-bright coats, Thierry Mugler sleeves—it was the 1980s en totale at Marc Jacobs last night.
What I admire about Marc Jacobs:
1. He's one of the few designers who can thrive in a corporate environment and send out a totally creative show within those confines.
2. He's a total extremist whose shows...
Vena Cava, Diane von Furstenberg, Erin Fetherston
VENA CAVA
While countless New York women were just beginning to glam up for their Valentine's Day dinner dates, a block of fashion operatives lined up in the West 20s, hoping to get a little love as well. What awaited us at the Vena Cava presentation was not kisses from a loved one but skinny models (somehow they always make me want to eat more chocolate), and many, many gay men...
Striding Forward
As the fashion citizens of the world unite this week at the tents of Bryant Park for the New York collections, there's much curiosity this season about how budget cuts will affect designers' creations. Fashion insiders say there will be a resetting of the dial—that the weaker talents will be sifted away. As for consumer consciousness, habits are not likely to change so quickly. People will still covet that Miu Miu shoe that will change their lives, making it perfect if even for a few moments...
CHICAGO FASHION is a special publication mailed to Chicago's subscribers. FASHION focuses on Chicago—the looks, shops, styles, and people—while keeping track of the global trends. The publication comes out twice a year, with the March and September issues of the monthly magazine.
To get future copies of FASHION, subscribe to Chicago magazine here.
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Features
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Tribal TributesFeel free in rich prints and earthy hues inspired by native American and African influences |
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Taking ShapeThe latest fashions follow the formal lines of art and architecture |
Departments
Editor's Letter |
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Onward! |
The Fashion Pros |
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Daytime Drama5 looks for Michelle Obama |
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Full ForceThe fashion consultant Mark Gill talks tough to deliver the best for his high-profile clients |
Right Now |
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Hot ShadesLook smart-And travel incognito |
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Rich and RipeIn orange, ocher, and rust |
High Heels To The Danger ZoneIn fashion, there’s a fine line between fabulous and ridiculous. |
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BedazzledJewelry designer Temple St. Clair has a flair for the 16th century. |
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Bold BasicsPlay it cool in black, white, and gray |
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Getting GraphicLet loose in edgy prints |
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A Crashingly Good SeasonWho says fashion and a tanking economy can’t mix? |
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In with the NewAs the days get longer and the chill begins to lift, it’s only natural to wish you could chuck your bulky clothes in favor of bright colors, skin-baring dresses, and floral anything, especially... |
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Buckle UpHigh-Rise Sandals Rock |
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Strong as Oak (Street)A new crop of shops springs up on this luxe lane |
Copyright 2009 Chicago Magazine
