Friday was the second of the major Chicago runway shows, hosted by Macy’s. These were the lions—the most professional of the locals—sending their stuff down the runway: Lara Miller, Pamela Vanderline (Zone), Katrin Schnabl, Michelle Tan, Melanie Nicole, Orlando Espinoza, and Cyndi Chan (Ori’en). Check out the show, in condensed form, here.

A design by Katrin Schnabl

As for the bitch, I mean it in the nicest sense of the word: a little dog. Designer Cyndi Chan sent a moppy lil pup down the runway. Silly, I know. But it was nice to see a Chicago designer having fun. Most of the up-and-comers take everything so seriously and they send models down the catwalk with nothing but a dress and a grim expression; the accessories are drab, if there are any. Chan broke out the hats, the gloves, the glamour. Plus, there was a pet!

As for the great wardrobe, that title belongs to designer Katrin Schnabl. If I didn’t have such an aversion to that little appliance known as the iron, I would sink a month’s earnings into her pieces, which are sculptural and angled and thus likely require a lot of pressing. German born—and with a resume that includes work with Jil Sander, Robert Danes, and Caroline Herrera—Schnabl is the stand-out designer in town.

Note: Photo gallery from the show coming soon

Photography: Cassie Walker AND MIRAH KANG