A designer who uses plus-sized models (Tennille White) . . . followed by an entire collection from a bikini designer who's riffing off a film noir theme? You're not in Oz, you're at the closing show of Chicago's weeklong fashion celebration! I don't mean this unkindly. There's a lot of diversity here in terms of designer backgrounds, inspiration, and even what constitutes "style." Last night's event—Macy's Presents the Designers of Chicago—did as much as any to illustrate that, booking accomplished locals Lara Miller (who's known for her gauzy, convertible shapes and eco-fashion mindset) and...

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A designer who uses plus-sized models (Tennille White) . . . followed by an entire collection from a bikini designer who's riffing off a film noir theme? You're not in Oz, you're at the closing show of Chicago's weeklong fashion celebration! I don't mean this unkindly. There's a lot of diversity here in terms of designer backgrounds, inspiration, and even what constitutes "style." Last night's event—Macy's Presents the Designers of Chicago—did as much as any to illustrate that, booking accomplished locals Lara Miller (who's known for her gauzy, convertible shapes and eco-fashion mindset) and...

" />

A designer who uses plus-sized models (Tennille White) . . . followed by an entire collection from a bikini designer who's riffing off a film noir theme? You're not in Oz, you're at the closing show of Chicago's weeklong fashion celebration! I don't mean this unkindly. There's a lot of diversity here in terms of designer backgrounds, inspiration, and even what constitutes "style." Last night's event—Macy's Presents the Designers of Chicago—did as much as any to illustrate that, booking accomplished locals Lara Miller (who's known for her gauzy, convertible shapes and eco-fashion mindset) and...

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A Fashion Finale

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A designer who uses plus-sized models (Tennille White) . . . followed by an
entire collection from a bikini designer who’s riffing off a film noir
theme? You’re not in Oz, you’re at the closing show of Chicago’s weeklong
fashion celebration! I don’t mean this
unkindly. There’s a lot of diversity here in terms of designer backgrounds,
inspiration, and even what constitutes "style." Last night’s event—Macy’s
Presents the Designers of Chicago—did as much as any to illustrate that,
booking accomplished locals Lara Miller (who’s known for
her gauzy, convertible shapes and eco-fashion mindset) and…

Guest Blog: The Allure of Couture

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The emphasis of “The Allure of Couture” fashion show Monday at Millennium Park: wearability. Showcasing items from sweaters and jackets to dresses and pants, the event consisted of outfits that were in the realm of possibility from designers Sam Kori George, James De Colon, Maria Pinto, Mi Ri Uhm and Nick Cave, among others. The standout collection? Vatit Itthi. The clothes demanded attention, both for the bright colors (blue, hot pink, and yellow) and for their sleek elegance…

Zara Opens in Skokie

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Euro Fash

Few affordable stores inspire the devotion of Spanish-based Zara (Old Orchard, Skokie; 847-329-0808, zara.com). A steady stream of those who have shopped the brand in Europe or the coasts have poured into the Old Orchard store since it opened on Sept. 25th, expressing mostly the same sentiment: “Finally.” The excitement over the opening rivaled that of the Marc by Marc Jacobs in Bucktown, with a decidedly more pocket-friendly assortment of merchandise. And…

Louis Vuitton

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If good manners means starting your fashion show on time, Marc Jacobs has become the fashion equivalent of Emily Post. Scolded by critics for his notorious tardiness in previous seasons, he now aims for precision, by golly. This afternoon we received an e-mail from the press contact: “The show will start at 2:30 p.m. sharp.” Well, I arrived sweatily at the courtyard of the Louvre at…

Pop-Up, Pop In

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You have only until Sunday to experience the single most interesting thing I’ve stumbled upon during Chicago’s fashion week. It’s called MoSS, which stands for the Museum of Sustainable Style; it’s a pop-up “museum” in the West Loop that showcases the best of earth-friendly clothing designers, furniture craftsmen, and industrial designers. It doesn’t cost anything to get in, and it only takes a few minutes to walk through, but boy, is it a good introduction to some of the most…

If Coco Chanel Were the Girl Next Door

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Leave it to Karl Lagerfeld to deliver on so many levels: great invitation, swag, celeb turnout, and set. And yes, even great clothes (with the exception of some 80s metallic prom dresses at the end, complete with poofy sleeves. Really, Karl? Really?)

Since the last few seasons have featured elaborate sets—remember the carousel?—an invite like this forcibly gets you thinking about what will be in store. Well, some invites you really can judge by their cover—it ended up being exactly true to what arrived in my mailbox…

Surprises at Akris, Front Row Nudging at Andrew Gn, and the Dries Show Everyone’s Talking About

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A funny thing happened at the Akris show. I saw something that I just
never, ever expected to see: a jumpsuit. Actually, there were
several.

When buttoned-up Akris is showing jumpsuits, you just know that the
trend has legs. (Har har. Sorry.) And unfortunately, those legs are
attached to the top. And as any girl who has tried to use a public
bathroom in a jumpsuit knows, this is kinda annoying. I mean, really,
how would a jumpsuit work…

The Chicago Fashion Experiment

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This is not a fashion show review. Chicago just isn’t there yet. The New York Times’ Cathy Horyn can shoot down Givenchy, but that’s an established design house parading its collection in Paris. When it comes to Chicago—and here I’ll borrow a phrase from Coco Chanel—it doesn’t make sense to beat on a wall hoping it will turn into a door…

Givenchy and Lacroix

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My friends in the States are always so impressed when I tell them that many fashion shows happen at the Louvre. But really, it’s down in the bowels of the museum, where there’s a mall rather than artwork. Sephora and Virgin Records are right next door. Trust me, it’s not atmospheric. Even if…