Good Skinstincts “Everything in the store is luxuriously soft on the skin,” says Shannon Gregory, co-owner of a new Boystown clothing boutique called Skinstinct (3343 N. Broadway Ave.; 773-857-6900). At the moment, the store specializes in stylish, soft basics for men and women such as tees, hoodies, sweatshirts, and turtlenecks—“clothes you wear when you want … Read more
Nanette Lepore’s first Midwest store opens in Bucktown in late October.
Perchance to Shop
The new Lake View boutique Perchance (3512 N. Southport Ave.; 773-244-1300) strikes just the right note with its lush, vintage glam décor and feminine shoes, supplemented by a smart selection of women’s and children’s clothing and body products. Go vintage with the ‘40s-inspired shoes from Bettye Muller, such as the gray suede heel with a bow ($405) or the cute flats ($215) from Delman, the same brand Marilyn Monroe wore in her famous white-dress-over-the-grate photo. The heels from Anyi Lu, a former designer for Taryn Rose, have a shock-absorbing insole made from material invented by NASA, called Poron, for long-lasting comfort; the faux- croc patent heels are $345. You’ll also find an array of comfortable boot options,…
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).
Sometimes it’s hard to keep the grade school humor gene at bay. What I mean, of course, is that Chicago hearts the designer Doo-Ri Chung, who paid us a visit earlier this week and played the role of guest celeb at a few of the Fashion Week festivities.
If you aren’t familiar with her or her line Doo.Ri, the petite fashion designer is one of the industry’s most recent success stories…
Paris Fashion Week is terminé. And while you’re checking out the new talent in Chicago—and perhaps still trying to process the colorful surreality at Vuitton (I know I am)—I’d like to offer a postscript or two.
Rodnik
On Monday, I chatted with Rich and Phil, the guys behind the new label Rodnik. If the retailers picking them up are any indication (ikram and Barney’s for this season), these guys have got chops. And also humor…
“What do you think the biggest difference is between Fashion Week in Chicago and places like Paris or New York?” Lakeview Broadcasting Company‘s Stephen Westman whispered in my ear during Gen Art’s Fresh Faces in Fashion runway show Tuesday night. “The biggest difference is, instead of Anna Wintour sitting in the front row, we are,” I responded.
Although I’ve never attended Fashion Week anywhere else, I can only imagine what it’s like…
So, about last night. Last night was the GenArt’s FreshFaces show, one of the two big events of Chicago’s fashion week.
When it was all said and done and the fashionistas teetered out of Millennium Park in search of more Champagne, one Chicago fashion designer had stood out from the pack…
Five questions for Melissa Gamble, director of fashion for the City of Chicago: Q: This year’s Fashion Focus is so much bigger than it has been before. Is there an event that really stands out to you? A: I think it’s the quality of the overall programming. If you take a look at the fashion … Read more
Stella McCartney keeps it real, and thus brings something very special to Paris Fashion Week. Her silly invitations make you smile (this year, it was a small magnetic board with six letters spelling out "STELLA"). It’s admirable that she’ll donate the huge wall of greenery which served as backdrop for her show to a housing project in Paris. And then there’s the way she tells her models to smile. What fun…
