10/08/08

A Fashion Finale

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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10/07/08

Guest Blog: The Allure of Couture

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...

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10/03/08

Pop-Up, Pop In

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...

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10/02/08

The Chicago Fashion Experiment

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...

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08/05/08

Guest Blog: Lolla Style

Lollapalooza style was dominated by the usual crowd of hipsters and hippies dressed in vintage accessories and boho best. But even with the dreads, sari-esque wraps, and bandanas, there was still enough khaki, camo, and greek gear in the crowd to remind us that we were at Lolla and not at Bonnaroo. From aviators to V-necks, here are eight trends we liked at the fest...

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08/04/08

Lolla: Sunday's Best/Worst

The holy trinity of Lollapalooza attendance: a mini-roll of Charmin, handy wipes, and sunscreen. By day three, it seemed like most people had figured this out, along with the names and locations of all of the stages, and the fact that getting piss drunk in the hot sun just isn't that much fun. Maybe it's just us, but Sunday at Lolla seemed way more chill, and, to that end, enjoyable. Here, the best/worst of the finale...

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08/02/08

Lolla: Saturday's Best/Worst

If day one of Lollapalooza was about Radiohead, day two was about Barack Obama, if in spirit only. Despite rampant rumors that the presidential candidate was going to show up to introduce Wilco, he never did. It almost didn't matter: Enough bands, including Broken Social Scene and Rage Against the Machine, used their mics to take up his mantra of change. "Wake up!" howled Zach de la Rocha of Rage to a field full of people who, from the looks of it, were more interested in starting the next mosh pit than inspiring a political revolution...

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08/01/08

Lolla: Friday's Best/Worst

Day one of Lollapalooza wrapped with Thom Yorke and the rest of Radiohead crowing the lyrics to "Optimistic"—"If you try the best you can, if you try the best you can"—to a sea of people. And by a sea, I mean 75,000 crowded into Grant Park today—all seemingly buying beer; all seemingly sweating beyond the effectiveness of Secret and Mitchum. Hey, we were all trying the best we could to not have a heat stroke. Thanks for hearing us, Thom.

To that end, here are the best and worst of Lollapalooza, day one...

Posted at 10:18 PM in Coda | Permalink | Comments (0)

07/30/08

Hot, Juicy Lollapalooza Preview

Once again, Lollapalooza is descending upon us. So is 95-degree weather.

I will be sending dispatches from the fest up until the point that my appendages start melting, and I am forced to squirrel away the laptop and seek air-conditioned shelter. Look, too, for a photos...

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07/25/08

Free Cassie’s iPhone!

Have you seen the line snaking around Streeterville beside the Apple store? It's been there for weeks—ever since the new 3G iPhone came out. In fact, I would not be surprised if the Apple store had temporarily replaced the Sears Tower or Navy Pier as city's largest tourist attraction.

Of course, I decided to brave the line this morning, and, of course, me being me and having some sort of unlucky scarlet letter tattooed on my forehead, I ran into a "complication." Has anybody else encountered this...

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