CFI Meet & Greet Recap
macys.com
Last Wednesday I attended the Chicago Fashion Incubator (CFI) Meet & Greet at Macy’s on State street. This event was an opportunity to meet the six resident designers Jonnie Rettele, Leah Fagan, Stephanie Kuhr, Miriam Cecilia Carlson, Donaldo Smith, and Christina Fan.
CFI was started in March 2008 and every year provides six emerging Chicago-based designers with the resources to launch their careers in fashion. The year long program provides resources, workspace, showroom, curriculum, and mentoring for the lucky chosen six. As a designer in residence you have the opportunity to network in the community and show your line at local events and fashion shows. One of the goals of the program is to provide the designers with business acumen to successfully launch their companies.
This year’s designers come from a wide variety of backgrounds and bring unique style to the table.
Christina Fan’s brand C/FAN is full of luxurious fabrics including silk, suede, and fur. Her color pallet is dark with pops of color. Her designs are easy to wear and fit into your existing wardrobe.
Christina Fan
Miriam Cecilia Carlson’s brand m.c.c. includes both ready to wear and couture collections. Her designs include mostly structured dresses. Some are quite simple while others are avant garde. One thing is for sure, you are going to get notices in one of her designs.
Miriam Cecilia Carlson
Stephanie Kuhr’s brand Dottie’s Delights is self proclaimed vintage. She designs exquisitely detailed burlesque style lingerie. While her unique variety of garters and bustiers aren’t meant for everyday wear, they are quite beautiful.
Stephanie Kuhr
Leah Fagan’s brand Peloton includes lots of versatile and wearable separates. Her designs have great lines, structure, and cuts. Leah wants her designs to be comfortable and easy. All of her pieces are washable and made of comfy fabrics. You could easily wear one of her designs to work and still feel comfortable lounging around in the same outfit at home.
Leah Fagan
Jonnie Rettele’s brand Nonnie Threads is one of two men’s wear lines in the CFI this year. Her designs include great shirts, pants, vests, and jackets. They have a certain structural appeal that makes them unique, while simple enough for everyday wear. Her inspiration for her collection was her husband.
Jonnie Retlle
Last but not least is Donaldo Smith with his brand Killian Gui. Donaldo is the only male of the six designers and is the second men’s wear line in this year’s CFI. His designs consist mostly of ready to wear tailored shirts.
I cannot wait to see what else is to come from these six fabulous designers. To find out more about the CFI follow this link.
Leah & Stephanie
Upcoming Events
I hope you had as much fun at all of the events last week as I did. Look for upcoming posts highlighting some of those events.
This week’s big event is the Summer Blowout Sale at Dress Up Boutique.
When: NOW through August 31st, Mon-Sat 11am-7pm, Sun 12-6pm
Where: 1937 N. Damen Ave.
What: Save up to 90% on designer merchandise. Shop from a variety of pieces between $10 and $35. Shop popular brands including Alexia Admor, Aryn K., BB Dakota, Chan Luu, Free People, Jack, Kersh, Siwy, Veronica M., Zoa, and more!
Check out Dress Up Boutique’s website for more information!
Week at a Glance
This is a HUGE week in Chicago fashion. Here is a quick overview of what to look forward to this week.
Tuesday
- Sidewalk Sale at Daley Plaza sponsored by Fashion Focus Chicago
Wednesday
- Sidewalk Sale at Daley Plaza sponsored by Fashion Focus Chicago
- Chicago Fashion Incubator Meet & Greet
Thursday
- Style Chicago’s “An Evening of Modern Beauty“
- Kathryn Kerrigan Grand Opening Weekend (more info to come)
Friday
- Kathryn Kerrigan Grand Opening Weekend
Saturday
- Kate Boggiano’s Semi Annual Early Bird Sale
- Indie Designer Market
- Summer Sidewalk Sale (more info below)
- Kathryn Kerrigan Grand Opening Weekend
Sunday
- Indie Designer Market
- Summer Sidewalk Sale (more info below)
- Kathryn Kerrigan Grand Opening Weekend
Summer Sidewalk Sale
Must or Bust?
The Romper
Named one of this summer’s hottest trends the romper is everywhere. It is marketed as being fun and versatile. Rompers come in a plethora of patterns and styles so they can easily be dressed down for a day of shopping with your best friend or dressed up for a night out. A romper can easily go from day to night with the right accessories. Flats and colorful jewelry can make the perfect afternoon shopping look. While heels and a bold metallic necklace can spice up the same outfit for the evening. You can find them in just about every store around town and they come in a variety of fabrics including cotton, jersey, denim, and silk. Long? Short? Tight? Loose? Strapless? Strapped? With sleeves? Without? Anyway you want it, you can find it!
So what do you think? Is the romper a MUST BUY? Or a BUST in summer trends?
J Crew silk romper $98 www.jcrew.com
Arden B $59 www.ardenb.com
Exciting Events You Don’t Want to Miss
Sidewalk Sale at Daley Plaza
Daley Plaza
Sponsored by Fashion Focus Chicago
7/20/2010-7/21/2010
Tue-Wed 9am-3pm
50 W. Washington St.
Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 744-3315
This two day event features a fashion show at noon on both days. Find everything from shoes to clothes to jewelry, to one of a kind pieces, anything tailored to your style will be at this fashion event.
The following designers/boutiques will be featured: Audey, Zamrie, Erin Gallagher, Objects d’ Envy, Kate Boggiano, 1154 Lill, The Nature of Things, Kreative Soul, Afrika Designs, and much much more……..
Fashion Focus Chicago supports and promotes Chicago designers through various seminars, events and city programs. The city of Chicago is home to more than 400 designers and 375 independent fashion boutiques.
Kate Boggiano’s Semi Annual Early Bird Sale
http://kateboggiano.com/
Save up to 60% off at the Kate Boggiano Pilsen Studio (2150 S. Canalport Ave.3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60608) on Saturday, July 24, from 8am-4pm.
Join Kate Boggiano for the warehouse sale were her classic pieces are 30-60% off. Based of off your arrival time the discounted prices will adjust as listed below:
- 8-9am-60%off
- 9-11am-50% off
- 11am-12pm-40%off
- 12pm-4pm – 30%off
P.S. In addition to the Early Bird Sale 20% is taken off all purchases of Kate’s Fall 2010 line.
Christian Dior’s Haute Couture Collection
Remy de la Mauviniere
On July 5th Dior designer John Galliano opened the fall-winter 2011 haute couture collections in Paris. While this collection is meant for the winter of 2011 all was in bloom on the runway.
The designer chose a floral theme with bright bold colors. Even encasing the models’ heads in colorful cellophane to complete the bouquet of flowers look. Galliano’s creative genius created a garden of couture. The extravagance of the designs were reminiscent of Dior’s past lines from the 1950′s. Especially Christian Dior’s “Tulip Line” from 1953.
The Associated Press described the show as, ” a riotous celebration of what couture, at its best, can be.” There is no denying that.
What do you think of Dior’s latest haute couture collection? Would you wear these looks?
Remy de la Mauviniere
Upcoming Events
Lara Miller Queen of Hearts Sale
laramiller.net
Come check out the Queen of Hearts Sale! Either pull a card, roll the dice, or pick your poison for a chance to win an additional discount.
Shop vintage Lara Miller pieces at super discounted prices. All merchandise will be between 30-80% off. Don’t miss the opportunity to order a custom piece from her hand-loomed sweater collection.
What: Lara Miller Queen of Hearts Sale
When: Sunday, July 11, 2010, 12pm-6pm
Where: 931 W Cornelia Ave (Entrance will be through the alley behind Cornelia Ave, in between Sheffield and Halsted)
Why: Who doesn’t want to refresh their wardrobe with great sustainable styles from Lara Miller?
The lowdown on the discounts:
- Pick Your Poison: Purchase 3 items or more and choose any one item at 10% off.
- Roll the dice: Get between 3-12% off your entire purchase. Even better, Roll snakes eyes and get 20% off your entire purchase!
- Pull a Card: Get between 2-10% off your entire purchase. Pull a Queen of Hearts and get 20% off your entire purchase! (Sorry, Ace, Jack and King don’t mean a thing).
- Custom orders are brand new and are often one-of-a-kind so they will be full price, but they’re joining in on the fun and the sale games will apply to your custom orders too!
- As always, no returns or exchanges.
Chicago Fashion Incubator Meet & Greet
macys.com
What: Join the CFI designers in residence for a meet and greet open house.
When: Wednesday, July 21st, 10 am – noon
Where: 11th floor at Macy’s on State (when entering through State and Randolph, walk between Tous and Links counter to take employee elevator)
Who: Donaldo Smith, Leah Fagan, Jonnie Rettele, Stephanie Kuhr, Christina Fan, and Miriam Cecilia Carlson.
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Studio-808, Inc. is the brainchild of Erin Creaney, a PR executive with a near-athletic enthusiasm for emerging designers. Finding herself searching the city for great designers with new and different looks, she knew a larger operation was in order. What's more, she felt the world needed to know about the fashion percolating in the Windy City. Thus was born Studio-808.com.
