"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."
- Jackie Robinson
Congratulations the 2014 Little League United States World Series Champions Jackie Robinson West! You are the pride of our great city of Chicago and our country. Special thanks to the parents, relatives, friends, teachers and community supporting these kids on and off the baseball field. Hopefully their achievements will inspire us to be a country these kids could be proud of, too.
This Illinois event is an educational seminar for people living with or at risk for kidney disease, on dialysis, waiting for a kidney transplant or those who have received a kidney transplant. Caregivers and family members are also encouraged to attend.
Most people interested in fashion have heard of haute couture's heavy hitters: Coco Chanel, Pierre Cardin, Oscar de la Renta, the list goes on. But people may not be aware of a man named Charles James known as "America's First Couturier" who influenced designers including Cristobal Balenciaga and Christian Dior. What's more, his fashion career started in Chicago.
I was lucky to see the 2012 Chicago History Museum exhibit "Charles James: Genius Deconstructed" and view some of his iconic pieces first hand. In May 2014, Charles James' work was the subject of the opening exhibition of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Anna Wintour Costume Center calledCharles James: Beyond Fashion. With the exhibit coming to a close on August 10th, I wanted to pay special tribute to this fashion pioneer. Such an exhibit celebrating his work is so well-deserved.
Charles Wilson Brega James (1906-1978) was born in Camberley, Surrey and moved to Chicago as a young adult; his mother, a wealthy socialite from Chicago. He began to work as a milliner in the 1920s. At the age of nineteen, Charles James opened his first of three hat shops on State Street in Chicago, using the name of a schoolfriend, "Charles Boucheron".
In 1928, he left Chicago for New York with less than a dollar and a number of hats as his only possessions. He later opened a hat shop above a garage in Murray Hill, Queens, New York, where he also began his first dress designs. He eventually presented his collection in Marshall Field & Company.
His over 40-year career took him between Paris and London in later years and back to New York. He was known for his lavish ball gowns but also for his quilted jackets, capes, coats and spiral dresses. His clients included Chicago's best dressed socialites as well as Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli.
James retired around the age of 62 but came out of retirement for one year to work with Halston. James passed away at the 73 in New York City.
Charles James with Model, 1948
Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
James was self-taught and designed highly complex structural pieces. He applied millinery techniques to his work as a dressmaker. His gowns weighing sometimes between 10-25 pounds were engineered to distribute their weight evenly, rendering them wearable pieces of art. He also was among the first to use unorthodox materials and dressmaking techniques such as cellophane, pellon, nylon, billiard cloth, millinery grosgrain (normally used in hats), rayon and exposed zippers.
Photo: Chicago History Museum
In order to better understand the dresses' interior construction, the Chicago History Museum curators sent dresses through a CT scan at the Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History using equipment normally used to examine ancient mummies. His masterful innovations continue to astonish fashion lovers and continue to influence today's well-known designers for more than 40 years after his death.
The Met's exhibit explores James's design process, specifically his use of sculptural, scientific, and mathematical approaches to construct revolutionary ball gowns and innovative tailoring that continue to influence designers today. The retrospective features approximately sixty-five of the most notable designs James produced over the course of his career, from the 1920s until his death in 1978.
With the grand opening of the Met's annual fashion exhibit came the Met Gala. Celebrating Charles James as inspiration for the Met Gala, the night promised to be one of the most glamorous events in recent memory...and one of the most exciting red carpet events of the year IMO. These next pics are my favorites that I felt hit the couture mark exuding the inspiration that is Charles James: glamorous, luxurious and elaborate ball gowns.
Karlie Kloss in Oscar de la Renta
Bee Shaffer in an Alexander McQueen
Zac Posen and Dita Von Teese
Hailee Steinfeld in Prabal Gurung
Karolina Kurkova in Marchesa
Sarah Jessica Parker in Dior
And now you know the genius that is Charles James; An artist, first, and fashion designer, second.
Reference: Timothy A. Long from the Chicago History Museum, "Charles James Genius Deconstructed" Copyright 2011 by Chicago Historical Society
Happy Birthday to the punk rock style icon Deborah "Debbie" Harry. The Blondie frontwoman celebrates her 69th birthday on July 1st. Yes, 69. I know. Debbie has been in the game since the 70's andI have been mildly obsessed with her ever since. There wasn't anyone like her. Her look was always simple but so striking. The epitome of rocker chic. Bad ass and timeless. Punk. Rock. Glam.
She credits many of her signature looks toStephen Sprouse, 80's designer and stylist. And so much of it is still on trend...mixing prints, one-shoulder dresses, leopard, brights, high waists and statement tees. Although with Debbie, it was less about what she wore and more about how she wore it. #Attitude
Staying within the late 70's-early 80's era, here are a few of my favorite looks that you can still rock today.
Punk is alive and well today, as evidenced by the PUNK: Chaos to Couture exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2013. This amazing showcase celebrated punk's continuing impact on high fashion since the 1970's.
Blondie is now releasing Blondie 4(0) Ever, their 40th anniversary double-disc extravaganza. It's great to see her still touring. I was lucky to catch Blondie at the Riot Fest in Chicago last year and let me tell you...she is still kicking it hard and looking just as fabulous! For more information on what she's up to, go toDebbie Harry's website.
Summer 2014 isn't over yet but I think it's fair to say that West Fest Chicago will be making the highlight reel of Chicago's 2014 summer fests. In its 10th year, the annual festival is as eclectic as West Town itself featuring a DJ Stage, Kid Fest, Pet Fest, live bands, artisan vendors and more. People flocked to Chicago Avenue between Damen and Wood in droves and enjoyed the sights and sounds of West Town's fashion, eats and music over the July 12th & 13th weekend.
Photo credits: Robert Erving Potter III
Photo credit: Facebook
Photo credit: Lotta de Luxe
Photo credit: Facebook
Located just off the DJ stage, Le Thrift Consignment Boutique was serenaded by some of Chicago's hottest DJ's with glorious, heart-pumping house music. The lovely ladies of Maash Boutique and LEI by Leilani also joined the party with their pop-up shops at Le Thrift.
Team Le Thrift with the ladies of Maash Boutique & Lei by Leilani
A special treat for both Le Thrift and West Festers alike was the Fresh Lemonade stand operated by the cutest daughters of Team Le Thrift and Maash Boutique. Congrats to the girls for successfully selling out of their thirst-quenching drinks!
It's nice to note that the $5 donation requested for entry to West Fest offsets the event production costs and to benefit the West Town Chamber of Commerce (a non-profit 501 C6 serving the community), and 10% of net proceeds are donated toTalcott Fine Arts and Museum Academya local elementary school. Talcott parents volunteer and plan the Kid Fest area and 100% of Kid Fest area activities benefit the school.
I watched American Hustle a little while ago. When I went to the theater, I didn't really know the premise and didn't know what to expect. Here's the American Hustle official trailer for those not familiar:
Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper share the screen alongside Amy Adams and Christian Bale in American Hustle. The film tells the story of a pair of con artists (Bale and Adams) forced to work for a cocky FBI agent (Cooper) bent on bringing down powerbrokers and politicians.
The film opens with the late 1970s Columbia Pictures logo (cute bit of vintage trivia). An opening title card states, "Some of this actually happened" followed by "April 28, 1978 Plaza Hotel, New York". Then I REALLY got excited.
I am kind of obsessed with the fashion era of the late 70s to 80s. Think more "Studio 54" and less cheesy bell-bottoms. I gain inspiration to no end from my personal collection of vintage Vogue magazines from these decades!
I have to say, not only was the film extremely entertaining, American Hustle knocked the costumes out of the park! Every time there was a costume change, I kept thinking...timeless, sophisticated and just the right amount of sexy...Everything I love about this era!
The film's costume designer, Los Angeles-based Australian Michael Wilkinson had the task of bringing the best of this era to the big screen. In interpreting the characters, he states that "The characters are wholly unique and wildly imaginative. In the script, there were a lot of opportunities to explore different social backgrounds, from the vibrant, racially diverse world of blue-collar Jersey to ultra-fashionable Upper East Side Manhattan to the sprawling suburbs of Long Island. 1978 - the year the film takes place - is a fascinating year, because it marks the beginning of a transition away from a truly flamboyant, exaggerated lines of the 1970s and into a more streamlined, early 80s vibe."
American Hustle Featurette: The Costumes [Sony Pictures]
Wilkinson approached this movie as a research project. He, along with his costume design team, conducted extensive research in TV, films, high fashion magazines and advertisement of the times to bring the right pop culture inspirations to American Hustle. For authenticity purposes, Wilkinson had access to the fashion archives of Diane von Furstenberg, Halson and Gucci (to name a few) as well as costume houses across the country. He dressed the characters in as many authentic 70s pieces as possible but also worked in a few contemporary pieces.
Some specific scenes actually called for Wilkinson to design a few costumes himself which were also inspired by the 70s boldness, like a sequined halter-neck evening dress Adams wears to a casino party. Lawrence's eveningwear includes a white metallic, rhinestone dress created by Wilkinson in "a size too small and very clingy and revealing."
Costumes were beautifully accessorized with authentic pieces as well. Adams sports several Gucci pieces including a signature python Bamboo Lady Lock handbag, Gucci gold horse bit necklace, earrings and bracelet, and high-heeled platform loafers. She also rocked the iconic oversized vintage Christian Dior sunglasses and Charles Jourdan disco shoes.
The 1970s/80s was a time of risk and confidence and Wilkinson relates this era in fashion to American Hustle perfectly, "...I think the attitude of the characters in the film is quite inspirational. They’re living large and taking risks and inventing their lives with their costumes."
American Hustle is truly a special treat for vintage lovers. Sit back, enjoy the film and channel your inner Studio 54! Photos By Francois Duhamel/Annapurna Productions LLC/Columbia Pictures
