I confess: I was not excited about the opening of the Malibu Barbie Cafe Chicago. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Barbie. I feel like Mattel has done a great job of expanding the Barbie line to include a wide variety of ridiculously stylish characters (yes, their outfits are fabulous). I was delighted […]
Category: Street View
Posted inStreet View
Fashion show celebrates Chicago’s diverse style
A welcome jolt of enthusiasm was infused into the local fashion scene during “A Celebration of Chicago Style,” a fashion show presented by The Curio and 21c Museum Hotel Chicago at the end of May. The celebration, hosted by Barrington-born fashion designer Cynthia Rowley and British photographer Nigel Barker (previously a panel judge on the […]
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Style invades Navy Pier
In April, a peculiar crowd descended upon Navy Pier, not quite blending in with the spot’s usual and more conventionally dressed clientele. Tourists and local visitors sporting accidental normcore shared the looong path to Festival Hall with EXPO Chicago attendees, who never disappoint in serving the latest fashions. Celebrating its tenth anniversary, it is fair […]
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Beyond advanced style
“I kinda just threw this together,” says Gail Joanes, 73, while enjoying a sunny Saturday afternoon on the luxuriously fashionable Oak Street. “I went over to the Chicago History Museum, which I love, went to Twin Anchors for ribs, came back, and now I’m just shopping a bit, just relaxing,” she shares. Though Joanes might […]
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On a roll
“I’m just skating around town, just basically trying to get my miles in. My goal is up to 14 miles. I think I’m at about 8 right now. So I’m going to take another lap around the city,” said Alex Scott, 26, on a Monday in the early afternoon. “It takes me a couple of […]
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The champions of swagger
“We got a lot of swagger. We don’t even have to open our mouths—they just see it,” said Greg Sims, 34. I met Greg and his twin brother Glenn when we attended “Champions of Success,” a panel discussion about the state of the fashion industry in Chicago that happened in November at the Kimpton Gray […]
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Family style
Alanna Zaritz, 39, was born and raised in Chicago and is one of our city’s treasures. She is a familiar, welcoming, and eye-catching figure at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA), where she has worked since 2005 (she’s currently the MCA’s store manager). Zaritz’s awe for her hometown is contagious, and very handy, since […]
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Sparking joy
“I guess I’m an eclectic dresser,” says Mary Griffin, 72, who currently works part-time at Essential Elements-Chicago boutique in Avalon Park. “Everything about me is eclectic. My home is eclectic. There’s not a pair of anything in my house—nothing matches. My friends enjoy coming over to my house because they say it’s like going to […]
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His name is Ray
“Entertainer, street philosopher, raconteur. I cruise the streets like a wandering knight seeking people to save from time and space, and perhaps life itself,” says Ray St. Ray, 70, accurately describing his iconic persona. “I’m in the business of creating the legend of ‘the Singing Cab Driver’ for people to cash in on with an […]
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Marching for joy
It was a hot, late summer Saturday, and my son and I had come to the Chicago Botanic Garden for an outdoor playdate with some friends. To our surprise and delight, the band Mucca Pazza was performing there that afternoon as part of a series of events called Flourish, a celebration of the garden’s 50th […]
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Dressed to dazzle
Nothing like an opening at the Museum of Contemporary Art to showcase the exceptional style Chicagoans have, in all their diversity. The festivities in May celebrating artist Nick Cave’s solo exhibition “Forothermore” were no exception. Body coverings were a central theme and could be appreciated on every level: on guests’ outfits in their special post-lockdown […]
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Nothing to hide
Clothing reseller Sasha Smith, 20, claims to dress like a “pink 2000s bimbo Harajuku ballerina.” She’s inspired by dolls, the Playboy universe, and the now-defunct Japanese street style magazine FRUiTS. The day she was photographed, Smith was headed to a hangout with a friend. She was covered head to toe in her favorite rosy hue, […]
Posted inCity Life
Recovering goth
“I kinda got it on a whim,” says Alexis P. Morgan, 30, about the dazzling two-piece ensemble she purchased from Boohoo. “I normally don’t get super colorful things, but I’ve been branching out. [This set] had such a fun vibe to it and everybody was like, ‘You look amazing!’ I just decided to color it […]
Posted inCity Life
Magic Ride
“I like to go for anything that draws attention and is kinda funky and out there,” says 20-year-old Joey Prette, already a senior stylist at Free People and a musical theater student at Roosevelt University. “Usually I’d be wearing my flower earrings, but I forgot them today,” they say while sporting green, their favorite color. […]
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Photos: 2022 SAIC Fashion Show
Our contributor Isa Giallorenzo attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s fashion show in May. The annual event returned to an in-person format this year (the theme: “Humanature”) after a two-year hiatus to address safety concerns around COVID-19. Here are some images Giallorenzo shot of some of the over 100 pieces of student-designed work that […]