Sabrina of Defying My Closet was the organizing force behind the second annual Midwest Fashion Blogger Holiday Brunch. The event was held at Orange Contemporary Brunch in River North, which is a lovely restaurant with innovative casual fine dining cuisine.
Although most of the bloggers who attended are from Chicago and its suburbs, Kyla of Blue Collar Catwalk flew all the way in from State College, Pennsylvania! I was really impressed by all of the women I met. We drank champagne mimosas and talked fashion over “fruishi” and french toast.
People often ask me if streetstyle blogging is scary. Once I got over the first few stings of rejection from silly people who didn’t understand that I’m not trying to sell anything or pickpocket them, it becomes all about honing your photography skills. Many of the other fashion bloggers at brunch use their fashion blogs to express their personal sense of style, which seems really unnerving to me. I am much more comfortable behind the lens than in front of it!
Even after hearing them talk about how easy posting photos of yourself becomes, I am still intimidated! It was great to be around so many empowered and fascinating women who love fashion as much as I do. There is something special and intangible about people who put themselves out there in the world to follow their dreams. I have tremendous respect for people who have the wits, determination, and creative spirit to build such incredible fashion websites. In their honor, my New Year’s resolution for 2011 is to post at least one photo of myself a week on Chictopia!
Lindsey of Lindsey Soup
Lisa of Archives Chicago
Emily of Sartoriography
Claire of Between Laundry Days
Nikia of ChiTown Fashionista
Tabitha of Fashion Therapist
Gina of Clothes, Inter Alia
Let me start off by saying this first: Chelsea is a total sweetheart. She and I first met backstage at North Coast Fest where we hung out with artists and mingled with roadies. The title of her blog is the combination of her two favorite passions, Style and Music. Stic-of-the-Week has fast become one of the leading blogs on the intersection between music and style in Chicago.
Chelsea took some time out of hosting her website launch party to talk to me about the ideas behind her website and how she befriended many of the city’s coolest artists!
Amy: What has your experience of Chicago’s music scene been so far?
Chelsea: Artists here are willing to do whatever it takes to grow the music scene. They don’t care if they’re getting paid millions of dollars, they just want the fans to like their music, and for people to hear their music. And I think that’s given me a new look on Chicago since I grew up here.
Amy: Where’d you grow up?
Chelsea: I grew up in Lake Forest. It’s very different from the city. People, I feel like there, were already successful and CEOs of companies. People there already had success, and it helped seeing people who were already successful. I want to have my own company someday and I thought this was a good way to start.
Amy: Yes, it definitely is. Running a website is very entrepreneurial because you’re your own boss, you set your own rules, you work as hard as you want, you don’t have to answer to anyone. That’s why I love my website, because I’m my own boss. You know, I bust my ass to work for myself!
Chelsea: Yeah, totally!
Amy: Owning a website is something that I care about and I want to see created. And it’s funny that you mention that the music scene is very relaxed because I’ve found the same thing about the fashion community. Unlike cities with a very established, global fashion presence, the fashion industry here is very welcoming. People want the press and they want the media and the exposure, because people here feel that Chicago is very unappreciated in the global fashion market.
Chelsea: Often times, it’s not even like Chicago is second city – people treat it more like the fifth city! Like I was saying earlier to you, Factor women is like this great modeling company based in Chicago. And Topshop, we were chosen to be the second city in the United States to open one. Vince just opened, there’s a lot going on in the Chicago fashion scene!
Amy: I find it really interesting how you’re promoting the intersection of fashion and music with your website. How do you think that the two worlds support each other?
Chelsea: It’s crazy how well they tie in together. Every musician wants a style to set their music apart from someone else. Fashion ties in well because musicians want the latest looks and styles, because they want to be visually different from their competitors. It’s about the imagery of music. Musicians want to look the part as well, kind of like a costume in a play. They want to dress up, and create this identity. Everyone has something to define them, like a ring or a leather jacket. A lot of musicians don’t even realize how much they have a sense of style. They’ll say “I only shop at thrift shops,” and yet they’ll have cool look. Like when I interviewed the band The Constellations at Lollapalooza, one of the guys in the band was wearing a pair of sunglasses a fan had given to him at a show. Things like that.
Amy: So which Chicago bands do you think have the potential to make it big on the national music scene?
Chelsea: All the bands playing here tonight. Gemini Club, California Wives, Derek Nelson, and Pretty Good Dance Moves, for sure. All of them are going to blow up. Gemini Club actually started their band when I started my website, and we’ve been growing up to scale with together, so that’s been pretty cool. And then Pretty Good Dance Moves, Aaron’s deejaying tonight but the rest of the band is actually in Brooklyn and he’s moving out there in a few months. They’re hooking up with big bands out there. Derek Nelson’s releasing an album next month, and California Wives just released an album. They’re actually doing phenomenally well. So actually all the bands tonight. Not to like, be biased..
Amy: It’s hard not to be because you obviously feature bands on your website who you really like.
Chelsea: Exactly. Actually, the band The Constellations that I interviewed at Lolla, they’re not from here but I told them when I was interviewing them, they’re going to blow up. And then Hockey, ironically I told them that too and now they’re on the radio, so we’ll see!
Amy: Wow you have a good ear! Well thank you so much for taking time out of your fabulous launch party at Beauty Bar to share with my readers more about Stic-of-the-Week.
