Kelly Ryan O’Brien, Kelsey Kreiling, Jena Gambaccini, and me
My PinkMemo post about the Tory Burch fashion show I attended went up yesterday! Sorry for the delay, there was this little holiday called Thanksgiving that got in the way. Yes, ritualistic communal binge eating comes before fashion blogging in my book, every time. The event was held in the soaring atrium of The
Field Museum. Models donned the Spring 2012
Tory Burch collection to strut down the catwalk under the shadows of Sue, the world’s largest Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton. Glistening marble walls formed the perfect backdrop to the shimmering sequins and flirty silhouettes – inspired by
Deauville, no less – that dominated the show.
Follow me in real-time on Instagram, @ChiStreetStyle
Tory invited me backstage to interview her right before the show began. We chatted about her first ever runway show this past September when she showed her Spring 2012 collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Hard to believe she’s always done presentations, right? She said it was finally the right time. In an industry obsessed with speed, youth, and the transient, it’s refreshing to meet a designer who appreciates patience, hard work, and establishment. Tory told me she also felt it was the right time to open a true flagship store in Chicago to properly serve her strong client base. I can attest to this as I see women of all ages rocking her pieces across the city. Chicago loves Tory and she loves us back, which is why she partnered with American Express to produce such an extraordinary show.
I’ve been really busy with statistics and applying for jobs so I still haven’t had a chance to upload photos from the fashion shows I went to in New York. Until then, here’s a great photo of
Maria Cornejo at the finale of her Spring 2012 runway show at Milk Studios.
To see more exclusive images of the Los Angeles-based
Gap 1969 design studio, Pico Creative Loft, click below:
Nicole Burroughs, Jason Ferro, and Rosella Giuliani
I was honored to be invited to tour Pico Creative Loft, the new Gap 1969 design headquarters in Los Angeles. 1969 is Gap’s premium denim lifestyle line. 1969 sources its denim from the exact same factories as Current/Elliott and other designer denim brands. Gap is powerful enough to leverage its massive spending power into more affordable price points than its competitors. I had no idea that 1969 existed before this collaboration, and now I’m really excited about the concept. The truth is that not everyone can afford to purchase $240 jeans, but most people can save up for a pair of $70 jeans. Gap is making premium denim democratic.
Everyone who I saw at the studio had incredibly cool style. Everyone from punks to surfers, artists and hipsters was represented on the design team. More people had multicolored hair than not – and we all know from my blog how much I love it when people dye their hair crazy colors! This experience definitely made me take a second look at the Gap, a brand I wore heavily in high school. I’m excited to wear my new 1969 bordeaux corduroys and green stretch jeans once fall weather hits!
To read more about my recent trip, click here to visit my post about Vogue’s Fall 2011 trend presentation.
