Franky

Just Clothes

Franky Tran (@franky_tran) was graduating from the fashion design course at SAIC.

How would you describe your style?
I would describe my style at the moment as island cowboy on military leave.

Who and what inspires your outfits in general and this one in particular?
I put my outfits together in a similar way as to how I design clothes—I just completed a ten-look collection with my partner, Noa Loewald Hu. I like to subvert classic American sportswear through my own imagination. I also enjoy mixing traditional menswear with whatever I find off eBay. For my graduation, I pulled out one of my favorite jackets—it’s by Walter van Beirendonck, whose menswear I really admire. I only wore it one other time which was for the 2014 CFDA Awards. I styled it with a pair of oversized shorts by Comme des Garçons, polo by Fred Perry, some Doc Martens and Nike socks.

What would you say to someone who thinks that what you wear is not really important?
I would say they’re probably right. It’s just clothes!

What is your style philosophy?
John Waters put it best: “Have faith in your own bad taste. Buy the cheapest thing in your local thrift shop—the clothes that are freshly out of style with even the hippest people a few years older than you. Get on the fashion nerves of your peers, not your parents—that is the key to fashion leadership. Ill-fitting is always stylish. But be more creative—wear your clothes inside out, backward, upside down. Throw bleach in a load of colored laundry. Follow the exact opposite of the dry cleaning instructions inside the clothes that cost the most in your thrift shop. Don’t wear jewelry. Stick Band-Aids on your wrists or make a necklace out of them. Wear Scotch tape on the side of your face like a bad face-lift attempt.”

Originally published in Newcity.

Ben

Ben Morino has been featured in the blog before, read what he had to say about style here and see another one of his amazing looks here.

Chicago Looks IRL

Remember to get your Newcity this week - distributed all over downtown and in other select locations.

Cierra and Carl

Learn how to sew with Anastasia Chatzka

Learn How to Sew with Anastasia Chatzka

Ever wonder how your garments are made? Feel confused while you watch YouTube videos on how to sew that apron you want to give as a gift? Ever get frustrated when your zipper or strap breaks, and you can't fix it? Well - sign up to learn how to sew with Anastasia Chatzka. 

Our sewing class is for all skill levels. You can be a first time sewer or someone simply looking to sharpen their skills. Click on the link below to watch past students talk about their experiences sewing with Anastasia. 

Anastasia's Sewing Class

Sewing Class Session I:
Duration - 6 weeks
Start - September 26th / End - November 7th
Day - Monday's / Time - 7pm to 9pm
Cost - $180 per person for 6 weeks
Only 10 spots available!!

Anastasia is a Chicago based fashion designer whose personality is the epitome of fun and colorful. Anastasia is the owner and creative director of the Anastasia Boutique/Atelier in Wicker Park where she designs, sews, and films the content for her YouTube sewing channel, Sew Anastasia. 

To sign up for a sewing class session with Anastasia, please call 586.610.4096, email sewanastasia@gmail.com or stop into the Anastasia Boutique (1001 N. Damen Ave.)

XOXO

To view Anastasia Chatzka’s Sewing YouTube Channel, please visit 
Sew Anastasia. 

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Such a great opportunity! Learn how to sew directly from a successful designer and businesswoman. Read more about Anastasia here and here.

Sami

Maleeha

A travel blogger packs a versatile tunic to cover her baby bump

Being pregnant ain't easy, and looking cute while expecting is even harder. Some moms-to-be wear their belly loud and proud in stretch fabrics, but for those who prefer roomier shapes, like travel blogger Maleeha Sambur, a good old tunic can be the answer. Hers is a quilted denim number by the aptly named Creatures of Comfort. The beauty of such a garment lies in its versatility: it can fit you at any weight, andwith the right accessories can be worn virtually anywhere. Maleeha kept it simple and cool with big earrings, and a very happening pair of clear sunglasses.

Originally posted in the Chicago Reader.

Sage and Randy

Salvation Army

Mbongwana Star hail from chaotic Kinshasa, the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Two of the group's members, Sage Matuzolele and Randy Makana Kalambayi, were photographed just before they stepped onstage at the Pritzker Pavilion during the Millennium Park Summer Music Series. The musicians' camouflage-heavy regalia relates not just to the war-ravaged recent history of their home country, but also to Mbongwana Star's insurgent mix of traditional African rhythms and contemporary European electronic production. It's certainly no coincidence that in Lingala—one of the DRC's four national languages and the band's lingua franca—mbongwana means "change." 

Originally published in the Chicago Reader.

Teresa

Buffalo Exchange fashion buyer Teresa Gugliotta-Kremer is one my fave dressers in town. She has been featured in the blog here and here.

Chicago Looks IRL

Remember to get your Chicago Reader and Newcity this week!

Ashley

Artist Ashley Barton (@fakegamergrl) will be showing her work at Elephant Room Gallery in the Loop, along with Louis Hayes (@parasitictween) on Saturday September 17th from 12-5pm.

Nadha

Fruit, fly!

"I was making a smoothie, and the banana I used was sooo yellow," says Nadha Vikitsreth, who was spotted on a recent Sunday strolling the Logan Square Farmers Market. "So I wanted to dress like a banana, but with a twist. I added my favorite Judith Leiber belt, from Store B in Wicker Park, to jazz it up, and slipped on my fluffy sneakers from Felt in Logan Square." The developmental therapist usually peppers her outfits with feathers and rhinestones, a nod to the costumes she creates for her burlesque performances as part of Vaudezilla at Stage 773. "I'd like to think that designing a costume and putting together a daily ensemble are the same," she says. "The whole point of both is to bring a smile to my face."

Originally published in the Chicago Reader.

"Maria Pinto: 25 years" restrospective opens at the Water Tower TOMORROW Saturday 9.10.16

Michelle Obama wears a design by Maria Pinto at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. 

Photo courtesy of Vogue.com

From the City of Chicago website:

"September 10, 2016–January 8, 2017

Maria Pinto: 25 Years is a celebration of Maria Pinto’s first 25 years of working at the intersection of art and fashion in Chicago. Through her creations, Pinto has tracked the changing role of fashion in women’s lives. From precious couture to collections made from high-tech fabrics, Pinto’s work mirrors the ways in which women have engaged in the larger community, both in Chicago and nationally. 

The exhibition features a rotating display of garments from Pinto’s archive, along with fashion photography from many Chicago-based collaborators, such as Sandro Miller, Brian Kuhlmann, Jeff Stella, Nathan Beckner, and Yuya Ohashi. A centerpiece of the exhibition will be a series of photos shot by Sandro Miller, featuring a new capsule collection she designed for her ready-to-wear label, M2057 by Maria Pinto, to celebrate her 25 years in fashion design. This capsule will be the first M2057 collection to show pieces in luxe stretch leather. A self-professed “fabric junkie,” Ms. Pinto will also create a fabric gallery displaying the myriad materials, colors, and textures she has used in her designs over the years."

Maria Pinto –25 Years at the Forefront of Fashion in Chicago
September 10th, 2016 – January 8th, 2017 *
City Gallery in the Historic Water Tower
806 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
Hours: Daily, 10am-6:30pm, 7 days a week; Holidays 10am-4pm
Admission is free

*Maria Pinto will be on hand to meet people on the opening day of the exhibit, September 10th, from 4:00pm-6:00pm

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Read a recent Vogue interview with the designer here.

Maria Pinto's fall collection preview

M2057's designer Maria Pinto (right) stands next to one of her models, who's wearing a prefall halter-neck trapeze dress.

The M2057 fall collection was an homage to squares - hence lots of plaid pieces. The Mila jacket has a cinched waist that opens up to a peplum, creating the illusion of a modern bustle. The Glenda skirt was made out of a single piece of fabric.

Wardrobe stylists Arlene Matthews and Brandon Frein of Kit This learn about the collection.

Acclaimed designer Maria Pinto displays her latest collection in the West Loop

Acclaimed designer Maria Pinto has received multiple awards (including SAIC's Legend of Fashion in 2009), had her own exhibit at the Field Museum, sold her garments at stores such as Barneys and Neiman Marcus, and dressed Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey. M2057, her new and more accessible brand, was funded via Kickstarter in 2013.  The pieces are constructed on demand—clients can then try on all the sizes at her showroom and place an order.

With prices starting at $150 and dresses typically averaging between $275 and $500, M2057 isn't exactly a bargain. But in the long run the pieces are comparably thrifty: the exclusive Italian fabric she uses is machine washable and doesn't pill or lose shape. This means the garment will always look new, with a minimum amount of money or work invested in its care—it doesn't even need to be ironed. Another advantage of the high-tech textile is that it doesn't fray; the garments are impeccably cut, with no bulky hems in sight. However, her shapes are minimal and intricate, almost like origami.

The line's first exclusive print—plaid, in homage to a "square" theme this fall—will be available on August 24. In the meantime, prefall pieces can be purchased at www.m2057.com and at the M2057 Style Studio at 833 W Washington Blvd. Pinto is also currently selling geometric bags by Finell—the perfect complement to her practical, modern, and chic collection. 

Originally published in the Chicago Reader. 

Jessie

Jessie Sardina of CS Magazine was photographed during Maria Pinto's fall collection preview.

Whitney

Wardrobe stylist Whitney Middleton was photographed during Maria Pinto's fall collection preview. She has recently styled Chance The Rapper for the VMA's - he was sporting an outfit by Chicago designer Sheila Rashid.

Photo courtesy of GQ and whitneymiddleton.com