Posts Tagged ‘Vince’

Second City Fashion Happenings

Friday, October 1st, 2010

EVENTS

Fashion Mash at the Flat Iron Arts Building (1579 N Milwaukee Avenue)
This Friday, stop by Fashion Mash from 6pm to 10pm for fashion-inspired art that will be for sale along with boutique items. A 10:30pm fashion show follows at Double Door, and the after party will be at Debonair Social Club.

Soiree Chicago at Moka Gallery (2112 W Belmont Avenue)
Thierry Roger and Ellie Thompson invite you to Soiree Chicago for an evening of elegance. Hors d’oeuvres and cocktails will be served from on Friday from 6pm to 9pm, with a live fashion experience at 7pm. RSVP to ellie@ellieco.com.

Vince Boutique Grand Opening (106 E Oak Street)
This weekend, Vince, the LA-based casual luxury brand, opens its first store in Chicago. Rejoice!.

Trunk Shows at Krista K (3458 N Southport Avenue)
On Friday and Saturday, Krista K hosts two trunk shows featuring rising Chicago designers, Marisa Swystun and Allison Schiller.

Sofia Vintage and Dana Rebecca Charity Sale (72 E Oak Street)
On Friday from 12pm to 7pm, Sofia Vintage and Dana Rebecca Designs partner with the Lynn Sage Cancer Research Foundation. 20% of all sales from both trunk shows will benefit LSCRF. Shop for a great cause!

Fashioning Desire at City Gallery (Water Tower, 806 N Michigan Avenue)
Now through the end of January 2011, stop by Fashioning Desire: Chicago Fashion Photographers. Chicago’s lively and diverse fashion photography scene will be on display, featuring the work of nine local photographers.

Image courtesy of Vince

Tags: Allison Schiller, Chicago Fashion, Chicago Fashion Events, Chicago Shopping, Dana Rebecca Designs, Ellie Thompson & Co., Fashion Mash, Fashioning Desire: Chicago Fashion Photographers, Krista K, Marisa Swystun, Nordstrom Fits America, Sofia Vintage, Soiree Chicago, Thierry Roger, Vince
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To Dye For: Grown Up Tie Dye

Monday, July 12th, 2010

With summer underway, music festivals are in full swing. Whether you’re seeing Gaga at Lolla or counting down the days until North Coast, one trend remains ubiquitous throughout: tie dye. However, this is not your parents’ Technicolor tie dye from Woodstock. This year’s reinterpretation calls for both sleek and slouchy silhouettes in monochromatic schemes.

While many may think tie dye should have died with Hanes t-shirt experiments at summer camp, the current looks have a level of sophistication that prove this retro trend might have some staying power. With styles ranging from Gryphon’s traditional tie dye to Helmut Lang’s marbled splatters, these pieces run the gamut from funky fun to abstract art. To make the trend work for you, complement the below statement items with solid colors and fitted denim. For the more adventurous types, keep the rest of your ensemble equally daring. Think chunky heels, Lucite accessories and layered patterns.

Get Psychedelic with these looks:

Clockwise from upper left:

1. Gryphon knot dress ($250; Saks Fifth Avenue). AVersatile crew neck dress. Add some edge to with a black wedge heel.
2. “Mimi” clutch ($129; Club Monaco). A wooden handle makes this clutch especially relevant this season.
3. Vince oversized tee ($128; Intermix). This shirt’s slouchy shape is a cool silhouette on hot summer nights.
4. Rebecca Minkoff “The Clutch” ($350;  Shopbop.com). During the day, wear this bag as a messenger. Come nightfall, hide the chain for a chic clutch.
5. Helmut Lang silk wrap skirt ($207; Krista K). A grown-up shape meets a playful print.
6. Elizabeth and James silk button-up shirt ($144; Nordstrom). A light and airy silk chemise: grungy yet glam.

By Leslie Garry

Images courtesy of Saks Fifth Avenue, Club Monaco, Intermix, Krista K, shopbop.com and Nordstrom

Tags: Chicago Fashion, Chicago Shopping, Club Monaco, Elizabeth and James, Festivals, Gryphon, Helmut Lang, Intermix, Krista K, Nordstrom, Rebecca Minkoff, Saks Fifth Avenue, shopbop.com, Tie Dye, Trends, Vince
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Shop Chicago: Tula

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

Chicago’s fashion and shopping scene has yet to surpass New York City’s, but we still have some spectacular boutiques that negate our Second City status. Tula is one such venue that balances Manhattan’s high fashion with Chicago’s practical style. The Southport Corridor store, owned by mother and daughter duo Sue and Laura Westgate, caters to hip shoppers with a vested interest in quality, timeless fashion.

Tula has an impressive selection of European and American designers that include the big-name labels, like Theory, Vince, and Alexis Bittar, to the lesser-knowns, like Hache and Sue. The clothing and accessories are not trendy, so to speak, but rather chic wardrobe additions that will remain in you closet for seasons to come, while working seamlessly with what you already own. “We choose merchandise that is versatile, well-crafted, and timeless,” says Laura. “We follow our own sense of what will fit well and hold its own in your closet.”

Right: Tula owner Laura Westgate

For as classic and easy-to-wear as Tula’s selection is, it still caters to the season’s popular looks, such as blazers, chunky knits, and white button-up shirts. “Our customer likes to look on-trend but not trendy,” says Laura. “She’s not concerned with fast fashion, but more so with timeless investment pieces.” By paralleling the season’s hottest trends without sacrificing quality for one-season-wonders, Tula provides “effortlessly sophisticated” looks that resonate with Chicago shoppers.

Tucked in a cozy house on Southport Avenue, the shop has an inviting storefront, with a bay window offering a peak at the goods inside. Tula’s polished, earthy interior boasts white brick walls, dark wood furniture, and simplistically arranged clothing and accessories (and some home décor scattered throughout). It’s a charming boutique that’s also accessibly refined and tasteful.

Much of the Tula aesthetic stems from Sue Westgate’s Grand Haven, Michigan, boutique, Panache, which opened some 20 years ago. “I grew up working in the store and going to the shows in New York, and we always wanted to open a store in Chicago.” Upon graduating from Indiana University in 2004, Laura relocated to Chicago. She worked as an editor for a local real estate magazine, but shortly afterward, in 2006, the two ladies opened Tula. Sue continues to run the shop in Grand Haven while Laura manages Tula.

Part of what keeps this boutique’s clientele coming back is the high level of customer service. Using an approach that favors a vested friendship versus fleeting moments of pushy salesmanship, Tula creates a welcoming atmosphere and the fashion finds seal the deal. It’s local boutiques like Tula that help make Chicago’s emerging fashion scene that much more impressive.

Tula; 3738 N Southport Avenue; tulaboutique.com

By Meghan Turner

Be sure to check out Tula’s Warehouse Sale next week!

Tags: Accessories, Alexis Bittar, Boutiques, Chicago Shopping, Hache, Jewelry, Laura Westgate, Panache, Sue, Theory, Trends, Tula, Vince
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