[Chicago Fashion Event] Eclectic Chique Boutique hosts a Dream Chaser!

Join me on Dec.10th for emerging designer Shani Brown's debut of her women's contemporary clothing line True Blessyn. I've had the privilege and the honor of not only meeting this amazing woman first hand, but to browse her collection's look book and these four words immediately came to mind: "I Want It All!!"  

Shani will be showcasing her debut with a trunk show of her Fall 2011 sweatshirt collection as well as a preview of her Spring 2012 collection.  This is all being hosted by the fashion forward and chic Eclectic Chique Boutique.  As if shopping an amazing collection wasn't enough, you can enjoy Dream Chaser cupcakes from the delicious food truck Cupcakes for Courage, a hot cocoa bar, a gift with purchase and a chance to win True Blessyn merchandise.

Chicago Fashionistas & Trend-Setters, you don't want to miss out on this debut.  Not only are you getting a chance to shop for one-of-a-kind super chic pieces, but you will be helping out an amazing charity at the same time.

Hope to see all of you there!

It's all about the Shoulder...

As soon as I saw this photo of supermodel Abbey Lee Kershaw in Chanel's A/W 2011 show, I knew I had to have what she had. No, not her waifish figure, not her hair as blonde as sunbeams, not even the pin-sharp bone structure. Nope, what I really wanted above all else was her shoulder bag.

Handbags move in a trend orbit of their very own these days. We've had "It" bags, under-arm clutch bags and across-the-body bags. It's the latter style that seems to have stuck. The across-bodies are comfortable, they keep your hands free to text/tweet/email, and they have an effortless, preppy casual style to them. But actually the shoulder strap does us women no favors, cutting a rather unfortunate line between our breasts. Plus, they bang on your hip as you walk AND transform into a pick-pocket's dream when the bag slides around your back as you move.

What Karl Lagerfeld showed us on his catwalk, and what Alexa Chung and Chloe Sevigny have been sporting for a while, is a simpler vision all together. A classic rectangular bag, big enough to fit in your essentials without causing a shoulder dislocation; a long chain strap, which just rests comfortably around your hip.

Wear one casual-style with jeans, brogues and a blazer. Or dress it up with heels and a long line trench coat. As with everything Lagerfeld, so chic...

Model Abbey Lee Kershaw totes the Chanel 'Boy' bag Photo: VLADIMIR POTOP

Finally, Queen Bey's Wedding Dress is Revealed!

Beyonce in her dress!

Beyonce got hitched to Jay-Z three years ago, but we never saw the bridal gown money shot, because she likes to keep her private life, funny enough, private.  This should make her an annoyance to the Gwenyth "I don't do public appearances with my husband" Paltrow crowd, but doesn't, because she's Queen Bey and she is awesome.  Especially when she dedicates her latest video to her fans and decides, after all, to give them a peek of her wedding gown.

SJP playing Carrie Bradshaw in the movie, Sex and the City

The video for her live performance of I Was There, released last week, contains a montage of important moments in her life: belting tunes at the Obama inauguration, collecting a lot of Grammys, hobnobbing with Michael Jackson--and getting married.  The clip length is super short, but long enough to give us a good look at the dress: a strapless, deep sweetheart neckline, with an amazingly long-train affair.  It looks uncanningly similar to the Vivienne Westwood gown that Carrie Bradshaw, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, wore in the first Sex and the City movie; maybe Mama Knowles drew inspiration from that momentous gown? You guessed it, Tina Knowles, Beyonce's mother was the designer who had the privilege of creating this significant gown in Queen Bey's life.

Wonder what amazing head piece she wore with this gown.  Maybe another feather fascinator concoction similar to SJP's?

 I Was Here, by Beyonce (Live at Roseland Video):

[Chicago Fashion Event] Tory Burch SP '12 Fashion Show in Chicago

Last night I had the amazing pleasure of attending the Tory Burch Spring '12 Fashion Show in Chicago hosted by American Express at the Historic Field Museum.  The night got off to a rolling start with an amazing cocktail hour that was filled with tasty eats and endless amounts of sweet libations.  I have to give a double thumbs up to the Tory Burch team on their amazing brand marketing and the infectious ambiance they created.  From the minute you entered the cocktail reception area you were whisked away into "Tory-land". 

Tory Burch definitely lived up to her own personal description of her collection as being "Pretty and Relatable".  Her collection was filled with a very approachable color palette of soft pastels, strong & bold color prints that weren't overwhelming and amazing feminine silhouettes.

Here are some of the looks from the Tory Burch Spring '12 Collection:
*Photo Credit: Jena Gambaccini

Thank you so much again to Refinery29 & Chicago Editor, Shani Silver for the tix! Jesus Terrazas Jr., of North Shore's Top Notch Training and I had an amazing time ;D xx

Versace for H&M: Tips on How to Shop Smart this Saturday!

From her ultra-blond hair to her super-high heels, Donatella Versace uses every inch of her being to embrace glamour and she wasn't going to put the Versace name on anything--and certainly not a collection for global fast-fashion retailer H&M--that didn't do the same.

The clothes that debuted on the catwalk last week lived up to the hype surrounding the limited-edition collection as well as Versace's own glitzy standards. This collection hits all of the current relevant trends for Fall 2011 from colorful amazing collage prints to strong metallics & studs (Click Here). Don’t worry guys, Donatella didn’t forget about you (Click Here).  As if it wasn’t enough that we are now able to get affordable Versace that doesn’t skimp on all the pomp and glamour that this luxury brand exudes,  all of these pieces are 100% transitional from Fall/Winter 2011 to Spring 2012. 

Need some help in navigating through the collection? Check out my suggestions on great transitional pieces:

Ladies-

·         Uber-chic and fun update to the LBD: (Click Here)

·         Color, color, color! Relevant for Fall/Winter 2011 and Spring 2012: (Click Here)

Gents-

·         Fun and modern update to your traditional Blazer: (Click Here)

·         C-O-L-O-R! Masterfully color-block this Fall/Winter 2011 and Spring 2012: (Click Here)

So don’t miss out!  Make sure you are the first in line when the doors open at your local H&M to snag yourself a limited-edition Versace for H&M piece on Nov. 19th.  

Ohh.Emm.Gee. Sexy, Shocking, Seductive Shoe Alert!!

Brian Atwood, I am literally speechless.  The most I can muster up about these amazing shoes are: SEXY, SHOCKING, SEDUCTIVE...

Check out this video and tell me your thoughts...

[Chicago Fashion Event] "Art in Fashion Extravaganza" at Latino Fashion Week

2011 marked the 5th Anniversary of a week long celebration honoring and highlighting Latino fashion. This year's theme, "By Latinos, For Everyone", was a keen reminder that although Latino fashion is created & designed by Latino designers, it's produced with every shopper in mind.

I had the priviledge of attending the finale runway show, "Art in Fashion Extravaganza", featuring the collections of national and international designers such as Jorge de la Habana, Paco Mayorga, and Tamaris Rubio. Lourdes Duarte, WGN-TV anchor & reporter, hosted the finale runway show. The show was definitely a culmination of all of the amazing and talented works of art that were showcased throughout the week.

The one who stole the show for me was Tamaris Rubio.  Her amazing use of a bold and colorful print, mixed with great attention to detail were immediate "wow" factors for me.  She completely solidified my love for her collection with the great fluid feminine silhouettes of each of her pieces coupled with the amazing drapey and liquid fabrics she used.  Out of all of her looks that hit the runway I could not help but be in ruffle envy!  Apparently ruffles are back in a huge way and are more chic & elegant than ever.

Who else is going to join me in being one of the first to champion ruffles for Spring/Summer 2012?

Tamaris Rubio, SP/SU '12 Latino Fashion Week

Check out my Tumblr for more photos from Tamaris Rubio's collection as well as photos of Jorge de la Habana & Paco Mayorga's collections shown at Latino Fashion Week: http://chistylemaven.tumblr.com/

Alexander McQueen is Cooler than Chanel... No really, it's official!

Sarah Burton, Creative Director for Alexander McQueen

The label, headed up by creative director Sarah Burton since Lee McQueen's death in 2010, came eleventh overall in the 2011 list of cool global brands-four places ahead of iconic Parisian fashion brand, Chanel, at number 15.

2011 has been the year of Alexander McQueen. Aside the worldwide exposure which followed Burton's royal wedding commission in April, the label became the focus of a retrospective exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York. 'Savage Beauty' became the Metropolitan's most viewed fashion exhibit ever attracting 661,509 visitors in three months it was open. Such is the label's popularity, some visitors queued for over six hours to get in.

Stephen Cheliotis, chairman of CoolBrands council said: "There are inherent factors that are evident in cool brands-things like style, originality, innovation.  If style leaders and the British public think you're cool, from a business perspective it's massively important because what it means is people want you. They want to buy your product, they want to buy your service, and they'll probably pay a premium for it."  The CoolBrands council is comprised of a panel of 36 "influencers" that give their ratings, 2,000 Britians are also asked to vote for their coolest brands to complete the list.

No surprise, being a lexicon of coolness, that the list is fashion-heavy. Swiss watchmakers Rolex are at four, US sportswear designers Nike are at nine, and sunglasses label Ray-Ban are at 14.

So, my question is: "Where is the U.S's CoolBrands council?"


Check out the Top 20 Brands that made the list:

1. Aston Martin
2. Apple
3. Harley-Davidson
4. Rolex
5. Bang & Olufsen
6. BlackBerry
7. Google
8. Ferrari
9. Nike
10. YouTube
11. Alexander McQueen
12. Dom Perignon
13. PlayStation
14. Ray-Ban
15. Chanel
16. Nintendo
17. Vivienne Westwood
18. Agent Provocateur
19. Tate Modern
20. Maserati