Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/101703
FASHION NEWS Nordstrom will open 10 designer shop-in-shops. art and sole rising stars TEN PROMISING NEW FASHION DESIGNERS SET UP EXCLUSIVE SHOP-IN-SHOPS AT NORDSTROM. T his spring, the high-end retailer Nordstrom has curated an impressive collection of merchandise from the 2012 CFDA/ Vogue Fashion Fund finalists and is bringing some of the most coveted pieces to five select Nordstrom stores, including Chicago's Michigan Avenue location, for a limited time. The fund supports the next generation of fashion designers, offering business mentoring and seed money to the winners—not to mention an enviable level of exposure. "We are proud to evolve our commitment to the future of American fashion by hosting CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund shops in our stores. We think our customers will be excited to have access to the collections of these talented designers," says Nordstrom Executive Vice President Jeffrey Kalinsky. This year The Elder Statesman's Greg Chait won top honors (and an impressive $300,000 grant), while runners-up Tabitha Simmons and Jennifer Meyer Maguire also received generous financial support from the fund. Their creations are showcased alongside those of the seven other finalists in a dedicated section of Nordstrom. "It is a great opportunity for our 10 designers to have a presence in-store with a major retailer, and this will give their collections great exposure to a broader audience," said Steven Kolb, CEO of the CFDA. Chicago shoppers can style themselves in these cutting-edge designs from head to toe, pairing A.L.C.'s leather Bordeaux miniskirt with Tabitha Simmons's suede buckle booties for a night of cocktails at the ultra-exclusive speakeasy The Office. Or for a casual day of running around town, opt instead for The Elder Statesman's soft, striped cardigan, Jennifer Meyer Maguire's delicate wishbone pendant, and Wes Gordon trousers. No matter the occasion, the wardrobe possibilities are positively endless. 55 E. Grand Ave., 312-464-1515; shop.nordstrom.com Printed lizard and neoprene pump ($795) IN BLOCKED BANDS of cream, mandarin, and mustard, an abstract motif resembling the letter "F" jets across structured leather overcoats, shift dresses, and crew-neck blouses. The linear silhouettes of pencil skirts, cigarette trousers, and oversize jackets dominate Fendi's new collection and direct attention to the remarkable construction of the garments and accessories. Led by Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi, and inspired by British sculptor Anish Kapoor, the Fendi design team used progressive techniques such as saldatura, or electrical welding, instead of traditional stitching, to create pieces that appear to be seamless, a process Kapoor also relied on when fusing together the 168 steel plates of our beloved Cloud Gate. The sculptor's signature manipulation of space and form is continued on page 70 PHOTOGRAPHY BY THOMAS KLETECKA/COLLECTIVEEDIT (WES GORDON); SCOTT OLSEN/GETTY IMAGES (CLOUD GATE) FENDI'S SPRING/SUMMER COLLECTION TAKES AN ARCHITECTURAL CUE FROM CLOUD GATE'S VERY OWN ANISH KAPOOR. Anish Kapoor, famous for designing Cloud Gate, inspired Fendi's latest line. TOP TO BOTTOM: Black raffia jacket ($2,150), red sleeveless taffeta tie blouse ($1,350), and black scuba lace-up pant ($1,250), Wes Gordon. Cutout tank dress ($695), Suno. V-neck plunge tee ($825) and satin twill flared pant ($1,095), Wes Gordon 68 MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM 068-070_MA_SS_FashionNews_Winter13.indd 68 1/2/13 12:20 PM