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/297393
N o fa sh ion bra nd ha s a com m it ment to pr incipled t h ink ing on issues like sust a inabilit y a nd socia l consciousness more ingrained in its corporate ethos than Eileen Fisher. This fall will mark 30 years since the former interior and graphic designer set up shop, and she has made her name as much by running a community- focused compa ny as by producing gorgeous, simply made clot hing, from drapey cardigans and f lowing skirts to archi- tecturally constructed blouses. T hat ph ilosophy is com municated t h rough recent init iat ives like Green E ileen, a cha in of stores stock ing only prev iously ow ned E ileen Fisher pieces, a nd #SheDocs, a n online docu- mentary film festival sponsored by the company. Explains Fisher, "Business has the power to make a difference and can be a movement around social change. Our work with women and girls, human r ight s, a nd t he env ironment , a nd how we work a s a compa ny, com- pletes t he circle: It's about t he product , people, a nd pla net , a nd t he choices each of us makes every single day." The commitment to ethical living is, in fact, literally woven into the brand's fabrics. "Sustainability starts with design," Fisher says. "When we select fabrics and yarns, we are making choices about better farming practices, greener dyes, and innovative production, building an eco collection that accounts for more than 25 percent of our line. We work to create products that are designed to last and easy to care for." Reflecting on the label's anniversary, she adds, "Simplicity is at the core of the design idea I planted as a seed all those years ago—a col- lective of simple shapes that work together in many ways. The intention is to give women the pieces to put them- selves together easily and joyfully so they can focus on life." This spring, Chicagoans can also focus on more of the designer's complete line, as Neima n Ma rcus on Michiga n Avenue launches an Eileen Fisher "hard shop." T h is lu xe store -in- store con- cept is devoted to offerings like those of Fisher Project, a new collection that reinterprets the essential ele- ments of the Eileen Fisher look with an edge, such as a cropped motorcycle jacket, a tuxedo vest, and silk crêpe de chine shorts. For this cherished favorite with a 30 -year tradition of pairing social con- sciousness with impeccable style, it's a fitting new awakening. 737 N. Michigan Ave., 312-642-5900; neimanmarcus.com MA Making a Difference WITH A NEW CHICAGO PRESENCE AND A FIRM FOCUS ON PHILANTHROPY, EILEEN FISHER INSPIRES WITH STYLE. BY ADRIENNE GAFFNEY TASTEMAKER LEFT: Clutch handmade in Ethiopia ($180). RIGHT: Scoop-neck tank ($178) and organic bandhini print skirt ($198). " It's about the product, people, and planet, and the choices we make every day." EILEEN FISHER MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM 111 reasures 110-111_MA_SS_Tastemaker_May/June_14.indd 111 4/14/14 10:00 AM