ML - Michigan Avenue

2015 - Issue 5 - September

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!

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photography by doug young (tahari) It's a lovely fact that Elie Tahari, the father of a fashion empire as American as apple pie, speaks with a beautiful accent that recalls his childhood in Iran and Israel. After immigrating to New York in the early '70s, the designer embarked on a career in fashion that's seen him create his eponymous company (one of the market's most famous), open stores around the country, and cofound the line Theory. The 63 -year-old Tahari's label marked its 42nd birthday this year, but he's more passionate than ever about creating an innovative wardrobe that ref lects the life of the American woman. You recently opened a shop-in-shop at London's Harrods. We're very excited about the Harrods shop. It's our window to Europe. In London a lot of international people come to shop and look, so we feel through Harrods we'll be able to get to the international [market]. What are your thoughts on Chicago as a fashion city? As far as we perform, Chicago is the most important city outside of New York. Chicago is an urban city; they buy more designer pieces and urban clothes. It's just a good match for Elie Tahari. It's a shopping city. What is your proudest accomplishment as a designer? I'm proud that for 40 years we have delivered fashion and exciting clothes that are quality and fit well. We're dressing a woman and making her look better. It makes you feel good. How has the label evolved over the years? When we started, it was cool, young, and contemporary. Today we are dressing an established woman, when yester- day she was just a kid in a contemporary market. You recently launched a line of activewear. What made you want to get into that market? We live in a world that is changing so fast. Everybody wants to be more comfortable and relaxed. They're wearing f lats, they're wearing leggings, they're wearing clothes that feel good on their body and that move with their body. One of the buyers told me, "This trend, do you think it's going to last?" I don't think it's a trend, I think it's a movement. We're all moving to more comfortable clothes and to more luscious fabric. Women don't want to go out of their way to dress up. MA EliE's EmpirE With a fleet of boutiques around the World, designer EliE Tahari looks back at his 40-year career—and ahead to fall. by adrienne gaffney "As far as we perform, Chicago is the most important city outside of New York," says designer Elie Tahari (below). Juliana knit ($128) and Irene pants ($128), Elie Tahari. Neiman Marcus, 737 N. Michigan Ave., 312-642- 5900; neimanmarcus.com 52  michiganavemag.com STYLE Fashion Insider

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