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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STYLE MOST WANTED Dress N° 06, an Italian double-faced wool crepe minidress ($1,889) that Bobysheva considers one of the collection's centerpieces. TOP: Bobysheva's Spring/Summer 2016 Collection before model fittings for a Chicago runway show. WITH HER NEW ICON COLLECTION FOR SPRING, EMERGING CHICAGO FASHION DESIGNER ELENA BOBYSHEVA PROVES THAT SHE'S A FASHION FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH. BY CONNOR CHILDERS DRESS FOR SUCCESS Remember the name Elena Bobysheva. Moscow-born and based in Geneva, Illinois, the 27-year-old womenswear designer is turning heads with her buzzed-about sustainable fashion brand. Since launching in 2013, Bobysheva—a self-pro- claimed champion of "clean, minimalistic lines and asymmetrical and graphic silhouettes"—has steadily been building momentum, from gaining CFDA recognition to earning a finalist spot in Saks Fifth Avenue's Emerging Designer Showcase. Now the designer has taken her signature styles and updated them for what could be her most accom- plished work yet: the Spring 2017 Icon Collection. Deceptively simplistic in their completed forms, Bobysheva's standout looks are anything but. Case in point: An Italian double- faced wool crepe fitted minidress with a three- tiered skirt consisting of princess satin and pleated georgette that peeks out from underneath a cutout at the hem. Complete with guipure lace trim and a grosgrain ribbon waistband, the modern geometric structure of the piece is smartly juxtaposed with luxe, feminine fabrics. This careful balance of hard versus soft is a key recurring element in Bobysheva's designs (which are sold exclusively online) and part of what makes them so compelling to her ever-growing fan base of chic women in Chicago and beyond. With such a strong vision for her brand paired with design talent for days, one thing is clear: Bobysheva is just getting started. elenabobysheva.com . 86 MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM POWER PLAYERS Dress N° 06, an Italian double-faced wool crepe minidress ($1,889) that Bobysheva considers one of the collection's centerpieces. TOP: Bobysheva's Spring/Summer 2016 Collection before model fittings for a Chicago runway show. PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHANIE GARCIA PHOTOGRAPHY/WWW.STEPHANIEGARCIA.CO. PHOTOGRAPHER ASSISTANT: TERRY TRAVASSO. DIGITAL TECH: TOM MICHAS. MAKE-UP ARTIST: LIA RIVETTE. MODEL: ARNELA KARABEGOVIC (DRESSES); BY @ELENABOBYSHEVA (BACKSTAGE SHOTS) Icon Dress N° 04, from Elena Bobysheva's new collection. NEAR RIGHT: The designer with a model during backstage fittings at her Vancouver Fashion Week Spring/ Summer 2016 show.