My only regret?  That I didn’t get the chance to try one of the vegan cocktails.

Here are a few pictures of the show:

I was intrigued when I first heard of Vaute Couture, a line of fashionable vegan coats that provide weather protection, insulation and comfort The owner, Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart, spent almost a year developing the line which is produced in Chicago, IL. The advanced fabric is super soft and works well with sensitive skin, so no itchy skin here. The three styles of the coats were inspired by artists who were narrowed down in an international search and once narrowed down, the 8,000 public votes chose a winner. For F/W 09, 25 of each color/style of coats will be produced, and each coat will come with a numbered and certified print of the coat’s illustration.

What I really like about Vaute Couture’s line is that you can buy your coats to order if you have specific sizing issues/specifications. For me, buying winter coats is a bit tricky since I have a larger bust, so I’m never quite proportionate for what my “correct size” should be. Plus, I like to get as much wear out of my winter clothing as possible since I’m wearing it so often, so having the option for a custom coat would be perfect. Here are the coats from the 2009 line:

Bomono Coat

Pea Coat

El Coat

Vaute Coat

Being the consistent procrastinator that I am, I waited until the last minute to visit the Chic Chicago exhibit at the Chicago History Museum.   The exhibit has been showing since last year and it will be ending on Monday, so I thought right about now would be a perfect time to take my butt down there before it’s gone forever.   And yes, I’m glad that I went because I was able to take a few pictures before I was politely asked not to take anymore.  So that meant I was unable to take a picture of an awesome Comme De Garcons gown that was absolutely breathtaking.  Honestly, take my word for it.

An  Issey Miyake gown

This 60′s YSL dress

Balenciaga

And this beautiful Charles James gown.  Honestly, the picture doesn’t even do this gown justice.

It was really a great exhibit and I’m glad I was able to see it before everything was taken down.   I also visited an exhibit, Chicago: Crossroads of America, which featured the many innovations created in Chicago.  One section focused on retail and a small section was dedicated to stylish hat maker, the “Mad Hatter”  Bes-Ben.

Overall, I’d say it wasn’t a bad way to spend a portion of my Saturday.  Hope everyone has had a good weekend so far!

Chic Chicago]]> http://www.clandestinechic.com/2009/07/26/chic-chicago/feed/ 2 http://www.clandestinechic.com/2009/03/11/sample-sales-inchicago/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sample-sales-inchicago http://www.clandestinechic.com/2009/03/11/sample-sales-inchicago/#comments Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:18:44 +0000 clandestinechic http://clandestinechic.wordpress.com/?p=216

Chicago has been on the fashion map for a lot of things: Michelle Obama’s favored designer Maria Pinto and her boutique of choice, Ikram are located here. We have some very fashion-forward boutiques such as Blake, a boutique very strong on Belgian designers; and Hejfina, a shop that  stocks Alexander Wang, Comme de Garcons, Vanessa Bruno and Maison Martin Margiela to name a few.  There are mini-shopping districts throughout the city.  Our luxury shopping mecca, the Gold Coast, is home to Yves Saint Laurent, Hermes, Jil Sander, and Barneys.  So what’s the problem?

Where are the sample sales?

If you live in New York  or if you read about fashion in New York, then you hear about tons of fabulous sample sales for just about any designer you can think of.  People score items way less than the original retail price.   Cashmere for $100 and runway platforms for $175.  Where do you find those deals in Chicago.

We are in some tough economic times and the Chicago sales tax is pretty high, so while the great boutiques I mentioned above  stock great designers and collections, it’s always nice to try and score some good designer buys for less.  Where to go?

I saw the sign in the picture above while walking back to my office from my lunch break.  The name of the shop is Thread Lounge and it is located in Lincoln Park.  It is a permanent sample sale location, so you are getting a bargain 24/7.   The clothing and accessories are marked for a fraction of the retail price and features up and coming designers that are most likely featured in a magazine like Lucky.   While passively browsing, I found a very nice leather handbag for $150 and cashmere throws for about $75.

Beta Boutique is another sample sale location.  Sales used to be held on a specific date and time, but they have opened a permanent store in Wicker Park that can be visited four days a week.   Prices can start as low as $10 and the boutique carrys all brands such as Three Dots, James Perse, Cynthia Rowley, and Ella Moss.

High Gloss is not a permanent location, but they do have sample sale events four times a year.  Supported by Clever Alice boutqiue, the sale stocks designers such as Chaiken,  Prarie Underground, and Frenzii at up to 80% off.

So while Chicago isn’t the premier location for sample sales, we are coming around.   While there are no super high-end designer sample sales that I’ve found so far, the market is beginning to thrive.  Hopefully, it will continue to do so.

My friend and I arrived somewhat late, but we were still able to catch the tail end of the show  Le Dress was declared the winner, but each boutique had some strong looks.  The beautiful Chaise Lounge in Chicago hosted the event, and it brought out some very fashionable people.  Here are a few images from the runway:

Also, a couple more images that I took: the models in their runway outfits:

And one of a girl rocking a cute blazer/black skirt combo: