Style Expose Blog

10/15/2008

Kicking It with Classy City Bling

Want some bling with a little less ice? Carolyn Burry's got your back. Her one of a kind pieces are made with semi-precious stones and antique broaches from all over the country. Her bold necklaces are statement pieces sure to funk up any wardrobe. And having a couture piece for an affordable price makes it all the more enticing. Combining the natural with the embellished, wear one with your simple black dress and you've never looked more fabulous.

Outside of just making classy bling, Carolyn has become quite the philanthropist donating pieces to charities like the Y-Me Breast Cancer Organization and the Fairy Godmother Foundation. Caroyln took her fashion to the runway this year in the 2008 "Chicago is Red Hot" show during Fashion Focus Chicago.

Personal trunk shows can be arranged with Carolyn. Also, find Carolyn at Bloomingdales in December for a holiday trunk show.

www.classycitybling.com

Style Expose is written and managed by staff of the Stitches Fashion Program, part of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center. We provide business assistance for Chicagoland fashion entrepreneurs.

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10/15/2008

Competition Opportunity: Race to BE.

Calling all designers: The Race to BE. is looking for young creative artists in the fields of film, music and fashion who want to become entrepreneurs. If you are between the ages of 18- 29 and want to BE. a contestant in the Los Angeles (film competition), Austin (music competition), or New York (fashion competition) as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week 2008, they want to hear from you!

10/14/2008

Get Your Fashion Focus Lancome Products at Macy's

Lancôme make-up artist Alex Sanchez designed all of the make-up looks for the Fashion Focus Chicago 2008. We say he did a spectacular job!

Best part is that you can have the look too. Go to the Lancôme counter at Macy's on State Street, Watertower, Old Orchard or Woodfield and their experts will introduce you to a new look just for you, inspired by the Fashion Focus Chicago runway shows.

Receive a complimentary sample of Hypnôse Mascara with any Lancôme purchase through October 20th. Also, a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Chicago Fashion Incubator!

10/13/2008

A Print Design Contest

V Print

Think you have what it takes to design a fashionable print? Now is your chance to prove it. The new, Chicago-based women's fashion label, vfish, is hosting its first ever student print design contest.

"V Print" is a contest, which gives you the chance to create a print that will be silk-screened onto a piece of the vfish Fall/Winter 2009 women's clothing collection.

Entries will be judged on the following criteria:
A strong, imaginative design which:
-Must show flair, creativity, versatility and originality
-Must be appropriate for contemporary women ages 20 to 35
-Must be in accordance with this brief

Rules
-Must be an original creation
-You can use anything to create your design: pens, paints, pencils, photography, computer aided design, collage - anything you want.
-The print must be suitable to use in a women's dress or top.
-There is no theme.
-Submit print in vector files such as .EPS or .AI
-Limit print to four colors
-No border prints
-Submit size measurements for the physical square
-List the visual repeat pattern in your submission

Prize
The winning print will be unveiled in the Fall/Winter 2009 collection and sold on the vfish website, flagship store and retailers nationwide. It will be shown in at least one piece of the collection. The winner will receive a piece of the collection and a portion of the proceeds from the winning print collection will go to the winner's charity of choice.

All entries subject to dismissal, submissions become the property vfish upon entry and may be altered. Contestants are subject to a copyright waiver upon selection.

Competition deadline is December 1, 2008. For more information email kmooney@vfishdesigns.com

2937 North Clark, Chicago, IL 60657
312-423-7839
www.vfishdesigns.com
info@vfishdesigns.com

10/10/2008

Chicago Fashion Incubator Application

If you're an emerging apparel designer in the Chicagoland region, dont' forget to apply for the Chicago Fashion Incubator! It is an amazing resource for early-stage fashion designers. You don't want to pass this up. You'll get access to great resources, including mentoring by our experts at the Stitches Fashion Program at the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center. The program lasts a year and this application is for the second class (year 2).

Style Expose is written and managed by staff of the Stitches Fashion Program, part of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center. We provide business assistance for Chicagoland fashion entrepreneurs.

10/9/2008

Chicago Fashion Incubator Series: Moving with the Yana Collection

Knowing how the body moves was part of Yana German's every day life. This former professional dancer has now become inspired by that motion. Dancing began to put wear and tear on German's body and she decided to quit dancing and started to create costumes for her fellow dancers. "Momentum and the human body are so interesting to me. As a dancer, you had to pay attention to these things so it is just natural for me to be inspired by them" German stated. Born in Russia, German moved to America in 1989 and soon after moved to Pisa, Italy to study fashion design.

Her structured line, the Yana Collection, is based around the idea of the business woman who likes to have fun after 5pm. Made in Chicago, tailored jackets and pants are the staples of the line, accented with lace and feminine details. The fabrics used in German's collections do not wrinkle and naturally adjust to your body creating breathability and comfort. "I believe that every woman should have a great pair of pants, a classic pair with great pleating. These will set up your look and get you ready for the day."

German has been completely motivated by the Incubator experience. "Simply coming to work at Macy's every day has been emotional. So many other people could have been in my position and it's amazing that I am here. The fact that I can just go downstairs and talk with the buyers is awesome. There is so much space and so many opportunities that we are given and after that everything is up to us to make our business successful."

As a part of Chicago Fashion Focus, the Yana Collection appeared in Red Hot Chicago and the Chicago Sister Cities shows. Her collection can be found at the 28 Shop at Macy's as a part of the Chicago Designer series. Her pieces range from $135-$320

10/9/2008

Tribeca Boutique Charity Coat Swap

Charity Coat Swap/Fall Mark- Downs
Sat. Oct. 11th

Bring in your OLD favorite "gently used" coat and receive 30% off your NEW favorite coat to keep you in style this winter. Help out and donate a coat for those in need. Good for others AND good for you :)

10/7/2008

Applications Now Being Accepted for the Chicago Fashion Incubator

It's up! The application for the second class at the Chicago Fashion Incubator is available online at www.ChicagoFashionResource.com.

Remember, this is an opportunity for emerging apparel designers only. Sorry, no accessories just yet!

The Chicago Fashion Incubator (CFI) at Macy's on State Street provides six (6) emerging Chicago-based designers with the resources, including workspace, education about the business of fashion and mentoring, to launch their careers in fashion. The Designers in Residence (DIR) are provided office space, including computers and software; a workshop room with sample production space and a resource section; as well as a showroom. DIR are required to complete a core curriculum of workshops and seminars conducted at the Incubator location at Macy's on State Street for the duration of a one year period starting in March 2008.

10/7/2008

Designer Profile: Jules

Feeling bored siting in your cubicle? Maybe you should take a page from Julie Schwanbeck and change direction. Well figure out what you love, make sure you are good at it, and then go for it. Schwanbeck, formerly in advertising and sales, started dabbling with jewelry after 12 years in business. Schwanbeck took a class in jewelry design and never looked back. She even applied for Macy's Distinction in Design competition and won. After this and great success at a trunk show, Julie realized jewelry design was exactly where she wanted to be.

Jules uses hard metals and interesting composition to create one of a kind statement jewelry. Made in Chicago, the Jules line is a reflection of the city with his architectural details and organic embelishments. You can find Jules cool line at Honey She She in Bucktown, the Gray Boutiques in Old Town and Winnetka or online at Second City Style.
A few questions and answers for Julie Schwanbeck of Jules:

SE: What inspires you?
JS: I am inspired by living in the city, walking the streets and seeing different fashion expressions, the architecture, wonders of nature and definitely art. My boyfriend is an artist and designer, so he inspires me and motivates me to continually create and express myself.

SE: What is your Spring collection like?
JS: For me spring is all about mixed metals and brightly colored precious gemstones. As a metalsmith, I love the blemishes my hammer makes, and the colors a torch can create on metal. I love playing with textures and colors to create unique and unexpected designs.

SE: What is your favorite part about the job?
JS: Being able to live as an artist and have a career doing what I truly love every single day. What's that saying? Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life. It's true. 100%.

SE: What is your least favorite part about the job?
JS: The books! I leave that to my operations manager/boyfriend/business partner. He is also helping me launch a men's line in 2009.