Our Pride Parade is about more than just celebrating Chicago's out and proud citizens--it's also the best place to spot true sartorial brilliance. But whether your fashion sensibilities lean big and bold, or veer more subtly stylish, nothing is hotter than incorporating a bit of philanthropist chic into any ensemble. On Sunday, when milling through the swarms of proud gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender folk, make a statement in some of these top designs we found at a variety of GLBT organizations. Because being sensitively fashionable is so in.
Homos are a Hoot
This Chicago-based t-shirt (originally designed for National Coming Out Day) was such a hit that the designers went into multiple reprints to keep up with the heavy demand. If you're not already in love with the slogan, you'll fall for the adorable chocolate brown owl on this baby-pink vintage-cut t-shirt. A large chunk of the money raised by the purchase of the shirts goes to local community organizations that help fund LGBT equality. (homosareahoot.com, $17)
Christian Siriano's Fierce Equality Tee
"Project Runway" champ (and king of the catch phrase) Christian Siriano has teamed up with the Human Rights Campaign to create an insanely stylish one-hundred-percent organic t-shirt that flaunts a hand-drawn design of "Fierce Equality," a superhero Siriano created just for this collection. Think a high-end version of a Threadless t-shirt. Two color options--gray and a basic off-white--will make it easy to pair with any wardrobe item. Here's the best part: it's signed by Siriano. You're literally wearing a piece of art. (hrc.org, $38)
Until There's a Cure Sterling and Leather Cord Bracelet
Through all the Pride Weekend fun we can't forget the bigger issues. Until There's a Cure, an AIDS support foundation, worked with New York jewelry designer Kerry MacBride to create a chic, high-end bracelet that looks like it stepped out of a boutique accessory case. Featuring a sterling silver plaque etched with an AIDS ribbon strung on leather cord, this accessory will dress up any outfit. (until.org, $95)
Clothes may make the man, but his accessories allow him to flaunt his personal style. Guys, give your summer look a fashionable boost by stocking up on a few of our favorite wardrobe necessities.
Wallets
You use it multiple times a day; shouldn't it be something you adore? Eschew the classic brown/black leather and kick it up a notch with a Blue Alessandro bi-fold wallet ($89, Stitch, 1723 North Damen, stitchchicago.com). It's made from light-blue Safiano leather and it’s scratch resistant. Prefer something a bit more conversational? Check out the Duct Tape Wallet. It's DIY with style. ($24, Flight001, 1133 North State, flight001.com).
Belts
You know the rule: one in brown, one in black—but no one says that belts have to be as dull as discount-store lighting. The Orciani brown belt elevates any pair of pants into instant high fashion. With a loop clasp and perforated leather, quality is in charge. ($134-$184, Hejfina, 1529 North Milwaukee, hejfina.com). Funk it up a bit with a PS belt from Paul Frank. It’s silk screen-type detailing will have heads turning towards your waistline. ($200, Paul Frank, 851 West Armitage, paulfrank.com).
Watches
Though simple, shiny metal watches are a classic accessory staple, there are chic, less traditional alternatives as well. Interested in architecture and famous designers? Try Karim Rashid's "Kaj" watch, specially designed for Alessi. It comes in multiple colors and its polyurethane craftsmanship adds an industrial edge. ($85, Alessi, 611 North State, alessi.com) Still want something classic, but not cut-and-pasted straight from other arms? Try a Tateossian. This London-based designer uses rich leather and an articulate face design that will make any outfit pop. ($100 and up, His Stuff, 5314 North Clark, hisstuffchicago.com).
Sunglasses
Sunglasses are stylish all year around, but with summer coming this accessory is your new best friend. Just remember—it's all about the face. Round-faced folks, try Aldo's gold “Durwin”-rimmed tinted Aviators ($12, Aldo, 605 North Michigan, aldo.com) For an oval face, traditional round frames work best, and the Chad style from Jack Spade is a perfect fit. ($150, www.jackspade.com). Those with the longer faces can don the square frames, so take a chance with Ben Sherman’s “Wayfarer” square shades. ($115, Urban Outfitters, 935 North Rush, urbanoutfitters.com).
Ties
Ladies have shoes to complete their outfit. Guys have ties. End the "I found it at a department store" look and start with something fresh and multi-functional that transitions easily from work to drinks. The Yoko Deveraux Jersey tie, which comes in multiple colors and patterns, is affordable while maintaining stylish high-end sensibilities. ($33, www.yokod.com).
Picnic With Personality
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN UR CHICAGO FEATURES SECTION May, 2008]
You’ve got three months (if you’re lucky) to celebrate the joys of a Chicago summer. Squeezing every bit of that weather into your life might involve you doing something that tends to go unappreciated – like a good picnic. Now, I know what you’re saying: “Picnics? Really? Aren’t those a lot of work and all the same?” Nope. Much like personalities, picnics can be vastly unique. Whether you’re eco-savvy, design hound, or a true traditionalist, there are picnic accessories for every personal style.
The “Green” Picnic
Definition: You’re a tree huger sans the actual hugging of trees.
Let’s start at the core: The basket. Or in this case, try Karim Rashid’s designer 100% recycled plastic “Garbino” container (www.umbra.com, $6.50). Next, You’ll need utensils. The Earth-friendly 100% recycled adorable green plastic dish-wear made by Preserve (Whole Foods, 1000 W. North Ave., $3.99-5.99) will add a punch of color to the set-up. Avoid grass stains and relax on something naturally cozy like a blanket from Kravetgreen.com, created from post-consumer fibers and recycled products (See website for variety of price ranges).
The “Modern” Picnic
Definition: Your life mirrors that of a Dwell magazine spread – all chic design, all the time. Your basket needs to make the first statement. The Egyptian-made black Rubber Tote allows form and function to merge into an ideal picnic carrying case (Design Within Reach, 10 E. Ohio Ave., $75.00). When you’re ready to snack try the edgy five piece Zueg Flatware ($100.00), and the minimalist-inspired drinking cups by Katje Hoeltermann that keeps liquids at original temperatures ($92.00 for set of two), both available at Stitch (1723 N. Damen). You’re also going to need to keep your white wine chilled and nothing will do the job better than the stylish Built NY Tote (The Gourmet Grape Inc., 3530 N. Halsted St., $14.49-18.99). Spend the entire experience resting on a cozy and design-friendly hand weaved Tessuto throw (CB2, 3757 N., Lincoln Ave., $39.95).
The “Classic” Picnic
Definition: You’re old-school style with a Martha Stewart flair.
Plain and simple, your basket is either wicker or woven. Try the charming Bound Willow Wicker Basket (Cost Plus World Market, 1623 N. Sheffield Ave., Small-$19.99 Large-$24.99) to carry your goods. Cut your Brie in elegance using the Maple Cheese Board ($29.99) and Stainless Steel Cheese Knives ($19.99) from Pastoral (2945 N. Broadway St.). Enjoy some bubbly in the chic “Mami” champagne flutes from Alessi (611 N. State St., $21.00) and keep it fresh using the 18/10 stainless steel Anna Sparkling Champagne Stopper ($49.50, also Alessi). Set the moment upon a casual Hutton Stripe Picnic Blanket (Crate and Barrel, 646 N. Michigan Ave., $29.95).
The Right Cut
ORIGINALLY PRINTED AND ONLINE ARCHIVED IN NEW CITY MAGAZINE STYLE SECTION 2/13/2008
“Nice butt.” It’s only an occasional compliment for most (that is, unless you’re Beyonce). For men, though, the odds of this compliment occurring more often could happen with the right tool: your blue jeans.
I had the luck to meet pros in the jean industry. At Ariano Goldschmied (AG) (48 E. Walton Street) I met store manager, Tony Tadijanovic, who walked me through the history of their denim while we perused the second floor of their Chicago location. Rows of jeans folded crisp, and ordered like books at a library, intimidate me as I walk in the door. So many cuts and washes, it’s hard to know which ones are going to flatter my body type. Guys, it’s true. As much as you don’t want to admit that you care how your jeans fit, you have to be concerned. Baggy is out. Remember that. Also, if you’re tall you don’t want a skinny boot cut (it will make you look lanky). If you’re shorter you’re not going to want a wide leg (it will make you look chunky). But, no fear. AG caters to these types-- the clueless jean buyer-- and takes pride in knowing what your lower half needs.
Tony tames my anxiety by giving me crucial details every guy needs to know about their favorite everyday staple. First, jeans are an investment. Denim can be dressed down for a night with the guys or up for that first date at a high-end sushi joint—the same pair for both events. Also, he tells me why quality jeans have a higher price tag. “Our jeans are hand detailed,” he tells me. You’re paying for a handmade piece of art. And if you’re wearing something so often, why shouldn’t you be proud of it?
Tony gives me a booklet that offers different cuts and colors that will aid in my future visits to the store. I fall in love with the stories that come with AG’s garments – a family business with a passion for quality and knowledge of denim. Most importantly, the insight they have to make a guy memorable as he walks away.
Have Yourself a Merry Little Spa Day: A guide to a luxury holiday
It's the holidays. You've got a list of people to buy for and of course there’s that one person who gets you every time: The guy or girl who has everything. Spa services are an increasingly more popular way to show someone you care (and give them some much needed R and R), but anyone can give a Swedish massage. Try one of these out-of-the-ordinary spa services to truly make an impression.
The Professional Shave
Sure, he could do it himself. But why not let him enjoy the luxury of someone else taking over the blade? The process includes luxuries such as layering the skin with different exfoliates, moisturizers, astringents and hot towels to open pores. And the result is a final product that can't be bought: A shave so close it takes three days for hair to grow back. The Spa at Halo [For Men], 21 West Elm, (312)642-4256, $55
Heal with Liquor.
We love the drink, so, why not soak in it? The Mojito Sugar Cane foot soak combines crushed mint leaves, sugarcane, fresh lime juice and oils, creating a mixture that tames inflammation and soreness for dried out skin. Plus, the mild scent of mint will soothe the mind. Thankfully, there is no hangover involved.
The Gift of Gold
Plain old jewelry won’t cut it, but rolling around in it is a different story. Try the Egyptian Golden Body Wrap, where Dead Sea salt exfoliation leads to an application of a gold-infused serum. Yes, gold. The process continues by applying Dead Sea mud to the spine to pull out toxins. A rich moisturizer concludes the process. (Four Seasons Hotel Spa & Fitness Club, 120 East Delaware, (312)649-2340, $145 for a fifty-minute wrap, $195 for an eighty-minute wrap with additional massage
Room to Breathe
Chicago skin needs a breather as complete as the Triple Oxygen Treatment. It includes a deep cleaning exfoliation with fruit acid wash, pre-extraction oxygen wrap and a calming oxygen milk mask, finished off with a vitamized oxygenspray. It’s easily the healthiest air you’ll get in the city. (Bliss Chicago, 644 North Lake Shore, (312)201-9545, eighty-five minutes for $160
Guyville: A Little Dose of Heaven
ORIGINALLY PRINTED AND ONLINE ARCHIVED FOR NEW CITY MAGAZINE STYLE SECTION 11/13/2007
I walk into The Spa at Halo [for Men] and an up-tempo song instantly sets my mood to perfect.
A friendly front-desk staff greets me with a beverage and a seat in a waiting room that mirrors a well-decorated pad. I settle into leather chairs, surrounded by candles, and face a giant plasma television (Reminder: this is just the waiting room). Ahead, the salon is bright with more televisions, books and masculine-colored walls. Adjacent to the salon is the spa, set in a low-lit, Buddha-inspired space.
I’m led to a vintage barber's chair that the owner, Bob Patrizi, scored off eBay, for my very first professional shave. The shaver, Janell, places soothing hot towels on my skin between each exfoliation, lather and moisturizing step. She uses a sharp blade you'd see in olden days. No nicks, and instantly I have baby-smooth skin. And, apparently, her close shaves take longer for hair to grow back. Awesome. I'm a lazy shaver.
Next, I gear up for "The Man." This service includes a shampoo, haircut, style, scalp massage, paraffin wax on hands and a hot-towel facial. Seriously. My stylist, Kelly, chats with me while she snips. That's the thing
about this place: if you want to talk, great. If you don't, it’s cool too. Every station has a plasma television so you can zone out if preferred. Next, Kelly takes me to the peacefully Zen spa for my five-minute back-scratch. Yes, a back-scratch. I sit in a massage chair and rest my head in an o-shaped pillow while she uses metal sculpture-like tools that relax my muscles to a jellyish state.
Last, I get my pedicure. Eva tells me to relax while she places my feet into a large basin with hot stones and bubbles. She meticulously cleans cuticles, trims nails, exfoliates the bottoms of my feet and massages a
long the arch, over the heel and up to the calf. A paraffin wax finishes the act. On the way out, I pick up a few of the hair and skin products (tailored clothing is also available for sale) recommended by Patrizi. I leave feeling like Halo is heaven.
The Spa at Halo [for Men], 21 West Elm, (312)642-4256, halochicago.com
Let's talk about synergy. You know, the idea that two people can partner up and create a uniquely powerful force as a result of their combined energies. It’s this synergistic effect that has propelled local line dIETERbENNET from an idea to one of the most recognizable up-and-comers on the Chicago fashion scene. Fresh off a successful showing at the Gen Art runway show during Fashion Focus Chicago, dIETERbENNET is poised to take its clean, classic women’s line to the next level.
If you ask Bennet Cousins and Dieter Kirkland how their passion for fashion started, you will see a twinkle in their eye when they begin to tell of their design beginnings. Cousins was introduced to sewing and patterns by his grandmother at a young age and remained inspired by her talent as he grew and became more involved in textiles. Kirkland always knew that design was his calling, whether it was industrial or interior, and in the end he chose to create with fabric. After a chance introduction by their Columbia College Chicago advisor in the fall of 2006, Cousins and Kirkland became fast design pals, intent on taking the fashion world by storm with their like aesthetic. After a brief time apart, they re-emerged in the spring of 2007 with a fresh outlook on women's fashion: clean, subtle and modern. The synergy was born.
Now working out of home studios, these gents are humble about their work and inspirations. They’re not the type of artists who,when asked about what inspires them, jolt into lengthy, metaphysical hoopla. For both, inspiration comes in the everyday. "[We] may come across a building and think a structural element is interesting, and four weeks down the road realize that [we] interpreted that element into a skirt detail," the duo says.
It's their attention to even the smallest elements that embosses dIETERbENNET’s name from the list of up-and-coming local Chicago designers. Their subtle details range from the use of sleek, muted, organic-looking fabric to the delivery of stitch. "Our pieces have hidden subtleties, like dart manipulation, that no one but the wearer notices," they say. But women are applauding much more than the detailing. They are excited about the realistic wear-ability. "[We] see so many runway shows and appreciate what they are doing from an artistic viewpoint, but sometimes ponder how it will relate to the real world."
Designers need to consider where their clothing falls between the real world and fashion world. There are the mass-produced, everyday styles; the sassy, upscale items we drool over through windows; and the extravagant, how-in-hell-do-I-sport-that high-fashion pieces sprawled in magazines and on the runway. So how does this talented team fit in? As perfectly as a neatly sewn running stitch. Their Jil Sander admiration is evident, as dIETERbENNET coheres to all the realms of fashion by being functional, original and approachable. The clothes speak for themselves with sleek skirts that hug the thighs in a high-fashion cut, but are still wearable enough for the office; coats that you swear belong in a magazine spread, but will be perfect for that fall night out in the West Loop. They are designing for the women of today: elegantly styled yet living at a hectic pace. Of course the fashion world is ever changing. How will dIETERbENNET evolve to keep in touch with the times? They don’t claim to be psychics, but they foretell a resurgence of a time when clothes were meant to individualize a person. "A lot of people are over the mega-brands and the ubiquitousness of it all," they say. "They are looking for something more intimate and special."
A possible men’s line, a showroom and plans to take their look to New York and beyond are all part of dIETERbENNET’s goal of becoming a global player. And they are sure to succeed. Because when you see the success of their synergy resulting in the exceptional dIETERbENNET creations, you know that it would be impossible to contain that energy in one place. It has to be shared with the world.
dIETERbENNET designs can be found at Jake, 939 North Rush, (312)664-5553, shopjake.com or at dieterbennet.com.
Gee whiz! Finally, Las Vegas brings the country a little something other than watered down drinks, mass-consumed buffets, and a creepy over-worshiped Celine Dion. Da da daaaaa, bring in The Killers, a retro-like '80s rock band with beguiling lyrics demonstrating for everyone "the bright side" of that desert hugging city. Mr. Brightside himself, Brandon Flowers led the group out of the desert and to the city near the water with their recent concert at Lollapalooza in Chicago.
Hot Fuss, the band's first record, was just that - a whole bunch of fuss about a hip, sexed-up band. The lads behind the instruments backed it up live, booming out a powerful set on a powerful hot Chicago Sunday. With recent, persistently played hits "Somebody Told Me", "I'm Mr. Brightside", and "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine" so finely performed, you'd think the Killers had played a million gazillion concerts. If you've been dwelling in a soundproof bunker without a radio, you'd be the only one not to recognize the thick, almost dance-trackable beats The Killers offer with fist-punching drum forms alongside catchy rips on the electric guitar. But, live, the band could have made a sneeze track sound hotter than a Richard Simmon's workout extravaganza.
Not only was the audience engaged in these hits gone wild, Flowers, complete with Mary Kay eyeliner, held his bouncy stage presence well. His bandmates, too, made the stage seem like a basement house party with energetic, perfect backup vocals with a pristine sound that only a capable band could regurgitate outside of safe and sound studio mechanics. By allowing the beer-fed, sweaty crowd join in to their gentle lyrics without that cheesy singy-songy annoying thing that people like, a-hem, Dashboard Confessional, do (we pay to see the band, not the audience screech), there was a taste of their killer victory - the victory of impending mega-fame.
The Killers clearly know how to do their job selling themselves as a here-to-stay prickly pop sensation gone live who a) can sing b) can really sing c) pull off a show without smearing one tad bit of eye make up in the humid, hot heat of their successful - and well worth the fuss - act.
Third Coast Festival Radio Contest Piece
This piece, Life Plays On, was recorded for the Third Coast International Radio Contest. This is how it goes: There different objects are purchased at a Dollar Store in Chicago. Entrants must pick an object and use it in a fiction or non-fiction piece that is recorded with optional sound effects and then turned in to a MP3. Recorded, produced, edited, and written by me. A fun little project that taught me this cool little thing called "patience". Yup.
Peformance at 2nd Story
I wrote this piece which was performed at Webster Wine Bar on 2nd Story Night in 2007. Filmed by David Heniff
