"Long Live McQueen" (2/23/10)

Not even the threat of record-breaking blizzard conditions could stop the forces of fashion. In the days leading up to the first show at New York Fashion Week in Bryant Park, editors, casting directors, and designers were scrambling to make sure that models and racks of clothes made it to Manhattan before the snow did. Despite inclement weather, the clothes arrived, the models hit the catwalk running, and the show was set to go—that is, until the passing of one designer cast a different kind of cloud over the whole affair.

Superstar British designer Alexander McQueen—a force of nature in his own right—committed suicide on February 10, the eve of his mother’s funeral and the day before the start of New York Fashion Week. McQueen’s death gives us cause to reflect on both his incredible creative legacy and the ugly effects of depression and stress that the fashion industry tries to airbrush away.

A high school dropout, McQueen trained as a tailor on London’s famous Savile Row before entering Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, where he began to hone his style as a master of the macabre. His fall 2007 ready-to-wear collection was inspired by the Salem Witch Trials. When the clothes were presented in Paris, McQueen staged a show with a red and black pentagram traced in sand accompanying a film featuring swarms of locusts and faces decaying to skulls. Another collection was based on Hitchcock’s “The Birds,” and yet another was shown in the dungeon that held Marie Antoinette before her execution. McQueen’s bold fascination with morbid themes and dark psychology earned him the nickname enfant terrible, along with the admiration of fashion editors worldwide.

Though most of his eccentric concoctions were entirely unwearable, it didn’t stop his designs from becoming iconic. McQueen’s precarious ten-inch stilettos, bedazzled and shaped like lobster claws, were donned by outrageous chanteuse Lady Gaga in her music video for “Bad Romance.” The massive booties, which debuted last October in McQueen’s spring 2010 show, look like hooves, and no one but Gaga could stomp around in them without twisting an ankle. Another pair of shoes from the show was reminiscent of the eerie, organic designs of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí. Like Gaudí’s apartment balconies that resemble gaping jaws, McQueen’s shoes look like they’re about to gnaw on the models’ toes. McQueen’s ability to fuse the fearsome, fantastical, and fabulous was always fashion-forward.

In addition to these over-the-top couture items, some of McQueen’s designs did have mass-market appeal. His skull print chiffon scarves—a morbid take on florals—managed to be dainty and dark, girly and ghoulish. Coveted by celebrities like Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Ritchie, Mary Kate Olsen, and Kate Moss, the rocker-chic scarves retail for $200–$395. Low-cost alternatives abound, however: I plucked my $5 version out of an overflowing bin in New York’s Chinatown.

Like many of today’s highly visible figures in fashion, McQueen was an avid Twitter user. He used the site to air some personal demons, and his updates in the days leading up to his suicide revealed that his mother’s death was deeply troubling for him. Sadly, McQueen’s downward spiral is the second to shock the fashion world in recent months. Daul Kim, a 20-year-old South Korean model and fashion-world darling, killed herself in November. Like McQueen, Kim also used high-traffic Internet sites as spots to vent her frustration and despair. In the weeks prior to her death, Kim had posted ominous updates on her blog, where she wrote that she felt “mad depressed” and “like a ghost.” In recent years, other models have died as a result of their psychological struggles, including two from the complications of anorexia: 22-year-old Uruguayan model Luisel Ramos in 2006, and 21-year-old Brazilian beauty Ana Carolina Reston earlier this month.

It’s no surprise that fashion is not all frivolous fun, but these recent deaths suggest that the fashion industry has a problem that must be addressed. With any luck, these terrible losses will spark some serious discussion about how to help models and designers suffering from depression or similar afflictions. When McQueen died, the world lost a brilliant, exciting, irreverent designer whose shows were theatrical spectacles and whose masterfully crafted ensembles were like pieces of performance art. He will be missed for his impeccable technical gifts, daring creativity, and unparalleled ability to turn the disturbing or stigmatized into high-drama, show-stopping, jaw-dropping work. In the words of one writer quoted by ABC News, “Long live McQueen!”

(photo of McQueen AW 2009 from Zimbio)

"Hunting for Vintage with AvantGaudy" (2/2/10)

Thrifting isn’t an activity for those afraid to get their hands dirty. Though there’s a definite thrill in searching for buried treasures hidden in boxes overflowing with vintage clothes, accessories, and photographs, thrift stores are often dusty, musty, crowded, and disorganized. If you hardly have time in the morning to throw together an ensemble of stained cords and a wrinkled button-down, you might not have what it takes to sift through piles of sometimes-smelly stuff. When you do stumble across a can’t-live-without-it item, you have to make sure that it’s not irreparably stained or ripped. Then, once you get it home, you have to carefully wash out layers of caked dust and a few decades worth of funk. Although I love the eco-friendliness of thrifting—better to buy old clothes than to support the energy-guzzling mass production of new ones—and like to imagine the clothes’ history, I don’t enjoy the hands-on aspect of thrifting.

“Looking at a thrift store is overwhelming and time-intensive,” says Deborah Umunnabuike, a fourth-year in the College and co-founder of the Internet vintage fashion emporium Avant Gaudy. Her useful Web site, which she started with her sister Jessica in the summer of 2005, stocks high-quality, fashion-forward vintage items, solving all of my thrifting conundrums. On buying trips throughout Chicago and the rest of the Midwest, AG staffers wade through rack after rack of vintage goods and handpick chic pieces in runway-ready condition. The clothes are awesomely outlandish pieces, which Umunnabuike describes as “avant-garde sensibility for the new guard,” and are targeted to hip teens and twenty-somethings with a strong sense of personal style.

As Avant Gaudy’s success suggests, vintage clothes are anything but outmoded. Avant Gaudy staff scours blogs, pores over fashion magazines, and scouts merchandise at various clothing stores in order to forecast emerging trends. “We look at publications like Women’s Wear Daily to look at what colors and styles will be popular for the coming season,” says Umunnabuike. “References in fashion designers’ collections help us figure out what will be important next season, which in turn tells us what we need to be looking for,” she added. Last summer, the company hosted an internship program where merchandise buyers searched for vintage items that reflected the ’80s glam aesthetic reintroduced by contemporary designers like Marc Jacobs and Christophe Decarnin. To capitalize on the ’80s homage taking the contemporary runways by storm, Avant Gaudy stocked short dresses, sequined pieces, and sky-high shoulder pads, all of which they were able to sell successfully this fall.

However, there’s a fine line between looking chic and looking crazy, so in addition to their online store, Avant Gaudy also features a blog that shows customers how to prevent their ensembles from appearing costume-y. “Most people aspire to look great, but aren’t fashionistas. The blog is a mouthpiece for advertising, but also shows people how they can wear current trends in an accessible way, like by taming down crazy dresses with tailored blazers or sweaters,” says Umunnabuike.

Umunnabuike, a political science major, believes that there’s an overlap between her academic work and entrepreneurial endeavors. The ability to prioritize, think critically, and effectively manage her time, which have become crucial as she works on her B.A. paper about black youth and music, are also important in the business world. “At the U of C, you’re taught to analyze a situation, figure out what’s important, and ask questions. That’s the kind of thinking you need to run a business,” says Umunnabuike. The resources and networking opportunities at CAPS and the Booth School of Business, where she had temporary office space last summer and had the opportunity to seek mentors, helped Umunnabuike get her footing in the fashion world. Whether working on a midterm or selecting items from Avant Gaudy’s 500-piece inventory to feature on the company’s web site, the skills she has honed at U of C have served Umunnabuike well.

As graduation rapidly approaches, Umunnabuike has stepped down from her position as CEO. Though she’s still involved with operations in a consulting capacity, the company is now helmed by Marife Nellas, a recent college grad from Creighton in Nebraska. Umunnabuike has her sights set on future entrepreneurial opportunities, but wants to take some time after graduation to hone new skills. “I caught the entrepreneurial bug and want to be running my own business long-term, but want to spend some time in [the] corporate world to gain credibility and experience,” she says. Whether she’s running her own business or revitalizing pre-existing brands, this stylish girl is poised to take the fashion world by storm.

(photo from Avantgaudy.com)

"Blogs" (1/26/10)

With advertisers still running for the hills and publishers continuing to fold, it seems that textbook-sized fashion magazines are a thing of the past. Although you can no longer lug around a backbreaking Vogue, new media makes it easier than ever to get your daily dose of fashion. Here are some of my favorite places to log on and get connected to the fashion world.

Go Fug Yourself

This blog is penned by Heather and Jessica, a dynamic duo with a keen eye and sharp wit. Responsible for introducing a new variation of the “F word” to the cultural lexicon, the girls lampoon starlets and celebutantes who go about town looking “fantastically ugly,” or some more explicit variant thereof. The writers, who also contribute to New York Magazine, take devilish delight in pointing out can’t-look-away disasters where celebrity stylists clearly fell asleep at the wheel. The blog is part celebration, part censure of sartorial calamities. My favorite features include the imagined dialogues between celebrities, especially the incoherent mutterings of designer Karl Lagerfeld (“Kaiser Karl”), who reminds readers that “Humor is the crutch of the plain, pet. BE GORGEOUS.” Fugly regular Aubrey O’Day, who skyrocketed to C-list celebrity after appearing on a season of P. Diddy’s Making the Band, also never fails to disappoint with retina-scarring selections that look like a stew of neon colors and couch-cushion patterns, seasoned with a splash of saloon.

The Sartorialist

Scott Schuman is a globetrotting photographer on the style prowl. Schuman, a regular contributor to GQ, snaps great shots of stylish people all over the world, from suntanned surfers on Australian shores, to heavy-lidded hipsters in Manhattan’s Lower East Side and petite Parisian women in diaphanous dresses and sky-high heels. All of the photographs are beautifully composed, saturated with color and sunlight, featuring men and women for whom style is a sixth sense. The best images are ones of elegant, aging Italian men in Milan, who pair perfectly tailored trousers with slightly scuffed shoes and look effortlessly bello. Schuman alternates between profiling fashion insiders, like models, editors, and designers, and sharing snapshots of creatively-coiffed students, accountants, and entrepreneurs. Though most of Schuman’s subjects, especially the female ones, adhere to a very conventional definition of beauty, the images do attest to the fact that one doesn’t have to splurge on the season’s hottest handbag in order to be staggeringly stylish.

Style Rookie

This blog, penned by precocious 13-year-old Tavi Gevinson, makes me feel a little embarrassed about the years I spent watching Keenan and Kel and Clarissa Explains It All. At an age when I was sprawled out on the couch watching Nickeloden, Gevinson has befriended the Rodarte designers and scored a deal to endorse their collection for Target, sat front row at some seriously prestigous fashion shows, and even wrote a piece for Harper’s Bazaar. While her commentary sometimes borders on breathless idolatry, she’s got an encyclopedic knowledge of fashion and an infectious enthusiasm for an industry in which so many people seem jaded and apathetic. Elle editor Anne Slowey dismissed Gevinson as a novelty and wondered whether the “tween savant” actually writes her own freelance work, but I think she should get some rousing high-fives for her initiative and work ethic. She’ll grow into more sophisticated prose, but her blog is smart, interesting, and full of great observations and news about designers, campaigns, and shows. As a bonus, I can try to relive my teen years vicariously through Gevinson, who is far more self-assured, passionate, and eloquent than I was at her age.

When it comes to blogs, I’m a bit of a dilettante. For a while I penned People Without Pants, a chronicle of my daily misadventures on the New York City public transportation system, where flashers and urinators strike without warning. Then, I wrote Shabulous, an ode to everything “Shabby and Fabulous,” where I waxed poetic about salvaging furniture from the garbage heap and cleaning it up with a little sweat and sandpaper. I stopped writing when I realized I had neither the ideas nor the stamina to keep it up. Thankfully, these writers have a seemingly neverending supply of insight, ideas, commentary, and criticism that illuminate the fashion world. So if you’re fed up with Facebook or need to get off of Gmail, browse some fashion blogs and download some style savvy.

(Photo by Tavi Gevinson, thestylerookie.blogspot.com)

"Cupcake Crawl" (08/25/09)

I don’t have the drinking endurance to handle a bar crawl, so when my friends get dolled up for a night of club-hopping, I curl up for a night on the couch. I might not be able to handle my liquor, but I’ve got the sweet tooth of a champion. My taste buds lead me right to the cupcake.

Cupcakes are having a major cultural moment: since super-chic Carrie Bradshaw nibbled on morsels from New York’s swanky Magnolia Bakery on Sex and the City, cupcakes have gone from childhood birthday party fare to a sophisticated culinary trend. Once relegated to grocery stores and cake shops, cupcakes are now staples of any corner bakery, and many bakeries are devoted entirely to the dessert. While my friends slept off their night on the town, I embarked on a cupcake crawl that took me around Chicago in search of the best the city’s got to offer. Here, my two favorites:

My first stop was More (1 E. Delaware Place), a couture cupcake shop in the river north neighborhood. With succulent sweet and savory flavors like lemon meringue and bacon maple, More is a spot for the discerning dessert-eater. The lemon meringue cupcake came with perfectly-formed tufts of fluffy meringue and a lemon-filled center. With its white interior and crisp light installations, this bakery has a chic, boutique feel. The fancy flavors like peach bacon bbq, blueberry acai, and salted caramel classify these cakes as haute cuisine, and the deliciously-sweet cupcakes definitely left me wanting More.

Next, I trekked to Lincoln Park to hit Swirlz (705 W. Belden), where I got a cupcake that totally justified the long CTA trip. Daily options include vanilla, chocolate, and the mouth-wateringly delicious red velvet, made with buttermilk, cocoa, and cream cheese frosting. Swirlz has options for various dietary needs, including those with vegan or gluten-free diets. Every day, there are different gluten-free and vegan options, including vegan chocolate-peanut butter and gluten-free banana cream cheese. In addition to cupcakes to accommodate these diets, the bakery also has fare for patrons’ four-legged friends. If your canine has a carb craving, give him a Pupcake, a bite-sized cupcake made just for Fido.

Embrace the cupcake trend and take a bite out of some of the tastiest deserts in town.

(This piece originally appeared on the Avant Gaudy blog, www.avantgaudy.wordpress.com)

"So P.O.S.H." (08/19/09)

I passionately believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it doesn’t count unless it’s warm, filling, and piled high. That’s why I’m enamored with these cheeky mugs emblazoned with the phrase, “Pancakes Make People Happy” ($8). They make me reminisce about lazy Sunday-morning brunches at my favorite greasy-spoon diner, where I’d dive mouth-first into a buttery short-stack. These days, I’m always eating on the run, but I’m happy to gulp down a big drink of nostalgia.

Whether looking for charming diner-staples like these mugs or for slightly classier-fare, thrifty shoppers should flock to P.O.S.H., a well-edited vintage home-goods boutique for nesters who don’t want to skimp on style.

The affordable housewares and eclectic goods are culled from restaurant warehouses and flea markets in the U.S. and Europe. The store stocks plates, bowls, mugs, tea services, and glassware in a variety of patterns, attracting buyers looking for anything from classy to kitsch. Some delicate floral patterns seem straight out of a bucolic English bed-and-breakfast, while other understated pieces in monochromatic palettes would be at home in a chic Parisian bistro. Other pieces are full of whimsy, such as a cheerful creamer decorated with an accordion-playing gnome.

With many adorable items under $10 and $20, P.O.S.H. is ideal for shoppers who want to give their kitchen a cosmopolitan flair on a college student’s budget.

P.O.S.H.
613 N. State St.
Chicago, IL
312.280.1602

(This piece originally appeared on the Avant Gaudy blog: www.avantgaudy.wordpress.com)

"Style Prowl" (11/10/09)

Although many University of Chicago students spend more time with vectors than with Vogue, brainiacs can dress smart, too. This week, I profiled some students who earn an “A” in style. They were even helpful enough to provide tips on how you can also make the grade on a student budget.

Amulya Mandava, fourth-year

The outfit: Boots from Chinese Laundry, H&M cardigan, earrings and silk scarf from India

Budget-friendly tip: “To make your shoes last longer, get them re-soled. Try Mr. T.’s Shoe Repair on 53rd, between Greenwood and Ellis. Also, don’t fall into the trap of buying something just because it’s on sale. You should never buy something that doesn’t really fit you, no matter how cheap it is.”

Whether curling up for an all-night library session or getting decked out for a night on the town, Amulya always manages to look comfortable, chic, and confident. She attributes her fashion fluency to dressing for her body type, without regard for other people’s expectations. “I wear a lot of layers and high-waisted skirts and pants because they flatter my figure,” she said. She often swaddles herself in cozy shawls and oversized cardigans, meaning she sometimes feels as though she dresses like someone twice her age. “I dress like a lot of older or middle-aged women. Women at that age are good at expressing a powerful femininity while dressing for themselves, instead of trying to project a specific kind of image,” she added. For Amulya, getting dressed in the morning is more than finding clean clothes or putting together an outfit that matches—it’s about dressing for who you are and who you want to be. She finds that dressing well helps her feel invigorated and prepared to conquer any challenges. “Fashion gives me a sense of stepping out of the house with faith in my day, and with the confidence to face anything,” she said.

Patrick Gallagher, first-year

The outfit: Cardigan and shoes from Urban Outfitters, pipe jeans from Levi’s

Budget-friendly tip: “When you’re going shopping, have a plan. Don’t just go browse aimlessly—you’ll end up spending a lot more money than you mean to.”

Patrick’s dressed-down take on men’s suiting is casually chic. “I like layers, which are the basis of men’s dress clothes,” he said. Here, he plays with suit-inspired pieces like the cardigan, cut to resemble a men’s blazer, and suede shoes that reference timeless wing-tips. He keeps the look youthful and fashion-forward by pairing the pieces with low-key Levis and choosing a cardigan with interesting detailing, like wooden buttons.

Liz Baker-Steimer, second-year

The outfit: Boots from Steve Madden, blazer from Unique, vintage Banana Republic skirt, silk scarf from France

Budget-friendly tip: “Check out Unique, a chain of vintage stores with shops on the North Side. Everything is half-off on Mondays!”

Though she looks right at home in well-tailored woolen pieces like this skirt and blazer, Liz says that her personal style is still under construction. “My look is always evolving as I get more exposure to different styles,” she said. Since she’s an avid traveler, Liz is constantly finding new fashion inspirations. “I’ve done a lot of shopping in France, so my outfits often have a European flair,” she said. Liz’s ensemble is a great example of how an accessory—in this case, a silk scarf—can add a little je ne sais quoi to an outfit.

(Photos by Eric Guo for the Chicago Maroon)

"Homemade Halloween" (10/30/09)

As students, we know that the U of C can be a scary place—we’re haunted by exams, spooked by papers, and terrified of lab reports. School can be chilling every day, and by the time midterms roll around, many of us probably feel that we’ve had our fair share of horror. If you’ve spent more hours hunched over an econ problem set than hunting for a costume, it might be tempting to forgo the freaky festivities this weekend. Still, you shouldn’t let your lack of a costume stop you from having some fun this Halloween. Here are some last-minute costume tips for both the DIY-types and savvy shoppers.

Third-year Emily Graber merged craft and kitsch into one cute costume. Influenced by the adorable animal hats she saw at trendy children’s boutiques in Wicker Park, Graber designed a homemade owl costume. She made textured wings by affixing two different colors of paper towels to a cut-up paper grocery bag. Cut into triangles, the strips of paper flutter like actual feathers, and their slightly matted appearance resembles molting. Graber paired the wings with an adorable hat she crocheted herself, complete with ears, eyes, and a beak to create a critter that is terrifyingly cute.

Graber offered tips for crafting easy, creative homemade costumes. The key is to be ambitious, but within reason. “Think about what resources you already have,” she suggested. Graber designed her costume around the crocheted hat she had been working on and completed the look with brown and tan clothes already hanging in her closet. While creativity is great, sometimes great ideas can be too elaborate to actually make by hand. “Google ideas for handmade costumes, just to see what’s in the realm of possibility,” Graber recommended. If you’re not into gore, think of ideas that are more cuddly than chilling. Graber suggested looking at Halloween costumes made for little kids—like pumpkins, dinosaurs, and other animals—and trying to think of ways they could be adapted for a bigger body.

Sonia Hinson, Maroon news contributor and third-year in the College, is also a fan of homemade Halloween costumes, but discovered that she didn’t have time to make one this year. Instead, she hit the Internet to find a quick, easy, budget-friendly option. Her “Dark Fairy” costume, which she scored for $17.99 on Kmart.com, puts a macabre twist on the conventional, frilly fairy outfit. Hinson paired the dress, wings, wand, and glittery shoulder pads with Converse sneakers and ripped tights for a fashion-forward look that capitalizes on current high-fashion trends, like '80s glam rock.

Hinson also offered some helpful hints for finding a pre-made costume right before the witching hour. “If you already know what kind of costume you’re looking for, use Google Shopping to search for it,” she suggested. The Google Shopping feature lets shoppers sort by price and store, making it easy to track down something very specific. If you don’t want to splurge on overnight shipping, hit one-stop-costume shops like Ragstock (812 West Belmont Avenue). This vintage emporium sells lots of individual costume pieces, from poofy prom dresses to authentic hippie gear, as well as fully packaged costumes, like sexy policewoman outfits, all at very reasonable prices. Shoppers can easily leave with a head-to-toe ensemble that won’t break the bank.

You might still be shaking from midterms, but there’s still time to throw together a costume and go have some Halloween fun. Whether you plan to curl up with a bag of candy and watch Hocus Pocus or get scared to tears at Navy Fear, it’s not too late to make or buy a cute, creative costume. Have a safe and stylish Halloween!

(Illustration by Tom Tian for the Chicago Maroon)