Signs of September: Traditionalists are putting away their white shoes
(but don`t stash the black patents; they`re hip this fall). Vogue weighs in at a hefty 2 1/4 pounds; Elle is a fat 398 pages; the catalogs keep coming, including a new one for the young set. And the calendar gets even more crowded with fashion events.
Missing from the schedule are the super-duper, splashy store openings of recent Septembers-the Bloomingdale`s/Marshall Field`s glitzy social affairs, Saks Fifth Avenue`s move across Michigan Avenue to new quarters at Chicago Place, the weeklong string of Henri Bendel parties. But, the month couldn`t go by without a store opening, so T.J. Maxx has obliged, and two of the stalwarts of September fashion extravaganzas-the Oak Street and the Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke`s shows-are promising grand and glorious events.
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There`ll be three newcomers-Hino & Malee, Marina Yachting and Sulka-in the Oak Street Council`s cocktail hour show on Sept. 12 under an almost-blocklong tent on Oak Street between Rush Street and Michigan Avenue. Participating retailers will celebrate the 5th annual show by holding it as a benefit for DIFFA/Chicago (Design Industries Foundation for AIDS).
Proceeds from a unique, limited-edition poster created by graphic designer Dana Arnett and photographer Francois Robert also will benefit DIFFA. Printed on a vellum acetate-a plastic with frosted appearance-the 26-by-37-inch poster has a translucent quality that allows light to pass through. To reflect the international scope of the street, Arnett and Robert decided on a global theme; also, in order not to show deference to any single designer or store, Robert photographed the model in the nude, then gave her the effect of wearing a leotard by way of a lighting technique. All talent, paper, printing and production costs were donated.
Arnett and Robert will sign posters the night of the show; the posters will be available there and through DIFFA for $25; T-shirts ($15) with the same image also will benefit DIFFA.
Tickets for the show, expected to attract an audience of 1,500, are $75
(cocktails, buffet from Levy restaurants, including Spiaggia, and fashion show); for information about tickets or posters, call 312-321-9290.
And what about the globe the model is so blithely holding above her head? It`s a 16-inch inflated balloon, available at the Museum of Contemporary Art gift shop, 237 E. Ontario St., at $10.95.
Incidentally, Sulka, a name synonymous with very upscale men`s clothing and furnishings, will show six looks, ranging from sportswear to black tie, at the Oak Street show. The brand new store, still under construction, will open at 55 E. Oak St. later this fall, possibly October, maybe November.
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And, not too incidentally, can it be that there aren`t enough free nights in September?
Bloomingdale`s just sent out its invites to the kickoff party for its Italian festival, Tempo d`Italia, to be held-yes, that`s right-at cocktail time on Sept. 12.
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Biggest news from the St. Luke`s women`s board is that Hubert Givenchy will make a guest appearance at the grande dame of Chicago fashion shows-the 65th annual St. Luke`s presentation-on Sept. 25 at Medinah Temple, 600 N. Wabash Ave. Twenty stores will participate, with Nordstrom, Barry Bricken and Scarboro Fair making their first appearances.
For tickets (from $10 to $75), phone 312-226-1125.
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Now, about T.J. Maxx: One of the nation`s largest off-price retailers, T.J. will open its first downtown Chicago location on Sept. 12 in the Wieboldt Building at State and Madison Streets (Filene`s will open in the basement in October). This will make 34 T.J. Maxx stores in Illinois (27 of them in Chicagoland) and 414 coast to coast.
Discount retailing should really heat up with these new stores on State Street. T.J. Maxx not only carries men`s, women`s and children`s clothes, but the new Loop store will also have women`s shoes and fine jewelry, will accept major credit cards, offer layaways and a ”liberal” return policy.
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Saks Fifth Avenue will celebrate its 1st anniversary at Chicago Place, 700 N. Michigan Ave., with two months of festivities and activities. Hardly a day will go by without a personal appearance, a trunk showing or special event, such as today`s opening of Salon Z, a new department catering to women`s sizes 14 to 24. Also on the schedule this week: Personal appearances by designers Randy Kemper (sporstwear) and Chicagoan Raymond Hudd (millinery). –
Don`t look for that 116-page Calvin Klein ad supplement (yes, 116 pages!) with your October issue of Vanity Fair-unless you live in Los Angeles or New York City. Those are the only two cities that will receive the ”polybagged outsert” of the record-breaking ad supplement, featuring black-and-white photos by Bruce Weber (males and females photographed before, during and after a rock concert, including model Carrie Otis wearing Calvin`s first motorcycle jacket). Industry estimates put the cost of the ad at over $1 million-not including things like photo and models` fees, production costs and such.
Why only two cities-and not Chicago?
Too much $$$$$$.
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In the magazines:
Readers of September Vogue will have to wade through 453 pages of ads and little stories before hitting the heavy stuff: 24 pages of plaid (honest), all on Linda Evangelista (enough already); an ode to Geoffrey Beene; pages and pages on black motorcycle jackets; night clothes in Hollywood; plus lots and lots of things to actually read.
On the list: Liz Smith interviews Kate Hepburn (the best part is the introduction describing what it`s like to have dinner with Hepburn at her home); an in-depth story about Karl Lagerfeld and the Chanel connection (also, don`t miss great photos of white fashions and real jewelry taken by Lagerfeld himself); plus an extensive interview with the ”new Orson Welles,” Kenneth Branagh; pages galore of Bruce Weber photos of Harry Connick and girlfriend Jill Goodacre; and-yes, there`s even more-”beyond the mommy trap,” all about the ongoing struggle to balance career and family.
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Funniest thing in September Allure magazine is the photo/story
”Deliberately Dowdy,” featuring down-and-out-looking stars like Julia Roberts, Daryl Hannah, Mickey Rourke, Geena Davis and Cybill Shepherd. The theme? ”It takes a lot of work to look this bad.”
Interesting for a while: ”Beauty Lies-the 75 biggest fibs, fables, and foibles of the Twentieth Century” (”drinking gelatin makes nails stronger” or ”chocolate causes acne”). Twenty-five would have been more than enough.
More interesting: ”The Retouching Epidemic” which shows how magazines
(including Allure) can alter models` (and even Madonna`s) good looks into perfect looks. ”Victoria`s Real Secrets,” which ponders whether the catalog is ”selling lingerie to the wife, the mistress, or the man who knows them both.”
Best: Horst portraits of some famous people (Chanel, Noel Coward, Gertrude Stein, etc.), including Princess Stephanie (”She has one of the strongest faces I have ever photographed. In spirit she is like Garbo-confident, independent, and rebellious”).
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In the catalogs:
Nordstrom likes suits, dresses, jackets in bold checks and plaids; lots of ”rapper” accessories, including the very-Chanel-inspired Hooray Henri captain`s cap ($59) in black velvet with a white silk camellia above the visor, which is encrusted with pearls; lots of shoes and boots including Zodiac`s suede ankle boots tied with paisley bows ($69).
Smythe & Co., once merely an echo of the countrified and sporty J. Crew and Tweeds catalogs, has gone almost Elle-ish. At least the cover and about two dozen of the upfront pages have layouts that look more like a fashion mag than a catalog. Clothes, too-thick sweaters, little jersey dresses, lots of denim-look snappier than in the past. The back of the book is not quite as nifty, but there are a lot of cute juniorish-looking things (gingham overalls, $59; cropped cardigan sweaters with rolled edges, $39). For info:
1-800-955-7788.
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One child out of every four in the 7-to-14 age range is too large to fit into regular boys` or girls` sizes, so JCPenney has come out with a Big Kids catalog. In addition to jeans, tights, sweats, ski pants and jackets, there are suits, blazers, trousers and such for the boys (sizes husky 8 to 20) and dressy shorts, knit tops and leggings, denim jumpers (sizes 8 1/2 to 18 1/2)
and only one dorky hat for the girls. Great for the kids: models also wear these sizes. Those interested in a catalog can call 1-800-222-6161.
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Barbara Samuels, who`s been affiliated with Sears for 30 years-most recently as national junior footwear buyer-retired last week to start her own business. She`ll be opening an office in Hyde Park within the next few months, when she officially begins working as a consultant to the footwear, hosiery and accessories industries. ”It has become so important to show retailers and others in the fashion business the relationship of footwear to clothing and other accessories,” says Samuels, who notes that she will concentrate on trending and forecasting. Her business will be called The Lion`s Share. ”I`m a Leo and I`ve collected lions for years,” she says. ”It was a natural.”
Samuels will continue her varied affiliations and positions; among others, she is regional director of The Chicago Fashion Group and is on the board of Ray College.
