The click of stilettos on pavement can mean only one thing: Chicago’s first-ever Fashion Week has officially arrived. Sure, you’ve read about the shows in NYC and L.A., but now you get to experience the insanity here. To make the catwalks all the more enticing, a slew of shows are being held barside–because you just can’t be fabulous without a little bubbly. Here’s our guide to which shows to hit and what to wear.
Le Passage
Fetish, hip-hop star Eve’s foray into fashion, will hit the town and it’s definitely the place to be. If you’ve got a ticket, use it. Eve teamed up with Mark Ecko to relaunch the line, meaning the night’s going to be hot, hip and hard to get in. Plus the models are likely to be more A-list than at most shows. 10 p.m and midnight Friday. 937 N. Rush St. 312-255-0022.
What to wear: Attitude. Lots of it.
Narcisse
Local designer line Sxcels will be sending out its sporty urban wares like
baby Ts, hoodies and track suits. While the clothes are a bit low-key for the caviar-heavy bar, we bet the girls will be sporting more ice than your drinks. 10 p.m. and midnight Wednesday. 710 N. Clark St. 312-787-2675.
What to wear: Juicy Couture and as much bling as you can afford.
Rive Gauche
Stylist, photographer and designer extraordinaire Kreatia will deck out models in avant-garde clothes (a.k.a., very conceptual). The makeup job alone should be worth a peek. 9 and 11 p.m. Wednesday. 306 N. Halsted St. 312-738-9971.
What to wear: Helmut Lang if you have it. Or just go for black and artfully ripped.
Moda
International designer Custo Barcelona’s new collection is fun, flirty and way femme. Ladies, get ready to drool over the pleated skirts, mini dresses and tweed, tweed and more tweed. For the guys, it’s all about the tropics with Bermuda shorts and Caribbean-inspired tops. 10 p.m. and midnight Wednesday. 25 W. Hubbard St. 312-670-2200.
What to wear: Sexy black tops with Seven jeans or Victorian blouses with a tweed or pencil skirt.
Cherry Red
Even denim’s gotta hit the catwalk. Get an eyeful of punk wannabes Von Dutch. Expect printed minis (ok, we kinda like ’em), tanks and more rock ‘n’ roll wear. 10 p.m. and midnight. Thursday. 2833 N. Sheffield Ave. 773-477-3661.
What to wear: Um, Von Dutch? Just leave the trucker caps at home.
