12/04/08
When I found out Thomas Keller was coming to town to cook side-by-side with Grant Achatz, his most famous and successful protégé, I thought to myself: Must. Be. There. The two chefs had teamed up to do a series of events—one at Per Se in New York, one at Alinea, and a final stop at The French Laundry in California—each a three-hour, 20-course meal priced at $1,500 a head. I’m not even sure why I found the idea of this event so thrilling. Was it the outrageous price tag as we teeter on the brink of a depression? Was it the presence of Keller, perhaps America’s most...
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12/01/08
Oprah Winfrey is said to be planning a Candlelight Ball for 1,000 glamorous guests as her inauguration-night fete in Washington, D.C., Chicago magazine’s Marcia Froelke Coburn reports. The talk-show host and Obama supporter has been entertaining bids from Washington-based caterers for the January 20th party at a venue yet to be determined. A spokeswoman for Winfrey said, “We have nothing to confirm at this point.”
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11/07/08
It's day three of post-election/pre-inauguration, and people are still
flocking to the Tribune Tower like we're selling iPhones. We're not. The
folks in the lobby are selling commemorative Chicago Tribune papers
announcing Barack Obama's win, and there are lines nearly every time of the
day. I leave for lunch and have to cut through the line. Leave after work and have to cut through
the line. Dr. Beat Soltermann (yes, that is a real name) is a Swiss radio
reporter who was in town covering the election, and he couldn't...
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11/05/08
I didn't make it into the media pen, and I didn't get to the party I was supposed to cover in time, so, at about 9:30 p.m., my election night coverage was looking pretty skimpy. Somehow, in all the crowds that were wandering around downtown, I managed to hook up with a few friends on Michigan Avenue, and we decided—wholeheartedly and foolishly—to cut to the center of the "overflow," that is, the tens of thousands of people who were loitering on the eastern end of Grant Park looking at Jumbotrons and stepping on each other's feet...
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10/08/08
A designer who uses plus-sized models (Tennille White) . . . followed by an
entire collection from a bikini designer who's riffing off a film noir
theme? You're not in Oz, you're at the closing show of Chicago's weeklong
fashion celebration! I don't mean this
unkindly. There's a lot of diversity here in terms of designer backgrounds,
inspiration, and even what constitutes "style." Last night's event—Macy's
Presents the Designers of Chicago—did as much as any to illustrate that,
booking accomplished locals Lara Miller (who's known for
her gauzy, convertible shapes and eco-fashion mindset) and...
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10/07/08
The emphasis of "The Allure of Couture" fashion show Monday at Millennium Park: wearability. Showcasing items from sweaters and jackets to dresses and pants, the event consisted of outfits that were in the realm of possibility from designers Sam Kori George, James De Colon, Maria Pinto, Mi Ri Uhm and Nick Cave, among others. The standout collection? Vatit Itthi. The clothes demanded attention, both for the bright colors (blue, hot pink, and yellow) and for their sleek elegance...
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10/03/08
You have only until Sunday to experience the single most interesting thing I've stumbled upon during Chicago's fashion week. It's called MoSS, which stands for the Museum of Sustainable Style; it's a pop-up "museum" in the West Loop that showcases the best of earth-friendly clothing designers, furniture craftsmen, and industrial designers. It doesn't cost anything to get in, and it only takes a few minutes to walk through, but boy, is it a good introduction to some of the most...
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10/02/08
This is not a fashion show review. Chicago just isn't there yet. The New York Times' Cathy Horyn can shoot down Givenchy, but that's an established design house parading its collection in Paris. When it comes to Chicago—and here I'll borrow a phrase from Coco Chanel—it doesn't make sense to beat on a wall hoping it will turn into a door...
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08/05/08
Lollapalooza style was dominated by the usual crowd of hipsters and hippies dressed in vintage accessories and boho best. But even with the dreads, sari-esque wraps, and bandanas, there was still enough khaki, camo, and greek gear in the crowd to remind us that we were at Lolla and not at Bonnaroo. From aviators to V-necks, here are eight trends we liked at the fest...
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08/04/08
The holy trinity of Lollapalooza attendance: a mini-roll of Charmin, handy wipes, and sunscreen. By day three, it seemed like most people had figured this out, along with the names and locations of all of the stages, and the fact that getting piss drunk in the hot sun just isn't that much fun. Maybe it's just us, but Sunday at Lolla seemed way more chill, and, to that end, enjoyable. Here, the best/worst of the finale...
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Coda is a blog by arts and culture editor Cassie Walker, who, love it or hate it, always has an opinion. During the course of her weekly culture hunting, she reviews high art and pop culture events so you'll know what you need to check out and what you can miss.
