Hosts of Horacios Nieto’s “Mining the Ming Dynasty” exhibition, Susanna Negovan and Marcus Riley
Few can bring Chicago’s fashion finest together to the same place on the same night—but Horacio Nieto is one of those few. The award-winning designer revisited the swanky space of Loft on Lake for his Fall/Winter 2011 exhibition, titled “Mining the Ming Dynasty”. Hosted by Susanna Negovan, Editor in Chief of Michigan Avenue magazine and Marcus Riley of NBC, the evening kicked off with a cocktail reception featuring liquor by Riazul Tequila & Ty Ku and music by DJ Marshall Brown. Paper lanterns hung from the ceiling and moody red lighting, compliments of Art of Imagination, set the stage for the runway show. True to its name, the collection brimmed with elegant pieces inspired by the exotic stylings of the Far East. Fabric rippled like liquid in sheaths and column gowns. Rich earth tones like sapphire, olive, gold and crimson dominated the color palette with the occasional burst of pink, yellow and turquoise. The opulence of evening silks and sateen mingled with the more daytime-appropriate separates in jacquard and wool. Handbags by local accessory guru Diego Rocha completed the ensembles and the dramatic cat eyes by Sin Cosmetics and coiffures by Valentino Leyva provided a regal edge. Following the show, the models remained on the runway for guests to get a closeup of the fabrics and textures and truly appreciate the craftmanship that went into each piece. Nieto proved himself once again to be masterful in exquisite tailoring and in conceiving sophisticated and timelessly feminine shapes and we look forward to his collections each season.Me with designer Horacio Nieto at the after-party
-Alia Rajput Photo Source: Dean Paul Photography, Second City Style