Fashion Group International of Chicago Night of Stars Gala

An awards gala is not a typical awards gala…especially when the topic is fashion, style and beauty! The awards presentation at the Fashion Group International of Chicago Night of Stars Gala was entertaining and inspiring from start to finish! Held on Thursday November 12th at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago, the event began with a cocktail party along with a silent auction with fantastic prizes including Ippolita jewelry, designer handbags and a trip to London. At the event I had the chance to chat with Ken Downing and James Mischka (Mark Badgley regretfully could not make it to town). Next guests sat down to dinner (and more fashion conversation) followed by the presentation. Ken Downing was humble and humorous as he accepted his award and told stories of loving fashion his entire life. He said he was too young to actually remember, but he was told his mother once fretted she had nothing to wear to a formal event so he “laid out a vignette on her bed with a dress, gloves, handbag and jewelry.” James Mischka had us laughing too, and regaled how Badgley Mischka’s beginnings were not so easy. Mark Badgley’s sister would go into the first stores they were carried (I. Magnin and Barneys) and would make a big fuss over the dresses so everyone in the store could hear her as she bought the dresses. To close the event, models in Badgley Miska gowns and dresses gave us a rave worthy shimmery fashion show. The icing on the cake was the event, chaired by Carrie Lannon, raised more than $25,000 for the Fashion Group of Chicago Educational Scholarship Fund, which grants scholarships to fashion and design students.

The following luminaries from the fashion and design world were honored for their contributions in their respective fields. Neiman Marcus Stargazer Retail Award Ken Downing, Fashion Director and Senior Vice President, Neiman Marcus Stargazer Fashion Oracle Award Badgley Mischka Stargazer Platinum Award accepted by James Mischka Nina Mariano, Director of Community Relations Stargazer Philanthropy Award Nate Berkus, author, interior designer, television personality Stargazer Interiors Award accepted by Nate Berkus PR Director Krista Blair Clé de Peau Beauté Stargazer Beauty Award accepted by Tomoko Yamagishi-Dressler, Senior Vice President of Marketing Ippolita Stargazer Jewelry Award accepted by Ippolita Rostagno, designer, founder – Carol Calacci Photos: Dan Rest