Making Mainbocher The First American Couturier is now open through August 20, 2017 at the Chicago History Museum. I had the opportunity to take a tour of the fascinating and very inspiring exhibit. I had no idea that against all odds this Chicago-born designer established a fashion empire serving royalty, Broadway and Hollywood icons and …
At the end of every fashion show, Betsey Johnson performs a cartwheel down the runway. It’s a long tradition the famed designer still turns out at 72-years-old! And so, when Johnson accepted this year’s Lifetime Achievement award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, it was only fitting that she cartwheel her way onto …
Culottes began their fashion journey as a men’s pant—in the Renaissance era, upper class men wore breeches (or culottes in French). Often made out of silk, they were fitted trousers that were fastened just below the knee. They became so synonymous with the upper class that when the French Revolution came around in the late–1700s, …
We all recognize the trope of the fashion magazine editor. Think Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada: opinionated; honest; a force to be reckoned with. As Vogue’s art and editorial director from 1941-1994, Alexander Liberman may not have been easy to work with—in fact, he is a controversial figure in the fashion …
This is the time of year when we are inundated with swimwear, from patterns and colors to cut and style…there are so many from which to choose. Bathing suit shopping didn’t always come with options. From the 1800s until now, bathing suits have managed to change as much as fashion. Imagine attempting to swim in …
