Chicago’s recent World Fashion Show was world class thanks to the efforts of ZZAZZ Production’s Tracey Tarantino and the incredible support from our fashion community. More than 35 designers inspired
by Chicago’s 28 sister cities were featured alongside international designers from Milan, Italy; Shanghai, China; Durban, South Africa; Petach Tikva, Israel and Vilnius, Lithuania. This year’s show featured local talent such as Melissa Serpico, Vika Brown, Anna Fong, Yana German, Mira Couture, Paul Sisti, Sylwia, Kate Jacobson, Bobbie Chi and
John Shultz as well as three designers from Israel, Lithuania and China who had travelled to Chicago especially for this event. These global fashions represented the wonderful cultural diversity that our great city has to offer and were presented on the Harris Theater Rooftop Terrace. At the beginning of the
show there was a “Hello Sister” video narrated by Oprah Winfrey which was originally created for the IOC visit (we all know the sad results of this). It was a very exciting event and as you approached the Rooftop, dramatic lighting pointed the way to the tent enclosed venue. There were photographers everywhere and video cameras were recording all of the moments.
The designers were being interviewed in front of the step-and-repeat and ticket holders were air kissing their friends and taking photos—the atmosphere was abuzz with activity and reminded me of the excitement of NY
Fashion Week. Guests were all chicly dressed and even though there was a chill in the air, everyone was very warm in spirit. The Chicago Sister Cities International Program, under the auspices of the City of Chicago, provides leadership to develop, manage, and coordinate programs and projects with
Chicago’s sister cities. Besides the cities already mentioned, our sister cities include Accra, Ghana; Amman, Jordan; Athens, Greece; Belgrade, Serbia; Birmingham, England; Bogota, Columbia; Busan, Republic of Korea; Casablanca, Morocco; Delhi, India; Durban, South
Africa; Galway, Ireland; Gothenburg, Sweden; Hamburg, Germany; Kyiv, Ukraine; Lahore, Pakistan; Lucerne, Switzerland; Mexico City, Mexico; Milan, Italy; Moscow, Russia; Osaka, Japan; Paris, France; Prague, Czech Republic; Shenyang, China; Toronto, Canada and Warsaw, Poland. Who KNEW?! Wow, we have
a lot of friends here, don’t we? Sponsors for this event included RL Restaurant, Richard Driehaus Charitable Trust, Park Hyatt Chicago, TCW, Chicago magazine and Factio magazine and Charles Ifergan among others. (Charles and his terrific styling team created the gorgeous runway looks and a lot of people
don’t realize the many charitable events he donates his time and efforts toward. Thanks for all you do Charles! It doesn’t go unnoticed). Other fashionistas seen at this stylish event included Melissa Gamble (Director of Fashion Arts & Events at Dept. of Cultural Affairs) and her hubby, Richard Gamble (new publisher of Chicago magazine), Hazel Barr, Greg Hyder, Amy
Wimer, Vonita Reescer, Peggy Martay, Laurie Davis, Darby Hill, Bree Lara, Sheryl Dyer, Melissa
and Heinrich Kerch, Charles Ifergan (who’s styling team did the hair for the event), Jean Antoniou, Barbara Glass, Rich Varnes, John Colletti, Telemundo’s Tsi-tsi-ki Felix and Andrew Hayes, Jennifer Lane and Ann Estsas among many others. For more info, check out worldfashionchicago.com and chicagosistercities.com. (Additional pics by Steve Starr; click here to view the gallery.)
Chilli Pepper’s birthday party is always a much coveted invite and this year was no exception. Todd Hatoff of Allen Brothers and chefs Mario Santiago and
Guadalupe Aguilar co-hosted her party at May St. Café (located at 1146 W. Cermak) and over 60 friends came to celebrate with her. The first thing you noticed upon entering the restaurant was the massive floral display with little chili peppers from her friend
Oprah. Chilli (spelled with TWO L’s) knows everyone and it seems everyone knows her too. She was the gracious hostess greeting
everyone at the door and taking photos with her ever-present camera. (And she never fails to send you the photos either!) Chef Mario showed us around the restaurant and it was lovely with an outdoor patio and a massive grill which is used in the summer
for parties and chef demonstrations. The sit-down dinner had a marvelous menu (Chilli is a well known foodie and has been to Tru Restaurant over 100 times!) which included
quesadillas, French double cream brie and pear, chorizo with Chihuahua cheese, escargot with strawberry garlic butter in phyllo, carne quisado (beef stew), Allen Brothers beef tenderloin tips made with garden fresh herbs (Mario and Guadalupe
have an organic garden off of the parking lot), slow roasted pork marinated in mojo criollo. For dessert, there was Chef Art Smith’s famous hummingbird cake and the May Street Café’s white chocolate flan (which will be featured on the food network show “The Best Thing I
Ever Ate”). Alpana Singh chose all of the dinner’s wine selections and they were perfect, of course! She also created a “Chilli Pepper Punch” which she said was, “sweet but deadly!” The restaurant is decorated with beautiful paintings by Art’s partner, Jesus Salguiero. Lucky guests included artists Alexander Espinosa and
Bob Clark, JoAnn Buccini, Charles Blackstone, Charlene Acciari, Maya Douglas, Rafael Reudas, Nadine and Ira Epstein, Rosa and
Lou Ebling, Shell Reyes, Dan Bacon, Jennifer Fox, Brent Ochs and Tim O’Hare, Matt Nudelman, Brian Butterfield, Prosecco’s Jason Clark and Katherine Alvera, Jon Cochran, Paul Escriva, JoAnne F. Fehn (who is a candidate for Cook County judge) and Barney Moles among others. The after-party was hosted by Robert and Luis Miguel. I wish you a happy birthday YEAR, Chilli! :) Click here for more photos from this fantastic fete.
Brenda Sexton has been one busy lady! Recently, she organized a star-studded reunion of Chicago’s entertainment icons in L.A. with the help of Rich Melman, Tom Dreesen and friends. Together, they revived a 15-year-old tradition of bringing together Chicago’s A-list in entertainment for a night of Chicago food, fun
and camaraderie. This time it was in Santa Monica at Melman’s newly opened restaurant, La Grande Orange, which is owned by Rich’s sons RJ and Jerrod and fellow Chicagoan Bob Lynn. In addition to serving LGO favorites, the restaurant icons served classic Chicago staples including Lou Malnati’s pizza, Italian beef sandwiches from Portillo’s, Fluky’s Chicago hot dogs and Eli’s
cheesecake all flown in for the event. In addition to Chris O’Donnell, Virginia Madsen, Jeff Garlin, Joe Mantegna, Peter Jacobson, Nia Vardalos, Hayes MacArthur and Harold Ramis, 350 loyal Chicagoans gathered for this Chicago Link/LA City Link Reunion Party. They included Peggy and Steve Lombardo, Lynn McMahan, Les Coney, Lyn and
Lauren McKeaney, Sean Conroy, Chaz Ebert, Lou Weisbach, Julee White, Mary Beth and Kevin Malone, Ken Cook, Christine Ryndak, Debbie Marchese and her daughter Regina among others. Bill Zwecker and columnist/film critic Richard Roeper were on hand to host the red carpet while
Tom Dreesen emceed the event. The event was televised and will air in both Chicago and LA on October 31st and November 1st as a 30-minute TV special and includes interviews with Harold Ramis, Jeff Garlin, Peter Jacobson, Bonnie Hunt, Joe
Mantegna, Virginia Madsen, Andrew Alexander of Second City, Martha Lavey of Steppenwolf and others. The film premiere will be at the Elysian Hotel on October 27th from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Event hosts include Larry Wert, LeeAnn Trotter, Bob Sirott and Marianne Marciano, Christopher Clinton Conway, Helen Melchior, Liz Crokin, Steve Traxler, Richard Roeper, Chaz Ebert, Ruth Ratny and moi among others. Tickets are $100 and space is limited. For more info, contact Brenda Sexton at [email protected]. (Fab Fotos by Mitch Canoff.)
Beautiful author/socialite Amanda Brooks has been photographed for every major magazine. Her sense of style sets her apart from the crowd and now she has written a book, I
Love Your Style, documenting how she has been inspired by style icons of yesterday and tomorrow. Using hundreds of candid photos, she demonstrates every possible fashion trend and tells you how to find your own inner fashion icon. She says, “There is hope for everybody. People who have style come from the most unlikely
places. Money is more of an encumbrance to style than it is an asset.” I’m not so sure about this last part but I think what she is saying is that lack of funds make you rely more on your own creativity which is actually what true style
is all about. The book signing party was held at Chanel and hosted by our own city’s fashionable young things: Kimberly Burt, Caroline Beak-Crown, Meredith Wood-Prince and Alexis Ross. Amanda is a natural and casual beauty and obviously practices what she preaches! Check out this link to see her video and for more info.
The Joffrey Ballet will open their new season of Legends on Wednesday, October 14th with the Midwest premiere of “Othello.” This is Chicago-born choreographer Lar Lubovitch’s full length story/ballet in three acts with a stunning score by Academy Award winner Elliot
Goldenthal. The entire 42-strong company of Joffrey dancers will participate in this production and it is recommended that you try to see both casts since each showcase different aspects of the company. In one production, 6’ 6” Fabrice Calmels will be paired with April Daley.
New dancer, Cuban-born Miguel Blanco, and Victoria Jaiani, will be featured in the other cast. Choreographer Lubovitch has received many awards including a Tony Award nomination for “Into
the Woods” as well as an Astaire Award for his highly praised dance sequences for the Broadway show, “The Red Shoes.” He danced in numerous
modern, ballet, jazz and ethnic companies before forming the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company in 1968. Since there will be only nine performances, I recommend you get your tickets ASAP! This is a not-to-be-missed opportunity! I will be
seeing both companies and I hope to see you there! For a sneak preview video peak and ticket info, click here.
Well, that’s it for this week…I hope you’ve enjoyed Candid Candace! I would like to thank Flashpoint Academy’s Howard Tullman for the video of my interview with Pamella Roland and her family at the recent Joffrey Ballet’s Couture & Cocktails. Check
it out here. I would also like to thank CS Magazine for including me this month in Amalie Drury’s article, “Reality Mights,” for the real dish on “Windy City Wives.” Check out the article here. I hope you all have a great week and we will “talk” again soon!
Love,
Candace :)
(As always, if you would like to contact me, please e-mail me at [email protected]. If you or someone you know would like to be added to the blog alert list, just send me your address and I will send you a weekly e-mail when Candid Candace comes out. :) Thanks so much!)
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