August 12, 2004
By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
Look
out for the lady in red. Make that ladies in red. At this year's Glamorama,
30 of fashion's top designers will showcase their one-of-a-kind red gowns,
which will be auctioned off later to benefit the Art Institute of Chicago
(see sidebar for more information).
"Red
is the color of life and symbolizes passion and fire," says Glamorama executive
fashion producer JoAnn Young. "We decided to go with the red theme after
seeing [last year's] Goddess exhibit [at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's
Costume Institute gala in New York]. It got us excited and we knew that's
how we wanted to end this year's [show]."
Glamorama
contacted designers such as Stella McCartney, Zac Posen and Matthew Williamson
and gave them one instruction: Design a red dress for the show's finale.
"The
creations the designers came up with are just beautiful," Young says. "We
have everything from Calvin Klein's gorgeous minimalist dress to Matthew
Williamson's sexy creation. Red turned out to be a really fun, relevant
theme."
Williamson
clearly was up to the challenge. A Glamorama favorite best known for his
sexy gowns, the British designer tweaked a number he already had shown
on the runways. Halle Berry wore a tie-dyed version of his short, tiered
dress to the "Catwoman" premiere. Actress Kate Beckinsdale wore it in pink.
But they pale in comparison to the striking red silk chiffon number he
created for Glamorama.
"Women
can wear this dress," Williamson says. "The surprising thing is there are
so many clothes out there that aren't suitable for women. But this is a
very fun, easy dress to wear. A model can look good in anything. If you're
able to design a dress that a normal woman can wear and feel and look good
in, then you've done well."
Glamorama
-- which made its Chicago debut in 1999 as Fash Bash -- has become an annual
staple in Chicago's fashion circle and has raised more than $1 million
over five years to benefit the Art Institute of Chicago. Whether Glamorama
will continue after this year isn't definite, after Field's sale last month
to St. Louis-based May Department Stores Co.
"We
will always be evaluating on yearly basis our events, our promotions and
adjusting them according to trends, our guests' needs and those kinds of
things," said May spokeswoman Andrea Schwartz. "I would certainly not rule
out that Glamorama, that this would be the last one."
Singer
Patti LaBelle will hold court as the stylish hostess of this year's show.
"We're
very pleased with how people have accepted Glamorama," Young says.
"We had always hoped it would become an exciting event people looked forward
to attending. At first we wondered whether we could attract enough people,
and that hasn't been a problem. And even getting celebrities to attend
hasn't been as huge an issue as it was during the first year or two when
no
one knew what it was."
On Friday
night, look for LaBelle to look fabulous in clothes suited to a diva. But
it's not all about the ladies. DJ Boy George will be debuting pieces from
his upcoming line -- B Rude.
"Most
people are dressed by stylists today and there's no more individuality,"
Boy George says. "People comment about the way I dress, often negatively,
and my answer always is the same -- I wouldn't be dressed like this if
I cared what you thought."
George
apparently doesn't care if he hurts you. Isn't fashion grand?
***
Stars are aligning
What
goes on at Glamorama never stays at Glamorama. And why should it, when
we've seen Dean Cain dancing with a model bride, Pamela Anderson chatting
with J Lo's ex, Cris Judd, and Lauren Holly comparing fashion tips with
"The Fast and the Furious" starlet Jordana Brewster.
Let's
face it: one of the things that makes Glamorama so much fun is guessing
who's going to be there. We already know Patti LaBelle is hosting the theatrical
fashion extravaganza, the Commodores are singing and Boy George is deejaying.
Former model Jerry Hall is set to make a special appearance and Jennifer
Lopez will be there -- sort of -- via a videotaped message.
But
if you're lucky enough get a seat in the first few rows, you'll be able
to see what "X Men" beauty Kelly Hu looks like. Likewise for actresses
Garcelle Beauvais and Kelly Carlson. Actor Kal Penn ("Harold and Kumar
Go to White Castle") has promised to wear something smashing. And Chicago
will be well-represented with its very own Jeremy Piven, Bill Rancic and
Ted Allen. Celebrity stylist Phillip Bloch and style expert Lloyd Boston
also have agreed to attend.
Participating designers
A.B.S. by Allen Schwartz
Armani Collezioni
Lida Baday
Dana Buchman
Celine
Kenneth Cole
D&G Dolce & Gabbana
Oscar de la Renta
French Connection
Jean Paul Gaultier
Marc Jacobs
Donna Karan
Anne Klein
Calvin Klein
Michael Kors
L.A.M.B.
Laundry by Shelli Segal
Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche
Stella McCartney
Gene Meyer
Badgley Mischka
Miss Sixty
Missoni
Moschino Cheap & Chic
Zac Posen
Sonia Rykiel
St. John
Elie Tahari
Ellen Tracy
Matthew Williamson
**********************************************************
'Lady Marmalade' steals the show
August 15, 2004
By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
In the
most visually stunning moment of the evening, a model languidly "flew"
high across the stage wearing a luxurious red gown with a 45-foot train
trailing behind her. Was she a bride or a member of Cirque du Soleil?
Or was
she simply the piece de resistance to this year's Glamorama, held
Friday evening at the Chicago Theatre?
She
was a little bit of all of these things. And had it not been for the inclusion
of Patti LaBelle, the lithe model would have been the most memorable element
of the gala.
But
the 60-year-old diva had some tricks up her exotic sleeves. Kicking Glamorama
off with a fiery rendition of "New Attitude" (then ending the show with
"Lady Marmalade"), LaBelle ripped off an obi-less kimono to reveal an orange
micro-miniskirt and a matching blouson.
All
of the fashionistas have declared minis as not being in vogue this season.
But you know what? LaBelle looked fabulous. And from the audience, actors
David Schwimmer, Kelly Hu and Garcelle Beauvais were seen ogling the star
along with the rest of the crowd.
Glamorama
-- which made its Chicago debut in 1999 as Fash Bash -- has become an annual
staple in Chicago's fashion circle and has raised more than $1 million
over five years to benefit the Art Institute of Chicago. This year, it
succeeded as an event, but its components had the feeling of something
that had been thrown together at the last moment.
LaBelle
and percussionist Sheila E. were nothing short of amazing and should have
been the evening's only entertainment. Jerry Hall made a brief appearance
to model a red gown. But the choice of a Lionel Richie-less Commodores
was a little odd. Though they performed well and gave an enjoyable performance,
their songs didn't complement a fashion show.
A better
choice for live music would have been snaring a band like Jet, whose "Are
You Gonna Be My Girl" blared over the speakers as models strutted down
the runway wearing pieces by English designer Matthew Williamson. His frisky
pieces were fresh and eye-catching. Williamson has a meticulous eye for
detail, as evidenced in his sweet fur poncho and the little charms that
adorned the pockets of his jeans.
As for
Jennifer Lopez's new lingerie line, the plain pieces looked more J. Crew
than J. Lo. Calvin Klein's austere collection did little to flatter even
the gorgeous models' figures. And Michael Kors' retro '70s boho look was
repetitive.
But
just when you were beginning to give up hope of seeing something truly
gorgeous, there were Marc Jacobs and Sonia Rykiel's lines, which were full
of old-school glamor. The long, flirty dresses and hip-flattering pencil
skirts drew appreciative "oohs" from the audience.
On a
purely functional level, a level stage would've been preferable to the
downhill setup that made it appear as if the models would pitch into the
first few rows of the audience. Wearing flat shoes, the male models had
little problem. But the women had four-inch heels to deal with and, in
some cases, paper-thin dresses with complicated trains as they commandeered
their way around the runway.
Raunchy
humor found its way into this year's show, as well. As a trio of male models
strutted their stuff wearing little more than briefs, a voice over the
speakers asked, "What's for dinner?"
The
Peninsula Hotel's Greg Haider, who was invited onstage, got his what-for
when he playfully touched LaBelle's dress in an inappropriate area. Faster
than you could say, "Oh no, he didn't!" a bodyguard about the size
of a small truck grabbed the man by the collar and was about to throw him
out before LaBelle intervened.
Gitchy
gitchy ya ya, indeed.
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