Clothing reseller Sasha Smith, 20, claims to dress like a “pink 2000s bimbo Harajuku ballerina.” She’s inspired by dolls, the Playboy universe, and the now-defunct Japanese street style magazine FRUiTS. […]
Author Archives: Isa Giallorenzo
Posted inCity Life
Recovering goth
“I kinda got it on a whim,” says Alexis P. Morgan, 30, about the dazzling two-piece ensemble she purchased from Boohoo. “I normally don’t get super colorful things, but I’ve […]
Posted inCity Life
Magic Ride
“I like to go for anything that draws attention and is kinda funky and out there,” says 20-year-old Joey Prette, already a senior stylist at Free People and a musical […]
Posted inCity Life
Photos: 2022 SAIC Fashion Show
Our contributor Isa Giallorenzo attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s fashion show in May. The annual event returned to an in-person format this year (the theme: “Humanature”) after a […]
Posted inCity Life
Out of the box
The long-awaited School of the Art Institute of Chicago fashion show was back in May after a two-year hiatus brought on by COVID-19. In the previous pandemic years students presented […]
Posted inCity Life
Hats off to the hats
At the end of April, The Curio and the Chicago Fashion Coalition joined forces to promote a networking event for the local fashion crowd at Chop Shop in Wicker Park. […]
Posted inCity Life
The glowing citizen
Walking down North Avenue with his bulky Home Depot purchases in tow, George Blakemore sparkled in a glistening metallic-toned ensemble he painted himself. “I think that we all are artists,” […]
Posted inCity Life
Photos: opening reception for Brandon Breaux at Blanc
Our contributor Isa Giallorenzo attended an opening reception in April for artist Brandon Breaux’s solo exhibition “BIG WORDS,” which is on view at Blanc Gallery in Bronzeville through May 27. […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The big world of Brandon Breaux
Yes, Chance the Rapper did give a big push to artist Brandon Breaux’s career when Breaux designed the covers for three of the singer’s mixtapes: 10 Day, Acid Rap, and […]
Posted inCity Life
Style comes back with a vengeance at EXPO
Whoever says people don’t have much style in Chicago has no idea what they’re talking about. I’ve been photographing street style here for over ten years and I know better. […]
Posted inCity Life
Beyond the time warp
Fashion often has a nostalgic quality. It seems keen on repeating itself every 20 years or so. Right now, for example, we are somehow back at the early aughts. Nothing […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Here, now, and everything in between
Planted in the woods like an extraterrestrial monolith, both completely alien and perfectly at home in its environment, lies Image Continuous, a mirrored, eight-foot-tall cube with a sky-reflective circle in […]
Posted inCity Life
A handmade tale
“Thrifting is huge right now—being able to go pick out your materials and put things together like Frankenstein; mixing a lot of elements to make something special,” says Cole Glover, […]
Posted inCity Life
Seeing red
I was sitting at the window table at the Bongo Room in Wicker Park, having a lazy Valentine’s Day brunch with my husband, when I saw a pop of red […]
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best supporter of local fashion talent
“The CFI played a pivotal role in my transition from aspiring designer to working designer,” says Anna Brown, a Chicago Fashion Incubator alum. “Some of my most meaningful professional relationships […]