“This party is like: ‘I just lost my virginity and I’m hiding a bottle of my parents’ best liquor under my dress,’” said a woman swathed in gold sequins as she leaned over the bar. My high school boyfriend dumped me on prom night, but I understood the sentiment.

This was “Crash the Gala,” the afterparty for the Art Institute’s annual gala. This year, “Crash the Gala” turned Terzo Piano, the sleek, minimalist Modern Wing restaurant designed by Dirk Denison Architects into the ideal setting for a John Hughes film. The ceiling was covered in balloons, and disco balls cast celebratory patterns across the room. Hot dog vendors, popcorn machines, and ice cream sundae buffets lined nearly every wall, and a handful of servers carried trays of corn dogs, potato chips, and heaping piles of bacon. Yes, just bacon. Of course, unlike actual prom, usually organized by student committees and stifled by teacher chaperones, “Crash the Gala” was hosted by Ikram Goldman, Michelle Obama’s stylist and owner of Chicago fashion boutique Ikram.