Amanda Wolfson
Project Manager at Oak Street Design
Amanda and I first met while working together for the first annual Style Down the Aisle! We were also friendly competition at this year’s Fashion’s Night Out at the Shops at North Bridge.
JS: Tell us about your background.
AW: I began in Fine Arts at the University of Colorado studying drawing and painting. After moving to Chicago in 2002, I started with Saks Fifth Avenue, which is when I first took notice of the displays, mannequins, and visual team cruising around the store with their tool cart. I thought, “that’s what I want to do”!
JS: What is Oak Street Design?
AW: Oak Street Design is a visual resource for hotel, retail and corporate clients. We act as an extension of a company’s PR or Marketing team providing 3-Dimensional displays, branding, integrated marketing programs, styling, and special event decor. We truly are a niche group, customizing everything we do to create unique programming for business, education and the community. We are a small group and always remember to have fun with what we do. Remember, there is no such thing as a “display emergency”!!!
JS: What do you do for OSD?
AW: When I first started at OSD in 2004, we were doing mostly window displays and holiday decor. Over the years my job has evolved to include not only visual merchandising, but styling for local TV stations (ABC7, WGN, Windy City Live, and NBC), as well as editorial styling for local magazines, fashion show production, and the development of signature OSD programs like our Columbia College Collaboration, PROJECT windows, and Style Down the Aisle.
More recently, I have written an article on Visual Merchandising for Retail Minded magazine, a trade publication for independent retailers, offered contributions to articles in VMSD magazine, the leading resource for retail designers and store display professionals, and have given numerous presentations on Visual Merchandising and Design.
JS: You definitely have a good eye. What is your favorite fall trend?
AW: It’s always fun to get back into layering once the cold weather is upon us, and mixing funky prints and patterns is one of my favorite trends. I am loving my new pair of cobalt blue skinnys from J.Crew, they seem to go with anything and everything. I also love to mix a menswear inspired piece with a feminine floral print or super feminine high heel, and my geek chic eyeglasses make me feel smart, sophisticated and a little nerdy all at the same time.
JS: Who inspires your style?
AW: My Danish cousins definitely inspired me. They have always been one step ahead of the curve, showing urban sophistication at its best (think riding a bicycle around Copenhagen in 4” heels). I love a combination of artsy and edgy, with the feeling that a look comes together effortlessly. Kate Moss and Sienna Miller do this well, with a combination of glam with just the right amount of “I don’t care”. Although I’m no longer in high school (a far cry!), I am still hooked on Gossip Girl and can’t wait to see what S and B will be wearing next…
JS: I am just as smitten as you Amanda!
Samantha Uhl
Assistant Store Manager at L.K. Bennett
I used pieces from L.K. Bennett for the recent cover of Time Out Chicago, “Rahm’s rookies”
JS: What do you do at L.K. Bennett?
SU: I have all responsibilities here at the store. This includes being in the front of the store; helping clients shop, being the face of the store and making sure everything runs smoothly; and of course managerial duties behind the scenes with new product and all the daily paperwork. I consider myself a jack of all trades here at the store!
JS: What drew you to working at L.K. Bennett?
SU: At first glance it was the opportunity to elevate my level of expertise in luxury retail and to branch out to diversify my knowledge of brands. Now that I have been with the company for over a year it is the amazing team, quality of the brand and the special relationships that I have with my clients that keeps me excited to be part of this adventure.
JS: What is your favorite piece in the store right now?
SU: My favorite piece in the store right now is the Johanna coat- it is really lightweight but still very cozy with its wool and alpaca blend so you still feel ready for the Chicago winter. I am super excited to pair it with all of our amazing boots that are coming in with our new collection.
JS: What do you love about the brand?
SU: I love that the brand translates well for every woman regardless of age and for every occasion that she is going to attend; it is for work, a special dinner, cocktails with friends, or to a relaxed barbecue at home. Our clients take part in all of these things while looking and feeling great. Additionally, my clients have told me how much our pieces have enriched their lives - not just their wardrobes. It is the passion for style and well-being that keeps me falling in love with L.K Bennett again and again.
Visit them inside the 900 Shops on the 3rd floor.
twitter: @LKBennettOnline
friday feature: Mariella Loiacono
Store Director at DNA2050
JS: What do you do at DNA2050?
ML: I am the Store Director for DNA2050 Chicago (a division of IK Retail Group). My role really encompasses all aspects of the fashion world from buying, styling, and training, to the pleasure of working with our amazing clients. It’s a multifaceted position that allows me to utilize my creativity. Best of all, it’s a blast! I love it!!!
JS: Explain your background before DNA2050.
ML: I have been extremely blessed to have the opportunities I have had, and currently do, in an industry that I love. I started my career at Smashbox cosmetics and was given the opportunity to attend Fashion Week many times, as well as to participate behind the scenes in the runway shows of some of my favorite designers and celebrities. My passion for the industry over the years has grown not only my creativity, but, my closet as well. I really believe my love for fashion started from my early ages. I am convinced I inherited this passion from my grandmother and mom; whom have always been super chic…my grandmother still refuses to wear anything but stilettos, even when running errands.
JS: What do you like most about fashion?
ML: Fashion allows us to be a different “character” within ourselves everyday.
JS: DNA2050 Chicago has not always carried these brands. How have you re-invented the Chicago store?
ML: DNA2050 Chicago is always evolving based on the most current trends. While I really wanted to keep true to that philosophy, I also wanted to put a colorful spin on the concept to give the store a unique flare, different from any other boutique. The store is now a mixture of the classic styles that we adorned by style icons ranging from Jacqueline Onassis-Kennedy to Twiggy. The store is a bold twist on classic sophistication and chic bohemian.
JS: What is your favorite new piece or trend right now?
ML: My favorite piece and fashion trend… that’s such a difficult question…I love it all…If I had to choose one though, I would have to say the bright colors that have trickled into the FALL and WINTER seasons. I think it’s going to be a great pop against the white winter landscape that will soon be the backdrop of our Chicago streets.
JS: Any FNO plans??
ML: Yes! Of course!!! We cannot wait! We are having a cocktail party on September 6th from 6-9…DJ, Denim, Drinks, and the launch of the seasons hottest trends. We have great promotions going on throughout the entire month of September as well! The only thing that is still up in the air is my outfit!
Visit them inside The 900 Shops on the 3rd floor.
facebook: DNA2050
twitter: @DNA2050Chicago
friday feature: Megan Williams
Director of Sales & Merchandising at Henry & Belle
I went to their event last evening and left in a pair of Super Stretch Ankle Skinnys in ‘Chili Pepper’. I do not want to take them off!!
JS: Tell us about Henry & Belle.
MW: The story of Henry & Belle begins with the eponymous couple, whose love of style, philanthropy and each other laid the foundation for the company we are today.
They met in 1931, against the backdrop of Chicago’s thriving garment district. Henry Mann was a young designer; Belle, meanwhile, worked as a fit model for the elegant, tapered styles of 1930’s couture. Henry and Belle fell in love and married in 1932. From that point forward, she was Henry’s constant muse—the inspiration behind each collection he created. Through innovative, new materials, these designs weaved Henry’s vision with Belle’s insight into fit, movement and feel.
While she loved fashion, Belle eventually made the decision to give up her modeling career and become a volunteer philanthropist—a calling she embraced for the rest of her life.
In the end, Belle was Henry’s vision of perfection: a woman who was confident yet caring, chic yet natural. She looked good. She “did good”. Together, Henry & Belle not only built the successful family company that continues today, but also a legacy of steadfast commitment to philanthropy.
JS: What are you best known for?
MW: We have over 80 years of history making quality garments from the best materials available and a true focus on fit. This level of attention to fit and fabric are often overlooked in our industry. Henry & Belle merges its heritage and tradition with a modern and contemporary flair for a product that is both timeless and sexy. We combine the most important trends in fashion with the most technologically advanced fabrics on the market - fabrics that offer amazing fit, feel and shape retention while still allowing us to be true to the authentic looks we’re known for. Our aesthetic is clean and refined. Our denim is known for authentic washes and textures. Our non-denim offerings pay homage to the couture markets. Here we emphasize fluid lines and soft textures, while still working in technologically advanced fabrics that have excellent shape retention.
JS: What is your favorite pair of jeans right now?
MW: Each morning I wake up, open my closet and have a difficult decision to make. Henry & Belles all fit me so well and are so comfortable that it truly is a hard decision to pick a pair to wear that day. I will say prior to owning a pair of Henry & Belles I had a stack of jeans that could only be worn when I was having a “skinny day”. I am sure many women can relate when you put on a pair of jeans in the morning that didn’t feel this tight the last time you wore them. With Henry & Belle jeans I don’t have to worry about that feeling. Our fabrics are so soft and have a great amount of stretch that they fit me every day all day! As I mentioned earlier, Henry & Belle only uses fabrics that retain their shape. Many women shy away from fabrics with too much stretch because they are afraid they will stretch out at the end of the day. This won’t happen with H&B. Currently I am in love with our Super Stretch Ankle Skinny Jeans. They come in many great colors and are the perfect length for me because I am only 5’2! I also love our new Micro Flare which also uses our Super Stretch fabric. This style is fitted to the knee and has a slight flare opening at the bottom. In fitting women all over the country at our in-store events, in almost every fitting, women can take a size down!
JS: H&B was recently featured in Lucky Magazine. Tell us more!
MW: Eva Longoria is on the cover of the September issue of Lucky. The main feature of that issue is “Eva’s Favorite Things”. We were thrilled that Eva chose Henry & Belle as her must have, favorite denim brand when she said, “I threw out every pair of jeans I owned and replaced them with these. I live in them and have them in all the colors!” Celebrities have access to all the new brands so when you see them wearing your jeans it’s a real endorsement for the brand. From early on we’ve been fortunate to have garnered a strong celebrity following. Charlize Theron, Emma Stone, Gisele Bunchen, Halle Berry, Megan Fox, Jessica Alba, Katherine Heigl, Sarah Jessica Parker, Olivia Wilde, Ann Hathaway and many others are regularly seen in Henry & Belles.
JS: You are based here in Chicago?!
MW: We’re Midwesterners. We like to work in an environment where people are hard-working and generally nice to each other. In 80 years there have been tremendous changes in the Chicago apparel industry. At one time there were over 500 manufacturers here. Today there are a handful of upstart designers but there really isn’t any kind of denim industry here at all. Rather than allow that to be a disadvantage, we think it helps us to create our own identity. We travel throughout the world several times a year looking for trend inspiration from Europe, Japan as well as New York and Southern California but when we come home to Chicago, we put our own unique stamp on things.
JS: H&B is carried at The Blues Jean Bar, which is how we connected! Explain the importance of being in specialty boutiques over department stores.
MW: Henry & Belle focuses on partnering with retailers that truly focus on the customer. Buying denim requires a lot more attention than buying other types of apparel because the fit is so critical. It’s a lot like buying a bathing suit. It is so important to have a knowledgeable salesperson guide you through that process, especially for a new brand. Partnering with retailers like The Blues JEAN Bar that truly understand fit and fabric (in addition to trend) has enabled us to grow very rapidly in the two years we’ve been in the market. Time and time again, when a woman tries on Henry & Belle she’s hooked for life. More often than not, her first exposure to our brand is through a knowledgeable sales person at a great specialty retailer.
JS: You mentioned Philanthropy, and giving back to the community through fashion. What is ‘Right Amount of Give’?
Our company is based on three important things: Family, Fashion and Philanthropy. The owner of the company, Rob Mann, has an extensive background as a consultant to philanthropies throughout North America. When Rob launched the Henry & Belle brand in 2010 he wanted to merge his passion for Philanthropy with his love of denim. From our inception, Henry & Belle has partnered with dozens of charitable causes throughout the country. We’ve contributed close to $50,000 through in-store events that raise money for deserving local causes.
Later this month, we’ll take this approach to a whole new level. Corporate philanthropy today rarely considers the interests of those buying the products. Our new initiative, Right Amount of GiveSM will change all of that. Through this program, customers will be invited to determine how we allocate our charitable dollars amongst a group of well vetted causes dedicated to helping women, children and families. What’s more, once a customer voices her choice, we’ll send her updates from the actual recipients of the funds so she can see how her involvement truly makes a difference in someone’s life.
Get yourself a pair, or two, at The Blues Jean Bar (2210 North Halsted Street)
Check out their website: www.henryandbelle.com
facebook: Henry & Belle
twitter: @henryandbelle
Pitchfork Music Festival -
Kirsten and I took to Pitchfork to capture some street (festival) style. We saw everything from the classic hipster to one concert-goer wearing plastic ladies on her necklace.
The images are featured here (Kit This)
Photography c/o Kirsten Miccoli; Scouting c/o yours truly!
friday feature: Best blogs to know now
1) Wendy Nichol Blog - designer and founder, Wendy Nichol - www.blog.wendynicholnyc.com
The most beautiful, chic and unique leather pieces and jewelry. Wendy’s pieces were used yesterday at the Rue Magazine shoot. Images coming soon!
2) On The Racks - founder, Laura Elner - www.ontheracks.com
SF native who recently moved to NYC. Laura is great at wearing discount pieces with designer, while making it all look very cohesive and effortless. (Also featured here)
3) The Little Black List - founder, Tess - www.thelittleblacklist.com
Quirky and daring, but doesn’t try too hard. Tess puts the most amazing combinations together that fit her personality to a “T”.
friday feature: Lindsey Robertson
The Blues Jean Bar Chicago Store Manager
I recently styled the front window at BJB to promote their in-store white sale - all white apparel is 20% off the entire month of July.
JS: What do you do at the BJB?
LR: I’m the Store Manager of The Blues Jean Bar Chicago in Lincoln Park. I’m what we call a jeantender! Our store is set up just like your favorite local bar- we have a large wooden bar made from old growth wood and behind it we have shelves filled with over 20 brands of premium denim allowing you to order up a pair of jeans just like your favorite drink! And, quite fitting to the style of the store, our motto is: “Belly up to the bar and we’ll cover your ass!”
JS: Talk about denim quality and why fit is so important.
LR: A lot of my customers ask me why our jeans are so expensive, and my first answer is always quality. Almost every brand we carry imports their denim from the best mills around the world and constructs their jeans in the US. The making of a jean is not simple- it involves many crucial steps to ensure you’re getting the right fit. Much of the process is done by hand: designing, cutting, sewing, creating a wash and applying hardware. It’s amazing how great you can feel in a pair of jeans that fits your body perfectly. At The Blues Jean Bar we believe that the perfect fit is out there for everyone and our mission is to find it for you!
JS: Tell us more about the brands you carry and why?
LR: At the BJB we pride ourselves on carrying a huge selection of brands, fits, washes and sizes. We want every customer to leave the store feeling amazing in their new jeans. Although we carry a wide selection of brands, we’re more fit-focused than we are brand focused. My favorite part of working at The Blues is when I can get someone to try a new brand that they have never heard of and love it. A lot of the brands we carry are smaller, LA based companies that aren’t as well known, but their quality is amazing. We do have some big name brands that people would be familiar with, but we like to have different merchandise than your typical department store.
JS: Why would someone shop at your store versus a department store?
LR: Not only does our selection set us apart from department stores, but first and foremost is our customer service. Our jeantenders know everything there is to know about the denim we carry. We try on every jean we get in, we study product knowledge and we keep in touch with our vendors. I have worked at department stores in the past and never once did I get the product knowledge training that I do here. I think the number one quality that my customers appreciate in my staff is our honesty. If you come out in a jean that isn’t fitting you right, we’ll let you know. Our goal is to have you leave with something that fits your body perfectly.
JS: Where do you see denim trending next?
LR: I’m excited for the colored denim trend to continue. For fall we’re already seeing a lot of rich, jewel toned colors with beautiful textures and prints. Skinny jeans will still be the go-to jean for ladies. Men’s slim, straight legs will continue to gain popularity. I think the beauty of denim today is that as long your jeans are tailored, fit properly and styled right, any cut is in style.
JS: What is your favorite way to wear denim, dressed up or down?
LR: I think the beauty of denim is that you can dress it up with your favorite silk blouse and heels for a night out, or wear it casually with a basic tee and flats. Denim has evolved so much over the years and it has become a staple in just about everyone’s wardrobe. What I love most about denim is that I’m always surprised and excited about new styles.
The Blues Jean Bar: 2210 N Halsted Street, Chicago
My top favorites from fall 2012 couture -
Elie Saab was my favorite collection as a whole. The high necklines juxtaposed with the very deep plunging necklines were breathtaking. Not to mention the shades of powder blue, champagne and gold that floated down the runway. And without a doubt the sheer fabrics covered in crystals. I typically like more structured and tailored looks like that of Raf Simons’s creations for Christian Dior, however I cannot turn down a stunning O-T-T gown.
(photos c/o style.com)
(I also love to watch what Julia Nobis, who I once dressed, is wearing down the runways!)
friday feature: Sara Fagala
Pattern maker, designer, artist, boutique employee
I first met Sara while she was working at Frill boutique. Fascinated by how she makes all of her worlds come together so nicely, it made perfect sense to ask her how.
JS: In one sentence describe what you do.
SF: I turn fashion designer’s ideas and sketches into reality.
JS: How did you get into pattern making?? It is truly a talent and gift, do you ever worry that machines will kill the art??
SF: Someone once told me that fashion designers can design and that seamstresses can sew, but pattern makers must do it all. I want to do it all. That is my motivation. From conception, manufacturing, and a finished garment on a rack; I get to be part of the entire creation process. As far as machines/computers killing the art, I’ve experienced the opposite! Graphically speaking, computers have completely expanded what services I offer and also gave me a greater comprehension of this art form. I am currently working with a software developer building macros in order to make pattern making a much more user-friendly, and far-reaching field of design.
JS: Who/what inspires your designs??
SF: I get really inspired by my environment and my clients. There’s inspiration all around, in everything and sometimes I find myself looking at a design and I’m scratching my head like, I didn’t create that…it just used me to create itself.
JS: It is so cool to be able to literally take your idea from concept to design, as you can draw the piece, make the pattern, and sew it. You have endless possibilities.
SF: I love that you said ‘endless possibilities’. I have always been fascinated with garments and view them as something subjective or limitless in terms of look or style. I prefer drafting my patterns as it is less time consuming for me than draping, but I’ll do whatever is necessary to execute a design element properly. I think it would be really interesting to draft patterns for Bernhard Willhelm. Any designer with and outright sense of humor is where I would be very comfortable.
JS: Seeing that you work at Frill, what is your favorite accessory right now?
SF: All things NEON! Especially hair dye, belts, small backpacks, giant necklaces, and nail decals.
JS: Anything else you want to add in?!
SF: Yes! I am very excited about working on a new clothing line, Fetish Gala. Expect sexy, sleek, and stretchy styles this fall. I will start to sell some pieces on Etsy this August for feedback.
See more from Sara at www.sarafagala.com
Frill Accessory Boutique, www.frillaccessories.com, 1747 W. Division
