Cynthia Rowley, Maria Pinto Help Celebrate Chicago Design
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WINDY CITY STYLE: It was a night to celebrate Chicago fashion designers.
Nigel Barker and Cynthia Rowley whisked into town to host “A Celebration of Chicago Style” last week, which spotlighted emerging fashion designers, and honored one of the city’s best-known designers, Maria Pinto.
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Held at the 21c Museum Hotel, the event was presented by fashion start-up The Curio, which was established to promote Chicago-based designers. It featured a runway presentation that showcased four rising-star designers — Ajovang, Lola Elan, Production Mode and Sheila Rashid — and concluded with current and archived pieces by Pinto. The event also included a cocktail-reception-meets-shopping experience that featured three local accessory designers: Viviana Langhoff jewelry, bags by Laudi Vidni and footwear by Il Fratellino — the collaboration between Brian Atwood and his little brother Zak Rodriguez.
Backstage, Pinto lauded The Curio for shining light on new designers.
“In the way Ian [Gerard, cofounder] set this up, the designers had to pay nothing and for an emerging designer to be able to have a runway presentation at no cost — that’s a huge enormous gift,” Pinto said. “You’re being exposed to 300 to 400 potential customers.”
Pinto showed four looks from her current M2057 collection, juxtaposed with four pieces from her 2010 line, the latter of which was inspired by tango.
“I thought it was a nice blend,” Pinto said. “So people can see what informs this current collection, which is more minimal, simplistic and architectural.”
The archived pieces are “pretty over the top,” with heavy beading, sequins and one gown that featured 30 yards of chiffon.
The designer, who rose to global fame by dressing Michelle Obama, said women today shop differently.
“Luxury is wonderful but how many $2,000 to $3,000 dresses are you buying? We’ve been through a lot and I don’t think we’re willing to forfeit comfort after COVID[-19] especially,” Pinto said.
Barker, who serves as creative director of 21c Museum Hotel Chicago, said what makes the city’s fashion unique is its wearability.
“There’s so much great talent here,” Barker said. “The designers tonight are the most personable, authentic, down-to-earth people creating silhouettes that are meant to be worn. Sometimes fashion can be over the top and not very practical.”
Before the show started, Rowley, who’s from Chicago and attended the Art Institute of Chicago, told a packed audience that the most important thing, for a designer to create, is to be “in your happy place.”
“When I graduated from the Art Institute I just packed my U-Haul and beelined to New York because the physical place where fashion was happening was so important, but now it’s not like that,” Rowley said. “You can be anywhere.”
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