Margaret Benjamin Archives

…PLUS “A DAY IN THE COUNTRY” WITH THE HORSEY SET, BOTTLE & BOTTEGA’S WINNING COMBO, PAINTING THE TOWN PINK, EMERGE! AT NYFW, “COMPASSION, FASHION & COCKTAILS,” AKIRA’S SUBWAY FASHION SHOW, RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE’S FOODIE FUNDRAISER, STYLIST ERIC HIMEL IS ON A ROLL, A NEW WATCH312.COM VIDEO AND SO MUCH MORE!

The 8th Annual Rising Star Awards were presented by Fashion Group International of Chicago at the Hotel Sax on September 12th with our town’s most fashionables in attendance. It was a night of high spirits and high hopes as the nominees toasted each other with champagne and wished each other good luck. And in this case, it truly WAS an honor just to be nominated since we have so many accomplished and talented peeps in the Windy City. In the category of Accessories, nominees were Brynn Capella, Forme Millinery, Rachel Olesker and Toki Collection and Diego Rochas presented Forme Millinery with the beautiful, crystal Rising Star award. “Fashions have been a part of me since I was a little girl playing in my grandmother’s trunk. She was even a
milliner so it runs in my blood. It’s truly an honor to be recognized for my passion,” said owner Jenny Pfanenstiel. Ulta Beauty’s Carrie Lannon presented nominees in the Beauty category – Aaron’s Apothecary, Sonia Roselli The Makeup Studio, The Circle Salon (which was named by Elle magazine as one of the top 100 salons in the country), and Dirt, Erthe Beaute, LLC – and Aaron’s Apothecary won with owner Aaron Pietrykowski joking, “Who knew an apothecary could win a beauty award?” James Nyack (Baker Furniture) awarded Sean Michael Design with the award in the Interiors department (other nominees included INDO, inhabit and Meg Caswell) and winner Sean Michael had this to say: “The thing that makes me happiest and alive is to improve the lifestyle of my clients.” Nora Del Busto won in the Apparel category with stiff competition from Atelier Azza, C/FAN and Miriam Cecelia. (Presenter was Erica Strama.) Sarca’s Alexis Cozzini walked off with the crystal hardware (presented by Chicago magazine editor Beth Fenner) in the Retail category, where other nominees included 610 Home, Haberdash and Shop 857. I was thrilled to present the award for E-Commerce and loved everyone in the category that included Cheeky Chicago, Glossed & Found, Luxury Garage Sale and Trunk Club. All of these nominees took an idea from concept to reality with sheer determination and lots of innovation. Trunk Club, created by Brian Spaly, was created to solve a simple problem – guys hate to shop – and this online store provides a personalized, pain-free service to help guys look great with no hassles. The team has grown from four to 100 since 2009. Luxury Garage Sale was created by Brielle Buchberg and Lindsay Segal, childhood friends with a shared passion for collecting. LGS is the premier place for buying and selling new, gently used or vintage high-end women’s clothing, shoes, bags and accessories. It’s risk-free consignment plus they have a popular blog called “Off the Cuff.” Cheeky Chicago, created by Jessica Zweig and Erica Bethe Levin, is an online magazine catering to the “in the know” woman in Chicago. It covers EVERYTHING that you need to know about living in Chicago and is the ultimate key to the city. To screams of wild excitement, I opened the envelope to find Glossed & Found the winner. This online video magazine’s team is stellar and includes Beauty on Call founder Stacey Roney, Fig Media owner James Gustin and Emily Hard and beloved creative and editorial director, Graham Kostic. Their motto: “It’s beauty. It’s fashion. It’s fun.” The evening’s premier sponsor was bebe and other proud event sponsors included Chicago magazine, Peroni, Tito’s, Moet & Chandon, Classic Color and FORD Models. Congrats to ALL of the winners and nominees! (Additional photos by Steve Starr…click here for more pics!)

I’m not a part of the horsey set but I could quickly become addicted if the events were as delightful, charitable and as awe-inspiring as last weekend’s 4th Annual International Hunter Jumper Derby in Antioch, Illinois. Hosted by Chicago Equestrians for a Cause and sponsored by Canadian National Railroad, this event benefitted three charities – The Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, University of Chicago’s Cancer Research Foundation and the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association Foundation. It was a perfect day, with guests and organizers breathing a sigh of relief after the heavy rains the night before. I haven’t ridden since I was a little girl – my dad took home movies showing me riding ponies with my head bobbing so hard, it looked like I should’ve had a neck brace so I’m certainly no expert but I will say these horses were so beautiful that they took my breath away. The winner of the day, Jennifer Alfano, told me how she felt about her award-winning horse, Jersey Boy: “He loves to compete, he loves a challenge and I am so lucky to have him. He has a knack for these Derbies and just won the Derby Finals in Lexington, Kentucky.” Ten-year-old Jersey Boy – a big, athletic chestnut Hanoverian gelding – was recently named “High Performance Horse of the Year” and “Hunter Horse of the Year” and he and Jennifer both have won more awards than will fit into this space. Just to prove this point, Jennifer won first AND second place at this event also riding Helen Lenehan’s Dutch Warmblood mare Miss Lucy for a $50,000 purse! When I asked course designer Bobby Murphy if he had a favorite, he didn’t hesitate: Jersey Boy. There was so much to see, too! As you entered the beautiful, manicured grounds a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren gullwing was on view as well as a $250K motor home. A walk through the barn brought us face to face with more of these magnificent animals. Robert “Rush” Weeden, who owns Annali Farms (where the event was held on an old Steeplechase course) along with wife Caroline, said they have around 40 horses. I tried to envision growing up on a farm like this but even with my vivid imagination, I couldn’t conjure up a life this grand. It was truly something to see and, even if you didn’t understand the scoring or the judging, you could spot a winner when you saw one. Congrats to Jennifer and Jersey Boy – what a fabulous combination! And congrats to Chicago Equestrians for a Cause Founder Margaret Benjamin, who wears her passion for horses and her charities proudly on her sleeve! Hope you enjoy my Watch312.com video of this fabulous “Day in the Country” filmed by Alonzo Stallings and edited by Josh Orr with production assistants Matt Natale and Brieanna Cluchey.

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Since its inception in March 2009, Bottle & Bottega has quickly become the city’s coolest, most popular alternative to a typical night out. Designed for those who think they can’t draw a stick figure, Bottle & Bottega walks you step by step through the creative process while you enjoy the ultimate catalyst to all creativity: WINE!!! I had never heard of Bottle & Bottega before even though they now have several locations across the city and have already expanded nationally, so clearly I’m in the minority here! This upstart franchise concept is thrilling Chicago as a BYOB wine and art party studio combined. “It’s a fun, unique alternative to a typical night out that’s great for friends, corporate groups and special events,” said founder Stephanie King-Myers. On this night, which was its grand opening party in the South Loop (“Have a H’Art”), Stephanie and co-owner Nancy Bigley celebrated their latest location at 1241 S. Michigan. Bottle & Bottega’s hands-on art sessions can focus on painting on canvas, creating a mosaic, wine glass painting, jewelry making, live models and more. This opening night also included a charity component with three celebrity artists painting for their favorite local charities. Stefanie Safran (Steph and the City) donated her talents for La Porte Hospital Foundation, Rochelle Vayo Adkinson ("Bring It Home") painted for the American Cancer Society and Karl Sponholtz (Design Star Season 6) donated his time to the Center on Halsted. Congrats Stephanie and Nancy! What a cool, new concept for a night out with friends! (Check out more pics here!)

It was the “Perfect Pink Night” for the cocktail reception and LaSalle Street Bridge lighting benefitting the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation at Chicago Cut Steakhouse September 13th. In honor of the approaching Breast Cancer Awareness Month and as a kick-off for Komen’s Chicago’s 15th annual Race for the Cure, the LaSalle Street and Wells Street bridges were lighted pink on Thursday evening and will light up each night at sunset until September 22nd. The reception, held at ground level of Chicago Cut was hosted by Komen Chicago “Pink Tie Guy” Howard Bernick and co-chaired by Janet and Craig Duchossois and Jeffrey Aronin. Komen for the Cure Founder and CEO Nancy Brinker headed up an all-star committee that included Nancy and Steven Crown, Sabrina and Antonio Gracias, Aimee and Jim Grey, Leslie Hindman, Carol and Larry Levy, Martha and Rich Melman, Harriette and Ted Perlman, MK and JB Pritzker, Linda Johnson Rice, Cari and Michael Sacks, Marilyn and Rocky Wirtz and Heather and Beau Wrigley. Faces seen in the crowd included Leslie Hindman, Mary Lou Gorno, Crain’s Tracy Samantha Schmidt, Alex Sabbag, designer extraordinaire Derrick Taylor, Rodney and Andrea Herenton, Dr. Funmi Olopade, Jim Grey, Greg Jones, Andi and Jim Gordon, Catherine and Bill Perez, Ilan Shalit, Eric Brinker, Kiki Ryan and Linda and David Richter. Don't miss this weekend's Susan G. Komen Chicagoland Race for the Cure – for more info, please click here! (Photos by Richard Shay.)

One of the top emerging designer collective showcases during New York Fashion Week was founded AND produced by Chicago’s very own Dionne Williams. Now in its fourth season, “EMERGE! A Fashion Runway Show” recently showcased the Spring 2013 collections of an elite group of emerging designers from around the world. This highly-anticipated fashion event’s planners reviewed hundreds of designer submissions and selected the six best to showcase. They included actress India de Beaufort, (Ballyhoo); Franklin Rowe (Franklin Rowe International); Taneasha Prunty (Gidi Designs); Berny Martin (Catou Designs); Natasha Lazarovic (Temna Fialka), and Arefeh Mansouri (Arefeh Fashion). Held at the historic Broad Street Ballroom, Emerge! hosted an invitation only event with more than 400 guests that included celebrities, fashion insiders, media, retail buyers and tastemakers who came to see the newest trends and this year’s winning designers. Congrats to all involved on another successful Emerge! fashion show: Paul Mitchell Schools, Lamik Cosmetics, Aaron Handy, Iran “Bang” Paylor (Models, Inc), Adam Leffel Production and Polpat Klonghayan. For more info on this cool event that introduces new fashion talent to the world, please contact Dionne@dwilliamspr.com.

Nearly 500 affluent professionals, entrepreneurs, media, sports and entertainment personalities came together to celebrate “Compassion, Fashion and Cocktails.” This evening honored the arts and raised money for non-profits that included The Musical Arts Institute, Bin Donated (as seen on ABC’s “Secret Millionaire”) and St. Vincent’s de Paul Center & Marillac Social Center. This evening was co-chaired by Lema Khorshid, Sarah Noonan, Fei Wang and Sam Yanover. Hosts included Michael Brown, Tom Carroll, Diana Chen, Katie Freeman, David Friedman, Kim Runner, Diane Testa, Jessica Young and Doug O’Donahue. Focusing on a theme of pioneers in fashion, food and film, Frontier (located at 1072 N. Milwaukee) was transformed into a cutting edge fashion runway scene as guests took part in raffles and door prizes that included a Mexican vacation, signed sports memorabilia and lots more. During this celebration of food and fashion, musician and founder of The Musical Arts Institute Michael Manson provided a jazz performance with three of his talented students. A runway show featured designer Eva Franco’s fall collection while a film montage of classic black and white films played throughout the evening. Congrats to all participants including Aga Kaskiewicz, Mercedes Urquiza-Parrilli, Stephanie Bottigliero and Chef Vanessa Moses. (To view more photos, please click here!)

Who will be joining me for Ronald McDonald House Charities’ “Eat Global, Give Local” celebration at Carnivale Restaurant (located at 702 W. Fulton Market) on Wednesday, October 10th from 5:30 until 9 p.m.??!!! This party with a purpose will feature top chefs Brian Jupiter (Frontier Chicago), David Dworshak (Carnivale), Gregg Biggers (Café des Architectes), Dan Marquis (Quay), Justin White (SmallBar) and Jonathon Beatty (Davanti Enoteca). The evening will also include live music, a tequila tasting bar, wine stations, a mojito station and popular ActionBooth photos plus a raffle featuring items from each chef’s restaurant. For tickets, $125, please visit www.carnivalechicago.com/events. Hope to see YOU there!

In honor of its big 1-0, local fashion retailer AKIRA is upping the scope and scale of its annual style extravaganza with its 10th
Annual Fall Fashion Show themed Métropolitain. The event will benefit five local charities and is set for Sunday, September 23 at Grossinger City Autoplex, located at 1500 N. Dayton St. Doors open at 4 p.m. and the runway show will begin at 7 p.m.; the after-party at Japonais (located at 600 W. Chicago Ave.) kicks off at 9 p.m. See your daily commute reimagined in a runway presentation at AKIRA's garage-turned-subway station. The show will be hosted by Olivia Culpo (Miss USA 2012) and emceed by Kelli Zink (Celeb-TV). Later, shop the looks you loved at their one-night-only pop-up store – proceeds from this event will benefit Imerman Angels, Project Ladybug, Clara's House, the Human Rights Campaign and AKIRA's Fashion Scholarship Fund. Tickets, beginning at $25, are available in all AKIRA stores and online via Fanfueled here.

The Green Tie Ball, themed “Alice in Wonderland,” was held Saturday night at A. Finkl & Sons. Stay tuned for coverage coming Sunday in my Chicago Tribune column, on Watch312.com and coming soon to this website! More than 2,500 partygoers fell happily down the rabbit hole at this exciting event benefitting Chicago Gateway Green!

Congrats to celebrity stylist Eric Himel! His latest styling gig for Giuliana and Bill Rancic and new son Edward Duke was featured on the cover of Life & Style magazine! AND, speaking of the Green Tie Ball, Eric also styled rock artist and event deejay Pete Wentz in a cool bowtie and suit from SuitSupply. Congrats Eric!

Congrats are also in order for darling and very stylish Lynne Bredfeldt, the Park Hyatt’s PR director, for being selected as one of six executives from across the country to be a part of the 2012 fall fashion campaign for bebe and Marie Claire magazine’s “Styled for Success” feature! She was styled by Marie Claire fashion editor Zanna Roberts Rassi in LA for this fabulous photo! Love you, Lynne!

Thanks to Watch312.com producer Lydia Perez for including me in a segment of the upcoming reality show, Hard Core Pawn, shot at the Royal Pawn Shop on South Clark Street! I just love this name and everyone involved was so sweet! The concept was really cute, too! Look for this show coming in December – hope you like it!

Have a great week and I hope to see you here the next time! And please, don’t forget to email me with any event news or column suggestions. My mission is to keep you happy and informed on all things Windy City and beyond!

Love, as always,
Candace
Candace@CandidCandace.com