In this economy, you might be wondering how to spend less money on your wardrobe without looking cheap. Teonna Ingram and Bree Lara have the solution. At their store, Borrow a Dress Couture (BADC), a girl can rent a designer dress from the likes of Vera Wang, Alexander McQueen or Dolce & Gabbana for three days for a quarter of the retail price. Since women rarely wear a formal dress very many times, dress rental, says Ingram, is a great way to “save money and still look fabulous,” especially with rental prices ranging from $35-$300. (Dresses are also available for sale in the $150-$3,000 range.) “Women, no matter what the economy, still have events they have to attend,” Lara notes. Inspired by tuxedo-rental stores, Ingram and Lara say they saw a need to have a similar establishment for women. “It’s bound to happen in Chicago. Why not be the first to do it?” argues Ingram. Read the rest of this entry »

World Fashion Chicago, an event designed to showcase the city’s Sister Cities program (October 2), oozed with admirable ambition. Chicago has twenty-seven official “sister cities,” including the style meccas of Paris and Milan, so why not have a show that conveys the global nature of fashion, and Chicago’s place within?

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Unfortunately, the project was far too overwhelming to properly execute. Some cities were represented by Chicago designers who created looks drawing inspiration from a particular city, sometimes subtly, sometimes like costumes for a B movie. On the other hand, some Chicago designers simply represented their ethnic backgrounds by showing from their general collections. Six designers actually brought their designs from their far-flung cities, ranging from Amman, Jordan to Casablanca, Morocco. And in a few cases, models wore clothes from international designers who needed little exposure, like Escada and Dolce & Gabbana. Needless to say, the range and styles were literally all over the map.

The resulting show was a cacophonous hoot of excess without cohesion. Several cities, inexplicably, were even represented by multiple designers. Add to that the “commercial” presentation of looks designed by talented Chicago comers Agga B, Melissa Serpico, Evil Kitty and Anna Fong for Toyota’s “space-age” I-Real project, and you had a show that would defy anyone trying to actually take anything actionable (i.e., to buy the clothes or learn more about a designer) away from the runway. And we didn’t even mention that “Project Runway” contestant Steven Rosengard showed up to represent Hamburg, Germany. Eventually, we put our pens away and just enjoyed the show. (Brian Hieggelke)

1814 W. North, (773)489-0818 (women’s flagship store), 1910 W. North, (312)423-6693 (men’s), 1849 W. North, (773)342-8684 (shoes), 2357 N. Clark, (773)404-5826; 122 S. State, (312)346-3034; 643 W. Diversey, (773)649-9257; shop.akirachicago.com (4 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)
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Goods: Women’s and men’s clothing, accessories and shoes. Designers: Rock & Republic, Citizens of Humanity, 7 for All Mankind, G-Star Raw, J Lindeberg, Paige Premium Denim; dresses by BCBG, Anna Sui and Betsey Johnson; sunglasses by Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Gucci, Ray-Ban and Dior; shoes by Ted Baker, Creative Recreation, L.A.M.B., Chinese Laundry, Schutz, Adidas and Converse. Owners: College friends Eric Hsueh, Jon Cotay and Erikka Wang began their North Avenue domination with the Akira women’s store in 2002. Now Akira encompasses several different stores all over the city, and 20,000 square feet of retail space on a single street in Bucktown. Vibe: The atmosphere mimics the clothes—it’s young, poppy and vibrant. Clothing is organized by style and designer so you don’t have to mess around. Price Range: Inexpensive-Expensive. The Look: With so many designers, there are so many looks. But a youthful energy shines in feminine prints, bright colors, current trends and designer denim. You can score everything from denim-focused, kick-it gear to an ensemble perfect for sipping martinis at Enclave. Shopper’s Perks: The store’s stylists expertly lead you through “one-stop shopping”—they’re happy to grab shoes or accessories from the other stores to completely finish your look.

Akira Wicker Park

Akira

Akira Men

Akira (Men)

Akira Shoes

Akira (Shoes)

Akira Lakeview

Akira

Akira Lincoln Park

Akira

Akira Loop

Akira

UPDATED OCTOBER 2009