By Nicole Briese

“Who are you wearing?” With the biggest night in Hollywood fast approaching, the stars are surely scrambling to find the answer to that question—the one that will inevitably cross the path of every stiletto to hit the red carpet. The Academy Awards and fashion have always gone hand in hand, and this year will be no exception. While producers routinely tip their hats to the undeniable union with their annual fashion preview, however, this year will be unique—it won’t just be the Valentinos and the de la Rentas that are featured on Sunday. It will also be the unsung local fashion mavens from cities like our very own.

Launching the very first Oscars Designer Challenge, producers have recruited seven up-and-coming designers to go head to head for the opportunity to have their original gown worn onstage by an Oscars escort. The nominees, chosen for their relatively low profiles, herald from New York, Los Angeles and Chicago—three of the seven have significant connections to the Windy City. First Lady favorite Maria Pinto is competing, along with local designer Sam Kori George and Evanston native Moire Conroy.

While Pinto has been publicized for her most high-profile fan, and George and Conroy have both had their share of success in the business, George for one, thinks winning the competition would open a lot of doors. “I think it [would] give me a lot more credibility,” he says. Having been in the business for six years, he says being a nominee has already garnered more of a national interest. “I don’t have a problem working under the radar—I get to do what I love 100 percent of the time. [But] it would be very, very nice to be recognized for that,” he says.

Hailing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, all three share similar roots, but bring very different designs to the competition. “It was a myriad of things that people brought,” George says. “I think every person there did what they do best.”

Pinto’s strapless number features a bubble waist and ruched backing with an iridescent white and silver print.

Conroy says her Oscars creation was inspired by her spring/summer 2009 concept—1960s Summer of Love. “It was really based on an idea of revolution and change…and modernizing those terms into what we’re experiencing today,” she says. “I wanted to be very romantic and really express what that time meant—basically love, freedom and beauty.” Her flowing grayish-blue design emphasizes her strength—drapes. “Everything I do comes from a sort of romantic place,” she says. “Draping is really my strong point.” Given her choice, Conroy says she’d swathe Oscar nominee Angelina Jolie. “I can totally see her wearing [this] gown.”

George, who is used to designing custom pieces, had to think on a broader scale. While he knew he wanted to design “something strapless and elegant,” he did not have the luxury of meeting his “client”—he had to create a dress that would work for any model. After fittings with several local agencies and several different girls, all of whom found the dress flattering, he knew he had a winner. “It works with a lot of different personalities,” he says. “This dress is the skin and bones—anyone can wear it.”

After showcasing their designs to members of the entertainment and fashion press in Los Angeles on February 10, the fate of the designers was ultimately decided by the public. Online polls at oscar.com closed on February 17, with the winner set to be announced prior to the awards ceremony during the “Oscars Red Carpet 2009.”

Could one of these three put our city on the fashion map? It depends. While the talent is obviously here, both Conroy and George agree that Chicago still has a long way to go. “The number one issue is resources,” George says. In order to finish his gown for the competition alone, he had to fly to New York for a day just to find fabric. Conroy recently made the move to New York for similar reasons. “It’s hard to develop something in a country where’s there’s already another city that’s really a fashion capital,” she says.

By Brian Hieggelke

Opening night of the Democratic National Convention, and Michelle Obama is scheduled to speak. Pundits are in a tizzy: will she be able to convince middle America that she’s one of them, that she loves her country, her family and her god enough to earn their votes? By the time she’s finished, even the skeptical have been sold. She’s answered every lingering question except one: where did she get that fabulous dress?

Of course, it was already well-publicized that the would-be future First Lady was a fan of Chicago designer Maria Pinto, and that alone, given the extraordinary national obsession with all things Obama, gave a priceless boost to Chicago’s fashion culture. After all, Obama obviously had the means to buy from just about any designer she wanted; the fact that she chose Pinto as her style muse sent a clear signal that you don’t have to hail from New York to get attention. Not since Oleg Cassini helped shape the Jackie Kennedy style had a designer and (potential) First Lady been so closely connected.

“Contrary to popular belief, Chicagoans are highly attuned with the fashion world.”—Sheri Roney, SoKo Fashion

At the beginning of this month, more than a thousand apparel buyers, designers, media types and all-round fashionistas each day gathered for five nights inside a tent in Millennium Park to watch runway fashion shows that comprised the cornerstone of Chicago’s four-year-old version of fashion week, called Fashion Focus Chicago. Set against the backdrop of unprecedented carnage in global financial markets, the events couldn’t avoid a bit of an “end-of-empire” air—and we’re not talking about the empire waist, which seems to be doing just fine.

Dying economy or not, there’s no denying the excitement that large-scale fashion shows bring, with their bright lights, booming beats and models strutting down runways. Spend nearly a week watching show after show and it’s hard not to feel like something’s happening here. But is it? I decided to ask the question. In addition to a lengthy conversation with Melissa Gamble, the director of fashion arts and events for the city (often described as the mayor’s “fashion czar”), I sent a short email survey to nearly 200 local boutique owners and managers, as well as thirty or so local designers, most of them past winners of the “Fresh Faces in Fashion” designation awarded by GenArt, one of the marquee events during Fashion Focus Chicago. The consensus? Progress has been made, but there is still much to be done. Read the rest of this entry »

The Sun-Times today carries a report that, not only was Michelle Obama wearing a Maria Pinto dress during her electrifying speech at the Democratic Convention Monday night, but that Barack Obama will make his speech tonight in a custom-made suit by Chicago’s own Hart Schaffner Marx. Noteworthy fact: Barack’s a 40-long with a 33 waist.

At first glance the interior of designer Maria Pinto’s West Loop boutique looks simple and chic, with a neutral color palate, an unfussy layout and minimal decor. But upon closer inspection the space is covered in details. The hand-painted charcoal gray mural on the walls is actually an enlargement of a lace pattern from Pinto’s collection. Pillars around the room are covered in Bisazza mosaic tiles. The entrance to the fitting-room area is draped in chain mail, and a Louis XIV-style leather chair, dipped in bright gold latex, sits regally in a fitting room. The aesthetic is “opulent minimalism,” a phrase that also accurately describes Pinto’s luxurious yet wearable women’s clothing.

Pinto’s new store is the latest addition to the bustling West Loop, an area that Pinto targeted immediately after starting her space search in early 2007. “I like the energy,” Pinto says of the neighborhood. “It’s industrial but there’s this sophistication as well. It has a nice community feeling.” Once inside the doors of the boutique, the neighborhood fades away. From entrance to exit, clients of Maria Pinto are treated to a shopping experience. Milan-made chairs provide comfort, mellow music soothes the soul and fitting rooms the size of a small bedroom make the try-on process utterly divine.

“I hate when you have to step out to be fitted,” Pinto says. “I want people to be able to decompress, to have their husbands or friends come in.” The extra space is perfect for sampling Pinto’s line, which combines classic silhouettes with playful, ornate detailing (think perfectly placed cut chiffon, feathers and sequins). But it’s not just Pinto’s collection that is featured in the boutique. “I’m also carrying things that I use in my own closet, things that complement the collection,” she says. Belts by Farenheit and jewelry from India are featured alongside sweaters from Nepal. Pinto even provides for the gents with a small array of Pinto-designed cummerbunds, ties and bowties.

Sure, a client list that includes Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey might intimidate even the most confident shopper. But the vast new space allows for a variety of price points. “Within the collection you can easily find pieces for under $300,” Pinto says. (Molly Each)

Maria Pinto is located at 135 North Jefferson, (312)648-1335, mariapinto.com.