fashion

GOCA Designs is a women’s luxury clothing line that was established in Chicago in the Fall of 2010. President Gordana Rasic and Vice President Omar Villalobos, who are both pursuing college degrees; all the while bringing their fashion dreams to fruition, run the fashion line themselves. Through their combined efforts they aim to, “revamp the fashion industry as a vessel of art; bringing obscure truths into clarity.” Tackling college finals at the same time as showcasing in ‘Latino Fashion Week’ might be a daunting task for some but not for Omar & Gordana. Their passion is electric and their youthful energy is contagious.

What happens when you mix radio personalities, spa treatments, a fashion show, and a charity?! A girl’s night out, duh! But fellas don’t fret because you’re invited too! The 2^nd Annual ‘Girls Night Out -Go Red for Women’ to support the American Heart Association is taking place at Alhambra Palace Restaurant on Wednesday, February 29^th from 7-10 p.m.

Get ready to start your engines, Brides-to-be! The Hilton Rosemont is hosting a bridal expo on Sunday, January 22. The Bridal Sampler Wedding Expo is guaranteed to be an intimate affair that will bring you seats away from the hem of your perfect gown. Hosted by TBS Bridal, the Expo will feature a fashion show, several beautiful exhibits, tastings, live performances, and exciting prizes. This year’s Grand Prize winner will walk away with a trip to Mexico for two.

Join the fashion elite at the Chicago History Museum from now to mid-April and check out Chicago native Charles James Genius Deconstructed exhibit! Imagine yourself in these vintage gowns and take notice to the fine architecture and craftsmanship brought to you by Charles James.Born in 1906 James has astounded the fashion world by creating incredibly crafty and perfectly detailed garments. A young James taught himself everything he knows about creating garments, from fitting hats to glamorous gowns. With extreme ingenuity and the eye for fashion, James opened his first hat shop in Chicago at the age of 19. His garments are often adorned with ribbed corsets and fancy collars, and more often than not cascade down and outward. James has always had high profile celebrities like Coco Chanel pining after his creations. Marisa Tomei recently rocked out in a vintage gothic Charles James piece earlier this year at the Oscars, and Angelina Jolie wore an elegant gray tight fitted James dress in the Tourist shortly after.

You know her from MTV’s The Hills and The City and while she’s certainly left a memorable mark on New York and LA, Whitney Port is coming to Chicago to share stories, give inspiration and answer all your burning questions! Whitney opens up about everything from her book True Whit covering fashion and beauty to romance and career. From backstabbing coworkers and bitchy bosses to long-distance boyfriends and a daring new career in fashion, Whitney managed to handle it all. After Port speaks, have your phones ready as she’ll answer your questions submitted via Twitter!

Now that the 7th annual Chicago Fashion Focus has come to an end, this is the perfect time to reflect on the city’s initiative to cultivate local talent. Having just seen a parade of various trades, be it designers, producers, stylists, models, photographers and more, it’s comforting to know that the city is trying to help these emerging artists find a voice. Chicago definitely has been and still is a launching pad for many careers.

As one of the headlining shows during Fashion Focus Chicago, Conscious Living TV presents Vert Couture. This runway show is ready to wow the crowd and make fashionistas fall in love with the fashions of 2012. This Thursday, October 20th, prepare to get your green on with this 3rd annual event. Vert Couture is unlike any other fashion show out there- it focuses on Chicago’s sustainable fair trade fashion movement and the runway takes place on one of the largest green roofs in the Unites States! It was created by Michael and Bianca Alexander, founders of Conscious Planet Media, an Emmy award-winning green television, video and film productions company. Billy is on the host committee and thrilled to be a part of this earth-friendly evening of fashion.

Collaboraction presents “Fashion Mash”, an evening showcasing Chicago talent in all different and creative ways. Join in on a fun night with fashion, visual art, and live music at the Flat Iron Arts Building on Saturday, October 8th.There will be tons of local designers, bands, and DJs that will be together under one roof showing off their talents.

October 6th will see the 85^th annual fashion show presented by the Women’s Board of Rush University, but even though the event has been going on for 8 decades, it definitely shows no signs of old age. In fact, this year’s show “LAYERS” presents a decidedly modern take on fashion. A “who’s who” of volunteer models will walk down the runway wearing designs from some of the best names in fashion including: Frances Heffernan, The Lake Forest Shop, Loro Piana, Luca Luca, Neapolitan, p.45, Penny's From Heaven, Ralph Lauren, Saks Fifth Avenue, Tory Burch and Valentino.