| EVENT REPORT 06.26.08 10:10 AM |
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| Fashion Forecast |
| At the Nordstrom Designer Preview, a runway and temporary boutique set up at the Chicago History Museum showed off fall frocks. |
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On Wednesday, fall collections from designers like Stella McCartney and Nina Ricci hit the floor at Nordstrom, and on Tuesday night, 425 of the store's best local customers (along with members of the fashion press) got a sneak peek at the fashions. Held at the Chicago History Museum, the evening, dubbed the Nordstrom Designer Preview, benefited the Costume Council of the Chicago Historical Society and included a buffet dinner and dessert reception, a fashion show, and shopping at a temporary boutique set up within the museum.
"The highlight of the event is the tented runway fashion show of the best fall designer collections from Milan, Paris, and New York," said Nordstrom event coordinator Mary Schultz. The build-out for the event began on Sunday night, when staffers from HDO Tenting arrived at the museum to begin setting up the peaked white tent that covered the back lawn. Designers from Ivan Carlson also began their work on Sunday, implementing a sound system and a lighting scheme that would highlight fashions in red and blue during the show. |
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PHOTO GALLERY |
 | During the tented runway show, models displayed fall collections from designers like Marni.
Photo: BizBash |
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 | The build-out for the runway show was a three-day process.
Photo: BizBash |
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 | Inside the History Museum, guests tried on Nordstrom's fall fashions in temporary fitting rooms set up on site.
Photo: BizBash |
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 | The Signage incorporated designs by fashion illustrator Ruben Toledo.
Photo: BizBash |
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 | Ivan Carlson designed a pink lighting scheme for the cocktail reception, which featured champagne, specialty martinis, and a buffet table laden with bread, wine, and cheese.
Photo: BizBash |
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 | The evening's specialty white cranberry martinis came with Nordstrom-branded napkins.
Photo: BizBash |
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 | A Stem Above provided colorful floral arrangements that decorated the check-in table on the lower level and the buffet tables upstairs.
Photo: BizBash |
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In a setup similar to Nordstrom's event in Washington, an oversize screen formed the runway's backdrop, and different images flickered across it as models presented various collections—mod, circular patterns floated behind fashions from Donna Karan, while flowering branches unfurled on the screen during the Tuleh presentation. During the show, guests took notes in the programs that sat on each chair, which came with Nordstrom pencils and described the runway outfits in detail.
Back inside the museum, Nordstrom sales associates and buyers stood with pencils and clipboards, ready to take orders as guests browsed the new-merchandise-filled racks that had been set up that morning. In addition to the designers represented on the runway, the temporary boutique featured clothing from the likes Michael Kors and Zac Posen, whose merchandise, though not showcased in the fashion show, is available at the department store. Also on display were shoes and bags, and in the bathroom, an attendant held a silver tray of tester bottles featuring designer perfumes sold at the store.
Food stations set up throughout the upper level featured everything from oysters to salads and sushi; Blue Plate waiters also circulated with upper-crust hors d'oeuvres like deviled quail eggs and bites of New York strip steak with artichoke mousse and shaved Parmesan. For a fashion crowd, the guests were not shy about piling their plates high at the buffet tables. "Last year, I felt like I was the only one eating; this year it's a frenzy," commented one guest with a laugh.
From invites to programs and signage, the event was branded with images from fashion illustrator Ruben Toledo, whose designs decorate Nordstrom stores and appear in the company's ads. As a parting gift, each guest received a collectible serving tray illustrated by Toledo.
—Jenny Berg
RELATED TOPICS
Nordstrom, Costume Council of the Chicago Historical Society
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