Gen Art's Shop Chicago—an annual event that turns Union Station into a bazaar filled with clothing and accessories—took place on Saturday afternoon. Last year, some 80 exhibitors signed up for the happening; this year was another story. "It's a tough time for the fashion industry," said Marcia Callaghan, the group's regional event coordinator. "A lot of businesses [that exhibited in 2008] have closed." Ultimately, about 60 local boutiques and designers displayed their wares on Saturday.
Realizing there would be significantly fewer exhibitors this year, Callaghan and her team began reconsidering their choice of venue in January. The event's traditional home downtown at Union Station suddenly seemed too large for their purposes. The planners shopped around for a more suitably sized venue, and set their sites on the smaller River East Art Center. But when they found out that the latter space was booked on Saturday, they decided to return to their original venue and cook up a new layout.
Last year, a V.I.P. lounge occupied a balcony on Union Station's upper level, but Callaghan decided to move it downstairs to fill space previously devoted to vendors. This year's V.I.P. area also offered fewer products: Gone were the frozen yogurt bar and complimentary mixed drinks that greeted top ticket-holders in years past.
"Our product donations were cut drastically this year," Callaghan said. "Everyone's a little freaked out, and companies aren't spending money in the events world like they used to." While sponsors weren't entirely absent—Degree, for example, showcased its new fragrance collection in a special lounge area—Callaghan said procuring beverage donations proved particularly difficult. "We've had film screenings this year with about 150 guests, and we've been able to pull on liquor sponsors for events of that size," she said. But Shop Chicago typically draws more than 1,000 attendees, and "people weren't able to donate product for that large of a crowd."
In the end, guests in the V.I.P. lounge were treated to complimentary wines from Menage a Trois—chips and guacamole from Chipotle rounded out the free offerings—but unlike previous years, there was no bar in the main area. "We all just have to push through this [bad economy]," Callaghan said. "We have to downsize events during times like these, but I don't see Shop Chicago going anywhere—it's one of Gen Art's signature, marquee events. This year, it may not be as grand as it has been. But hopefully, not having tons of alcohol at two in the afternoon isn't too huge of a letdown."
Gauging from the crowd's reaction, it wasn't. No one seemed to be too focused on drinking—most guests whiled away the afternoon in the main exhibitors' area, checking out clothing and jewelry—though one attendee did comment on something she missed. "There were all these free beauty treatments last year," she said. "I wish I'd known they wouldn't be here today. I didn't even put on mascara before I came."
