By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
May 4, 2000
Never mind the peekaboo gowns that displayed ample cleavage of both kinds, and the kicky patchwork outfits were so ugly they were cute.
The stylish crowd of 700-plus that attended “Red Hot Chicago” Wednesday night at the House of Blues got quite an eyeful both on and off the runway.
Some of the best outfits were worn by the designers themselves at the fashion show, which featured some of Chicago’s top talent.
Wearing pigtails and a minidress made of plastic rings, designer Cat Chow couldn’t wait for the show to go on.
“I’ve shown stuff in Chicago before, but this is a really exciting show for all of us,” said Chow. “It’s a great opportunity, and also a lot of fun.”
Chaired by Chicago Sun-Times fashion writer Lisa Lenoir and Dorothy Fuller of the Apparel Industry Board Inc., the event showcased the talents of 50 of the city’s hottest designers. For fashion designer Tiffani Kim, “Red Hot Chicago” brought back memories of her first show 15 years ago.
“Sure, the nerves come back, but I’m just so excited for the young designers tonight who are getting exposure,” said Kim. “It’s always interesting to see what they come up with. I think that this show represents a new millennium for the AIBI.”
Fuller, who founded AIBI in 1985 under Mayor Harold Washington as a support agency for the city’s apparel manufacturers, says “Red Hot Chicago” is just another step in getting the world to recognize the city as a leader in fashion.
“This is all long overdue,” Fuller said. “It’s time that everyone sees what we have to offer. The talent in Chicago is immense but unrecognized.”
Looking at her colleagues milling around, Jane Hamill added, “This is so great. I never realized that there were so many designers [in Chicago].”
Not that all their designs are appropriate for folks who don’t hang with the likes of metal band Nine Inch Nails. Posing magnificently in their ensembles made from acrylic chains, Sandy and Shell Neal acknowledged that their very rock ‘n’ roll designs–which averaged about 25 pounds each–are not for everyone. But they are wearable.
“Everyone thinks that you can’t wear certain things unless you have a perfect body,” said Sandy Neal. “But it’s really all in the attitude.”
