FASHION SHOW PRODUCTION AT UNION STATION IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

SHOW CONCEPT

It is common for artistically driven visionaries to fantasize about

living a luxurious lifestyle that enables them to travel around the world.

Experiencing new cultures and being exposed to different design

aesthetics and inspirational environments is generally a part of that

fantasy. Through cultural enrichment, the imagination can be enhanced.

As a result, astounding innovations can be created. For her Spring 2013

Ready-To-Wear collection, Mary Katrantzou captures this luxurious

essence of travelling that is both culturally enriching and artistically

stimulating.

DESIGNER AND COLLECTION:

Mary Katrantzou is a London-based designer with a hyper-

realistic aesthetic. She is mostly recognized for her originality and

inventive use of bold graphics. In portraying this aspect of travel,

Katrantzou showcases her ingenuity. Through the strategic application

of unconventional prints—comprised of postage stamps and banknotes

from various countries—to sophisticated silhouettes, the collection

exudes originality. Katrantzou’s innovative designs effortlessly combine

geometric shapes with organic ones to create a refined form of

abstraction, which is emphasized through her use of color. Both

energetic and luminous, the color pallet of the collection ranges from

metallic pastels to brights juxtaposed with black and white. Though two-

dimensional, the garments radiate a vivacious quality when all of these

elements come together. As a result, the wearer is transformed into a

chic and elegant woman that leads a luxuriously nomadic lifestyle.

CHARITY:

Proceeds from the fashion show will benefit the not-for-profit

organization, Dress for Success. To promote the economic independence

of disadvantaged women, Dress for Success provides professional attire,

a network of support, and career development tools to help women

thrive in work and in life. By providing such amenities, Dress for Success

helps create opportunities for women to acquire the means necessary for

achieving their goals and making their dreams come true.

VENUE:

UNION STATION 210 South Canal Street Chicago, Illinois 60606

The correlation of a fashion show location to a collection is

essential in translating its concept to the audience. To emphasize the

theme of travel, the Mary Katrantzou Spring 2013 Ready-To-Wear

fashion show will be held in the Great Hall at Union Station in Chicago,

Illinois. By presenting at this prestigious landmark, the bold prints

featuring postage stamps and banknotes—and their vibrant spirit—are

highlighted.

Originally designed by famed architect Daniel Burnham, the

Great Hall was completed in 1925 by the Graham, Anderson, Probst

and White Firm. Due to its elegant atmosphere, the Great Hall is

considered to be one of the greatest indoor spaces in the United States.

The 20,000 square foot spacious room features a classic Beaux Arts style

with 18 soaring Corinthian columns, terracotta walls, a pink Tennessee

marble (crystalline limestone) floor, and a stunning five-story, barrel-

vaulted, atrium ceiling.

With this elegant style, the Great Hall exudes an ambiance of

opulence that is harmonious with the essence of Katrantzou’s Spring

2013 collection. The stunning architectural details are reflective of the

garments’ striking elements and their luxurious quality. Similarly, these

details project an aura of sophistication, as well as an aspect of fantasy,

that mirror the collection’s refinement and ingenuity.

Further contributing to this opulence is the spaciousness of the

Great Hall, which stimulates its guests’ imagination. This attribute,

along with its rich history and beauty, has made the Great Hall a

popular location for movies such as The Untouchables, My Best Friend’s

Wedding, and Flags of Our Fathers, amongst others. As a result, the

venue’s prominent status and allure accentuate the character of a

luxuriously nomadic woman that is translated through the garments.

Though the setting is classic and timeless, when juxtaposed with

the collection’s originality and modernity, the idea of cultural

enrichment through travelling is conveyed. With exposure to new

cultures and environments, creative visions can becomes less bland or

traditional and more fresh or innovative. This is an essential part of the

concept of the Spring 2013 collection. While classic designs are

everlasting, they are also basic. That is why creatively inspired designs

are the ones that provoke the feeling of “I need,” rather than “I want.”

This will be evident through Mary Katrantzou’s presentation of her

Spring 2013 collection in the Great Hall at Union Station.

   

SWAG BAGS:

For the event, the swag bags and featured items are designed to

correlate to the designs of Mary Katrantzou’s Spring 2013 ready-to-wear

collection, while also providing practical items that can be utilized for

traveling, which is the theme of the fashion show production. The swag

bags themselves are totes to reference and inspire traveling, and featured

in a print taken from a garment presented. There is also a luggage tag,

passport cover, as well as an umbrella. These items, too, allude to—and

encourage—the traveling; and, are featured in prints taken directly from

those of the clothing in the collection. The sleeves of the T-shirts—with

the event’s logo on the front, and sponsors on the back—are replicated

from one of the tops featured.