[Note from Ernest: Last night, legendary style blogger Scott Schuman (p/k/a The Sartorialist) was the featured guest at a lecture at the Museum of Contemporary Art. I couldn’t be there, but NoDN participant Alanna Zaritz was and she not only recapped the whole damn thing, she even took pics! Take it away, Alanna!]
Check out shots from last night’s event here.
In what was probably the zenith event this November of Dressing Nicely, hundreds of well-shod Chicagoans descended on the Museum Of Contemporary Art. Everyone dressed to seduce one of the most discerning eyes in fashion, the street-style photographer Scott Schuman. Beloved for his internationally-renowned blog, he visited the MCA to give a presentation and sign both of his books. Chicago is the third stop on his eight-city tour, and being a city that has never been featured on his website, fans aimed to make the most of their encounter by styling themselves in cheery colors, idiosyncratic accessories, and a melange of textures.
Though Mr. Schuman’s lecture was slated to start at 7pm, hopeful attendees began to arrive as early as 5 o’clock. Girls swaying on velvet platform shoes and coiffed men in cardigans swanned around the atrium, the 300 seats filling within the hour. By 6 the gallery was packed with faux fur, short capes, and purses heavy with gilt hardware. About 100 people were allowed into an overflow room with live telecast, while the first-come-first-serve 300 took notes from the very elegant MCA Curator Naomi Beckwith and Mr. Schuman in the theater. Nearly 100 more folks held their spots in line for the 8 o’clock follow-up signing, and some waited nearly three hours to meet the photographer.
During his speech, Mr. Schuman explained that he does not treat his fashion blog like a report on any given city. He chooses only images and subjects that he believes in, and can sometimes go days without getting a shot that meets his standards, which means that a smaller city has to bring it on the same level as fashion capitals like Paris and Tokyo. Staying more than two Hours after the museum had closed, Scott chatted with his fans, mugged for cellphone cameras, and signed tons of stuff. Grinning style-stars and suburban moms all packed in together agreed that it felt “like meeting Santa Claus, for grown-ups.”
It seems that Chicago brought their A-game, because during the signing, Mr. Schuman made plans with a handful of fashionistas to take their portrait the following day. Check out TheSartorialist.com to see if any of your friends made the cut.
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