Chicago (with an English accent): TOPSHOP|TOPMAN Arrives on Michigan Avenue

 Wednesday, September 7, 2011:

Hello, my friends ... it has certainly been too long - and I've missed you dearly.  Between hustling at the agency, freelance work and a move - I have been a bit distracted from the world of the bowtie.  I can't promise it wont happen again - but I can tell you I will always be back!

Speaking of being back ... I have good reason to be.

Have you heard a small whisper or tiny chatter about this little shop that opened up on Michigan Avenue?  Have you?

Ok - who am I kidding? ... Ladies and gentlemen - TOPSHOP|TOPMAN IS HERE ... and boy do they know how to make a stylish scene.

I recently received an invitation in the mail to attend the TOPSHOP|TOPMAN private shopping event and was definitely intrigued.  I was thrilled at the chance to check out the goods before anyone else - and since I have been a hermit lately, I couldn't think of a better excuse to shed the shell.

I arrived around lunch with my Agency Galatea boss, Marie P. Anderson - and quickly got to work checking out the merch.  We started on the ground floor and combed through the women's garments.  I loved the colors and textures - great styles and cuts - and decent price points.  (Marie was gawking over a very Gaga-esque t-shirt with a faded cross printed on it and cut-out shoulders.)  

After a few minutes - I began whining about wanting to see the TOPMAN floor and we caught the escalator up to Floor 1 for what was the beginning of many fashion heart attacks.  I loved the massive visual display in the men's section and the low ceiling kind of made it feel a bit more chic - like a secret (though, real fancy) basement shop.  The visuals are almost too much to take - but I'm okay with a little over-stimulation during shopping.

I can't speak on fit, as I did not yet try on the clothes - but I loved the looks that I saw.  Great basic wovens (with interesting added touches) - drop-crotch jeans and slacks that slim near the ankle - and THE suit.  Yes - THE suit.  I had a total moment when I saw it and I think I scared Marie out of her shoes from the squeal that came out of my mouth.  (Fashion heart attack alert.)  I wanted to strip this maroon creation right off the mannequin - AND the bowtie.  I'll say no more - have a look below.  (I died.)

After a few photo opp's, courtesy of Tyler Curtis (and Matthew Reeves of www.DarkroomDemons.com) - we made it down to Level -1.  First of all - "Level -1?"  It's kind of unnecessary to call it that (and I kind, sort of, totally love it and want to use it in daily language to describe where I am at, should I be in a basement.)  Level -1 houses walls of shoes, accessories, more garments (women's, if I remember correctly) and more gorgeous people that work at this delicious store.

After browsing every level of TOPSHOP|TOPMAN, I can safely say that I am in love.  Not only is the store visually beautiful - but it adds some much needed fashion street cred to Michigan Avenue (along with the sexy new AllSaints store.)  The prices are affordable and the styles are more edgy and London-ey than your average H&M.  (Did I just say London-ey?)  Chicago has been buzzing with word of this new shop and TOPSHOP|TOPMAN has done a very good job at creating such buzz.  If you haven't had a chance to check out the store - you must.  I guarantee you'll walk out with something you love - and if you're not careful, you may even catch an English accent.

Truly,

R.M.B.

'ello

Maven Presents "The Divo Series" - Honoring Successful Chicago Men

Tuesday, February 8, 2011: 

When I first received an email from Sarah Vargo (Maven, LLC), I have to admit - I was quite excited.  She stated that she was planning an event to honor successful Chicago men and that she had wanted me to be a part of it.  (Ok, I was more than excited -  I was downright tickled.)  The event, called 'The Divo Series,' was aimed at bringing together men who excel at their work in each of their respective industries.  Presented at the Foundation Room at Chicago's own House of Blues, the event was sure to be a solid night of networking, good friends and getting to know some of my fellow Chicago Divo's.  

The fabulous Sarah Vargo givin' all the lovin':

I arrived with some of my favorite people around 6p.m. and quickly found a comfortable spot in one of the Foundation Room's private areas.  I was pleased to have been accompanied by my boss, the Marie P. Anderson (Fashion & Beauty Director - Agency Galatea), as well as my lovely assistant Kate Jacobsen and good friends Amy Harper, Callie Greenwood and Katie Gallagher.  We quickly got to work chatting it up with the attendees and working the room.  Mr. Steve Starr (also a Divo!) was working his camera magic with that big Steve Starr smile.  Jason F.C. Laws (yep - a total Divo) and I hit up the bar and surveyed the crowd.  Tyler Curtis quickly 'camerambushed' (my new coined phrase for Tyler) us in our private room with his entourage (such a Divo.)  I ran into Benjamin Cottrell - another fellow Divo - and we caught up on conversation.  All around the room, men (and the ladies who love them) were enthralled in chatter and laughter - exactly what Ms. Vargo had intended, I'm sure.

(L) Jason F.C Laws, his gorgeous friend/business partner & Ryan M. Beshel

(R) Ryan M. Beshel & Steve Starr:

Before the night ended, I ran into a few of my favorite people, including Jessica Bergman, Fayshell Fajardo and Abby Zupancic.  The support of such great friends is really what makes me proud be in such a fantastic industry.  Knowing that people were there to cheer us on and share a drink or a conversation meant the world.  Many thanks to Sarah Vargo for planning such a great event and to everyone who came out to say hello and tip a glass.  I know that without all your love, I couldn't be the Divo I am today.

*snaps fingers and flips hair back*

Truly,

R.M.B.

Fayshell Fajardo and my amazing photographer for the night, Eddie Ellis:

 

Mikeya Summerville & Rodney Fox:

 Marco Foster, Fayshell Fajardo & Ryan M. Beshel:

 | ..special thanks to Eddie Ellis for the stunning images.. |

Other fine Divo's of the night included:

Anderson Bell - CEO and Founder of FanFueled Tickets

Steve Starr - Owner of Steve Starr Studios

Philip Jones - CEO/Co-Founder of Serious-Gourmet.com

Brian Burt - Founder/CEO - WebRev Marketing, President - Rock Star Auto Glass. Senior VP - The Burt Collection

Jeff Pieta - CEO of AIS, Inc. and Chicago Magazine Single 2009

Tyler Curtis - Creative Partner at Darkroom Demons

Lenox Magee - Editor-in-Chief of 360 Magazine, Blogger of "Lenox and the Second City" on ChicagoNow.com (owned by the Chicago Tribune Media Group), RedEye Freelance Writer

Ryan M. Beshel - Director of Runway at Agency Galatea and editor-in-chief of "The Bowtie Memoirs"

Benjamin Cottrell - Design Principal/Owner of Benjamin Cottrell Designs

Scott Newman - Owner/Broker at Newman Realty

Corey Sanford - Owner at Music Masters Entertainment

Rex Archambault - President of Windy City Marketing, Inc, Motiv8 and 3oclockclub.com

Mark Biery - Founder and Director at LTS Chicago (Live to Support Chicago)

Drew Dallas Deardorff - District Manager at Goorin Bros.

Nick Hansen - Owner of Nicholas Joseph Custom Suits

Jason F.C. Laws - Founder of Mister Laws - Creative Director, Commercial Choreographer and Movement Coach

Roderic Montrece - Publsher & Editor-in-Chief at Zeus

Travis Maciel - Director of Foundation Room at House of Blues

Tariq Khwaja -Managing Partner at American Nationwide Mortgage Company, Manager/Lead Guitar Player for the Chicago Rock Group: MUNROE and Owner - 5 Star Performances

DecadesTwo.1 Pop-Up Shop at The Ritz Carlton - Opening Night

Tuesday, October 19, 2010:

Tuesday was quite a busy evening for events...  Once the last look sauntered down the runway at Millennium Park (CFI Past & Present Designers Show) - Todd, Marie and I quietly made our way to Randolph Street to catch a cab and head to the next event.  We arrived a few minutes later at the doors of the beautiful Ritz Carlton, got out of our cab and got checked in to head up to the DecadesTwo.1 Pop-Up Shop.  Before we hit the elevators, Barbara Glass (who had just come down) greeted us in the lobby and raved about the clothing we were about to see.  She looked amazing, as always, and I was so happy to be able to have a quiet moment to say hello to her.  Once in the elevator, we couldn't resist taking a photo in the glass as we made our way up:

Todd Starr Smith, Marie P. Anderson & Ryan M. Beshel

Once we reached our floor, we exited the elevator and made our way into a beautiful suite - dripping with racks of Dior, Chanel and many other fine designer goods as stunning as the room we were standing in.  We had a chance to speak with Jesse Garza, co-writer (with Joe Lupo - also in attendance) of 'Work It' - a book that has gives women advice on what to wear to work.  In the book, "Jesse Garza and Joe Lupo, stylists to the stars, reveal their tried and true secrets to looking professional and chic. With questionnaires, hundreds of photos, color swatches, and before-and-after shots, they make it easy for any woman to determine her specific 'worksonality.' Then they tackle the tricky questions: How much skin is too much skin? Is what I'm wearing to work preventing me from getting the position that I want and deserve? Are shorts ever acceptable in the office? (Spoiler alert: they're not.)"  The authors signed copies of their book and talked with the exclusive attendees about the lessons inside.

 

Jesse and Joe - along with two of my favorite women, Lynn McMahan and Amanda Puck - welcomed DecadesTwo.1 and HauteLook as they stopped in Chicago for their recent consignment pop-up shop tour.  All of the beautiful clothing was offered at greatly reduced prices and the suite was buzzing with women trying on furs and trying out handbags while the gentlemen relaxed and sipped wine.  I got my hands on a glass and tried my best to keep my excitement to a minimum.  (What?  You'd be excited to see 30 Chanel blazers, too.)  Once we said hello to everyone and had a good look, it was time to shuffle on to the next event.  Like I said - it was quite a busy Tuesday...

Truly,

R.M.B.

 The boss and I...  :)

 The stunning suite...

The Mayor's Fashion Council of Chicago Presents: The Fashion Focus Kick-Off Event at 'The W'

Monday, October 18, 2010:

After a long Monday at the Agency Galatea office, it was time to begin the madness:  a week-long celebration of the fashion that our fine city has to offer.  To kick-off Fashion Focus, now in it's sixth year - the Mayor's Fashion Council of Chicago held a swanky soiree at the W Chicago - Lakeshore, located on the 33rd floor in the Altitude Room.  The view was brilliant - boasting cityscape views on the west side of the circular space, and offering a spectacular look at Lake Michigan from the east.  I arrived early with my fabulous boss, Marie P. Anderson and we took in the scenes and the fashions that were displayed around the room.  The party began to quickly fill up with the 'top dogs' of fashion and industry in attendance to begin the celebration.  Many faculty from my alma mater, the Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago, had attended the event as well and it was so good to catch up with Michael Johnson, Jill Hinrichs and Karen Janko.

Justin Meister, Chicago Fashion Incubator 2010 Designer-In-Residence 

Miriam Cecilia Carlson of Miriam Cecilia, Ryan M. Beshel and Marie P. Anderson:

 DJ Matt Roan:

Photography by Patrick Pyszka, City of Chicago

As we sipped our 'fashion-tinis', we were treated to a stellar set of tracks spun by none other than DJ Matt Roan - one of Chicago's best DJ's (and quite the snappy dresser, if I do say.)  I scanned the room and was overwhelmed with the amount of people I wanted to talk to - it was as if all my industry buds were in one place - yet so little time!  I was so glad to run into James Goeke - sporting a killer emerald green leather coat - and his friend Royce Oliver, who looked dashing as well.  Around another corner I spotted the wonderful Tenisha Anderson - Queen of Qlix Magazine, and Jada Russell - Head Honcho for High Style Marketing.  Across the room I saw one of my mentors, Barbara Glass of InFashionChicago.com with Tracey Tarantino (Zzazz Productions) and Andrea Schwartz (External & Media Relations - Macy's North Division) - all looking lovely.  Before I slid out into the cool October evening, I got a chance to give Kiran Advani (Spokesperson for the Mayor's Fashion Initiative) and Borris Powell (Owner - Borris Powell Designs) a big hug.  (P.s.  Kiran should get a medal for all the work she has done to keep Chicago fashion moving forward - and for being so cute.)

Tracey Tarantino, Andrea Schwartz, and Barbara Glass:

 Royce Oliver, Jada Russell, and James Goeke:

 Photography by Patrick Pyszka, City of Chicago

After a few more goodbyes (and am impromptu chat with adorable freelance writer, Molly Each), I hopped the elevator back down to the city streets, excited for the week ahead.  After all, there were six more events in front of me and thirty two more hours in the office to tackle...

Fashion Focus was off to a strong start.

Truly,

R.M.B.

  Kiran Advani, Ryan M. Beshel, and Chicago Designer Borris Powell:

Joey Grant (Publisher - Mint Male Magazine), 

Josh Shores (Director of Fashion - Mint Male Magazine), and Justin Meister:

Photography by Patrick Pyszka, City of Chicago

The Bowtie is Back!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010:
Hello again to you all! First, let me apologize for neglecting you and my beloved Bowtie Memoirs for so long. Things have been quite busy in my world, which is why I'd like to take a minute today and fill you in on all the happenings this past month or so. As you may know, I have been on the job search since I completed college in December. This journey has kept me quite busy and blogging, as well as attending events, had unfortunately taken a back seat during this process.

In April, I took a great internship at The 900 Shops to gain experience in marketing and broaden my skills. I worked under the amazing Sarah Burrows, Marketing Manager, assisting her in daily tasks and promotions, as well as handling the social media for The Shops. I worked the internship until the end of May, when a great opportunity came my way...

My dear friend and mentor, Julie Darling, passed along a job lead to me just before I left my internship. The position was to assist the Fashion & Beauty Director, Marie P. Anderson, at a modeling agency called Agency Galatea. I met with Marie, Alexis McGraw (Marie's assistant/fashion booker) and Katherine Tenerowicz (the Director of G&J Models), and knew right away that I could fit right in. A few days later (and some relevant negotiations), I got 'the call' and was offered the position!

I now officially work for Marie P. Anderson, an International Model Agent and Scout, former fashion model, modeling industry expert, public speaker and educator with over 30 years of professional experience - (not to mention, she discovered THE Cindy Crawford). In my new position, I assist in the daily management of models, their marketing materials such as comps/portfolios, help coordinate photo shoots and runway shows, and procure print work for any given talent. I also manage the website updates and online portfolios, while working to establish a strong presence for the brand using social media. My focus for the future is to assist in increasing business and to grow with the company as they forge ahead.

To get you up to speed: Agency Galatea is a division of Grossman & Jack Talent, an agency that has represented actors and voice-over talent in Chicago for many years now. Katherine Tenerowicz, whom I mentioned above, runs G&J Models, a division that represents commercial and lifestyle models. These three entities all work together, as well as individually, all under one roof. Needless to say, there is never a lack of creativity and controlled chaos in the office - which is perfect for me! I already feel right at home with the team and can't wait to learn more about the industry as I move forward with the agency. The office is moving to a new location in July, which will make for an exciting new beginning for the entire team.

So, my friends - that is what I have been up to all this time! Moving forward, I already have collected some photos for some great posts coming up. Also, keep an eye out for a fantastic feature and photoshoot on me and my blog, which will be posted on the Chicago style site, Style Admirer. Many thanks to Meghan Turner, the editor-in-chief of Style Admirer, who reached out to me to be included. It's truly an honor. I hope all is well with you, my friends and readers. Looks like summer in the city has begun - and it's looking to be the perfect time for new beginnings!

Thank you for reading, and keep an eye out for more very soon!
(I promise.)

Truly and gratefully,

R.M.B.