Obsessions of the Bowtie: Have Links, Will Travel

Friday, February 5, 2010:
I recently received an email update from my Urban Daddy account telling me about a really great service that I had to pass on to all you Chicago gentlemen! (If you don't get Urban Daddy updates in your inbox, you are missing out. They are constantly keeping me up to date on hot Chicago happenings, great deals, store openings, new restaurants and more.) The service I'm currently obsessed with is called "Have Links, Will Travel" and is one of the first of its kind that I have ever heard of.

Brought to you by the lovely Tracey Mayer, this service brings cufflinks right to your office so you're always prepared to look sharp, even if you're a busy boy like me. Tracey puts it perfectly: "For months, many of you have been telling me you love wearing my cufflinks but do not have the time to shop for them. It is all you can do to find the time to get measured for your custom shirts and suits; forget the accessories. As a result, I have created "Have Links, Will Travel", a mobile cufflinks studio that makes office calls. This personalized service is now available in Chicago and will launch in New York in April, 2010. When available, I will personally show you over 70 samples of my cufflink designs and assist you in selecting the ones that best exemplify your personal style and attitude toward life." Now, that's service!

Tracey Mayer is the creator of these truly one-of-a-kind cufflinks, as well as many other fantastic pieces of jewelry for men and women. I've already got my hands on a pair of links called the "Karma Cufflinks" which include citrine bullet end stones (and they are very, very cool). Her jewelry is, quite simply, like no other. "Each piece is patiently handcrafted by artisans at the peak of their art using cutting-edge techniques hand in hand with the noblest traditions. The end result is the fusion of nature’s most exceptional rocks, including black diamond, ruby, emerald, pink sapphire and black spinel, with 950 silver, which is slightly more pure than sterling, all created in an environment where human value is a priority."

My new cufflinks!

Leave it to a gorgeous female to know what a man needs and what a woman wants to wear! In addition to being a true artist, Tracey is also a member of Mayor Daley’s Fashion Advisory Council and an active volunteer with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In a nutshell: This is a woman who knows what she wants, forges her own creative path, and follows her dreams...and that, my friends, is today's true "Obsession of the Bowtie."

-R.M.B.

**To get your hands on a pair of cufflinks or to have a look at her entire collection of fine jewelry for men and women, please visit www.traceymayer.com ...To learn more about the "Have Links, Will Travel" program, simply click HERE and tell her Ryan from "The Bowtie Memoirs" sent you!**

The beautiful and talented, Tracey Mayer:

Tracey Mayer Inc.
T 847.217.6647
F 847.394.8040

Wholesale inquiries:
Yvonne Guest Showroom
12 W. 57th Street NYC
212.586.1186
yguest@verizon.net

Click here to join mailing list

Tracey Mayer Jewelry is also sold in Chicago at:
koros
1039 West Lake Street

Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 738-0155
‎
Have a look at more of my favorite designs
from Tracey Mayer below:

Women's Pieces:
Men's Pieces:

The Goorin Bros. Hat Shop Grand Opening Event

Saturday, January 30, 2010:
Chicago's Bucktown welcomed the Goorin Bros. Hat Shop to 1533 North Milwaukee Avenue at its Grand Opening this Saturday. The event was a success, boasting a full house of stylish party-goers sipping on complimentary cocktails, listening to the sounds of the three-piece band, all while perusing over the eclectic selection of hats and headware. I attended the Grand Opening to show my support for friend and Store Manager of the Goorin Shop, Mr. Drew Dallas Deardorff. It was such a treat to see him (and his big smile) as he bopped around the room to welcome the guests that came out to show their love for this new Chicago boutique.

R.M.B. & Goorin Bros. Store Manager, Drew Dallas Deardorff:

The store is truly a work of art, with stylish touches that, at first glance, can easily be missed. The eccentric details are everywhere, though these subtle hints of visual charm only seem noticeable after taking time for a closer look. Goorin-branded hat boxes line the top of the tall, rich wooden shelves and playful displays of unexpected old finds seem to whisper to you stories of a time long ago. A Goorin Bros. design truly represents many generations of hat-making perfection, with quality that is well worth the money. The Goorin Brothers story began "on cobblestone streets of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania when founder Cassel Goorin sold his first hat off a horse cart in 1895." From then until now, a rich heritage of hat-making has followed and the Goorin history continues today on Chicago's Milwaukee Avenue.

The opening of this new Bucktown location, puts the number of shops at only eight across the country. Today, the brand lives on as Cassel's great-grandson, Ben Goorin now leads the Goorin Bros. Hat Shop with an eye to the future. Special thanks to my friend Drew Dallas Deardorff for inviting us to experience the old world ambiance of this fantastic new Chicago shop. This is a boutique not to be missed on your stroll down Milwaukee. Be sure to stop in and say hello to Drew while you take in the rich history and visual delight that the store has to offer. After all, while you'll definitely leave Goorin Bros. with a fantastic hat, you might also leave with a great story...

Such a great night, such a beautiful store...

Truly,

R.M.B.

GOORIN BROS. HAT SHOP:

Hours:
Mon-Sat: 11am - 7pm
Sundays: 12pm - 6pm

Address:
1533 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago , IL
60622

Phone:
773-384-4287

Drew Dallas Deardorff:

Maureen Refvem (Chicago Men's Style Examiner, Examiner.com) & Paige Peterson (Stylist, The HAUTE Spot)...below:

R.M.B. & Paige Peterson (Stylist, The HAUTE Spot)...below:

Maureen Refvem (Chicago Men's Style Examiner, Examiner.com) & R.M.B.:

Alexi Polomarkakis & Jessica Ozer: Goorin Employees (below):

It's not a party until the Cotton Candy guy shows up!

A view from the outside in...Goorin Bros. Hat Shop:

Macello Re-Opening Event

Thursday, January 28, 2010:
On a frigid evening in January, Macello--the Chicago gem and Warehouse District favorite, re-opened its doors to a fabulous crowd of attendees. In my new position as Chief Wordsmith and Assistant to Julie Darling of Julie Darling (Darling Creative, Inc.), I had the opportunity to focus my efforts on my first PR event as part of the team. The work began weeks before as I had the honor of drafting a press release and invitation for the re-opening of Macello (which was closed earlier this year due to fire). Following the final edits and approval of said documents, I went to work pitching the information to local Chicago newspapers, magazines, and online publications.

| Macello Ristorante | 1235 West Lake Street | Chicago, Illinois |
(312) 850-9870
(3 photos below by Ryan M. Beshel)

The result? An evening of fine food and wine from the Italian region of Puglia, all brought tastefully to life by head chef Giovanni DeNigris. The event began at 7p.m. as notable guests from many Chicago publications, as well as friends and family of Macello, joined us from all over the city to celebrate the re-birth of this stellar Chicago spot. I greeted guests as they arrived and directed them to the appropriate areas while helping to make sure that everything was running smoothly.

Ryan M. Beshel, Julie Darling & Ashley Fidler: Team JD! (below)
(Photo by Chuan D. Vo (Owner and Photographer, Vofotos Photography
Blogger, ChicagoNow Blogs: Shots in the Dark...see the full spread from Macello HERE.)

It truly was a fantastic night with so many great attendees including many new friends, and even some of my "usual suspects". Notable guests included Kevin Aeh (Editor, Time Out Chicago), Danny Miller (Store Director, DNA 2050: Chicago), Quenten Schumacher (Senior Meeting Planner, Sg2), Bella Ventresca (Freelance Model), Ryan Erklin (Senior Network Administrator, TURNkey IT), Chuan D. Vo (Owner and Photographer, Vofotos Photography/Blogger, ChicagoNow Blogs: Shots in the Dark), and Ashley Fidler (Account Executive, Ro-Bro Marketing & Public Relations), among many other talented industry professionals. The event was a success, as more than 250 people showed up (I think we lost count after that) to support Macello and get an authentic taste of Puglia. The dining room was packed and Julie, Ashley and I couldn't have been happier to have so many outstanding individuals join us for such a wonderful evening...

What a crowd!
(Photo by Chuan D. Vo (Owner and Photographer, Vofotos Photography
Blogger, ChicagoNow Blogs: Shots in the Dark...see the full spread from Macello HERE.)

Please follow along as I continue to highlight some of Julie Darling's fabulous Chicago clients that I have the honor of representing with her as part of Team JD! Look out for a post on Chicago's hottest new boutique to buy a killer pair of denim, DNA 2050, as well as a story on an emerging Chicago designer who has just hit the fashion scene. Thank you all for the support as I continue my journey in my favorite city--the best city in the world...Chicago.

Truly,

R.M.B.

p.s. Special thanks goes out to the team at Macello who busted their butts to make this evening come to fruition, especially the lovely Angie Padula. Your hard work paid off! Ottimo lavoro, Ang!

Ryan M. Beshel (below)
(Photo by Chuan D. Vo (Owner and Photographer, Vofotos Photography
Blogger, ChicagoNow Blogs: Shots in the Dark...see the full spread from Macello HERE.)

Macello Grand Re-Opening Invitation

(By Ryan M. Beshel)

Head chef Giovanni DeNigris & Angie Padula
(Photo by Chuan D. Vo (Owner and Photographer, Vofotos Photography
Blogger, ChicagoNow Blogs: Shots in the Dark...see the full spread from Macello HERE.)
Danny Miller (DNA 2050) & Ashley Fidler
(Photo by Chuan D. Vo (Owner and Photographer, Vofotos Photography
Blogger, ChicagoNow Blogs: Shots in the Dark...see the full spread from Macello HERE.)

Pre-Party: Macello
(Photo by Ryan M. Beshel)

Macello

(Photo by Ryan M. Beshel)

Pre-Party: Macello

(Photo by Ryan M. Beshel)

Pre-Party: Macello

(Photo by Ryan M. Beshel)

Heather Newman, Katie Gallagher, & Ali Helfand

(Photo by Chuan D. Vo (Owner and Photographer, Vofotos Photography
Blogger, ChicagoNow Blogs: Shots in the Dark...see the full spread from Macello HERE.)

Buon Appetito!

(Photo by Ryan M. Beshel)

Kraken Rum Launch Party Premiere at The Shedd Aquarium

Above Photo: Ryan M. Beshel
...CLICK ON ALL PHOTOS BELOW FOR FULL SIZE...

Thursday, January 21, 2010:
Platinum Events produced an outstanding event to launch Kraken Rum, the newest black spiced rum to hit the Chicago market. Search lights shot beams of white into the sky, as we followed their lead to the sprawling steps of the Shedd Aquarium. Once inside, I said hello to friend and CEO of Platinum Events, Justin Jacobson. (Justin is the kind of guy that makes you feel like the only person at the party--and to give you an idea: there were about 600 people in the room and over 1500 showed up throughout the course of the evening.) We walked the red carpet, grabbed a shot of Kraken from the waiting server, and passed by a gentleman dressed in a diver costume. (I later talked with "Scuba Steve" and he told me it was really hot inside that costume, but he was happy to have the ladies all over him.)


Photos: 1. Kraken Rum Bottle (courtesy of Tyler Curtis: DarkroomDemons.com) 2. Shedd Aquarium (courtesy of Tyler Curtis: DarkroomDemons.com) 3. "Scuba Steve" w/Justin Jacobson and the ladies (Photo from: ChicagoNow: Shots in the Dark)

The Kraken Rum logo was projected in white on the massive wall above us. The branding of the bottle, the label, and the event was dead-on. I took a walk by myself to get a real sense of the party and what the crowd was like. Of course, I grabbed a drink (to cool off my stomach, which was instantly warmed by the earlier shot as we entered the event) and began my people-watching. The early crowd was an older, dressed in suits, ladies on arm kind of scene. I certainly stuck out like a sore thumb with my bowtie and short sleeves (though, I hardly minded). The Shedd Aquarium's tanks on the main floor were open for all of us to peruse and I joined my friends to do just that. While drinking our Kraken Rum, we watched an array of sharks, sting rays, and fish (bigger than your car) swim around the massive tank--such a great experience. I remember thinking, "What could be better than this?"


Photos: Ryan M. Beshel

In emails prior to the event, Justin had had told me about the 7-foot wall that was going to be set-up in the space with the Kraken logo gleaming through a steady stream of white fog. A fog wall?! I couldn't believe how fantastic that was (nor could I have guessed what it actually would have looked like before I saw it.) DJ Slym kept us moving all night and when the Platinum Dancers showed up to do a few back-flips and get the crowd going, we all knew we had experienced something special.


Photos: 1. The DJ's: (Photo courtesy of Tyler Curtis: DarkroomDemons.com) 2. The Platinum Dancers (Photo courtesy of Tyler Curtis: DarkroomDemons.com) 3. The Kraken Fog Wall (Photo by Ryan M. Beshel)

As the night rolled on, the crowd became younger and younger. Chicago's hippest, most-connected industry individuals joined the scene and the party was in full swing. Notables included Cameron Croft, Amanda Puck, Ginger Zee, and a few up and coming fashion industry icons, aka: The Electric Eels, Freaks, CKC, etc. I'd like to send a special "thank you" to my gorgeous friend, Kelli Zink, who was so sweet and took a few minutes to chat it up with me (and compliment my outfit, which I clearly did not mind;) Being in the entertainment business with so many egos can often rub-off on you, but I'm convinced Kelli will always be personable, humble, and sweet as can be--even though she is as fabulous as she is. (So, thanks KZ, you looked stunning as well...)


Photos: 1. Joan Kittredge, Justin Jacobson, and Ryan M. Beshel (Photo from: ChicagoNow: Shots in the Dark) 2. Kraken Logo and event crowd (Photo By: Ryan M. Beshel) 3. Omar Diaz, Chad Green, and Noelle Moreno (courtesy of Tyler Curtis: DarkroomDemons.com)

Around 11:30p.m., my guests and I were ready to venture off to explore the rest of our Chicago evening. As we reached the Shedd Aquarium parkway, Callie (the fabulous) jokingly hailed us a cab--which was actually a limo. We all caught up with her only to find out that she had secured us a ride home in said limo for $5 a person! We immediately agreed to take the deal and within seconds, we were cruising down Michigan Avenue towards our next destination. (What a perfect way to leave such a fabulous event!)

We stopped at Paige's house before heading off to the Cobra Lounge to finish the night with a PBR in hand and the sounds of James Brown tribute band, Get Up With The Get Downs. (Nothing is better than a cheap beer and some ass-shaking after a swanky party.) Once the band had played their last funky cover, I hopped in a cab back to my beloved Pilsen...


Photos: Ryan M. Beshel

Thank you to Justin Jacobson for out-doing yourself once again!....Kelli Zink, we are dating now, like it or not!.....Thank you, Neo--our limo driver!.....Callie, Paige, Tony, Omar, Noelle, Chad, Heather, Joan, and Maureen: you were clearly the hottest and most fabulous bunch prancing around the Shedd last Thursday!

...and to all of you: Thanks for reading and be sure to check back soon for more!

Still swooning from such a great event,

R.M.B.

Ryan M. Beshel (below) Photo: Courtesy of Tyler Curtis: DarkroomDemons.com

Search lights outside of the Shedd Aquarium. Photo: Ryan M. Beshel

The Kraken bus! Photo: Ryan M. Beshel

The corridor aquarium. Photo: Ryan M. Beshel

Best city in the world, Chicago! Photo: Ryan M. Beshel

Heather & Callie in the limo on Michgian Ave. Photo: Ryan M. Beshel