On May 13th 400 of Chicago’s Fashion Elite gathered to the Harold Washington Library Winter Garden for a civilized luncheon and the Fashion Columbia 2009 show from the students at Chicago’s Columbia College.

Fashion Columbia is a juried show that allows the senior collections of 13 students to present to a room of retailers and the top fashion fans in the city.  The chosen are selected by a group of leading fashion industry professionals and the entire event benefits the Nena Ivon Scholarship Fund for fashion design and fashion retail management.

Like a throw back to the café at State Street’s Marshall Fields, or Bonwit Tellers on a Thursday afternoon trunk show, the stage was naturally lit and the crowed glowed with anticipation.

Students who participated include:
Madison Moroni
Anna Brown
Kaelyn Garcia
Boyeon Kim
Kelly Winter
Tara Reich
Amy Fenderson
Quinntella Rodriguez
Sara Perez
Bethany Kelly
Marie Stenger
Shareen Chehade
Reginald Valdezco

Nolcha’s picks were instinctual and simple.  After looking at countless runway shows across the globe we have come to a realization that few new or emerging designers know how to make show-stopping gown.

And with the first piece from the first designer, Madison Moroni, came a coyote fur gown with leather and duchess satin bodice and hand beaded crinoline.  If this piece had the 11 couturier hands of Parisian Ateliers, we would not be able to tell it was a student piece.

The show went on and finally Shareen Chehade’s collection hit the stage.  Reminiscent of a traditional “hunt gown” in England her Black silk shantung gown with ruched skirt and black and grey plaid corset was beautiful in a Ralph Lauren/Westwood sort of way.

And finally not even close to the gown situation, Sara Perez unveiled a cool group of matte jersey pieces with hand rolled cording that was a cool trend seen at Melbourne Fashion Week with one of the main award winners – Romance was Born.  I think this specific trend will be here for a while, so we congratulate on recognizing it before it becomes mainstream.