Candid Candace

MICHAEL KORS ROCKS 900 SHOPS WITH OPENING PARTIES!

2009-11-10T08:27:27-06:00

The Magnificent Mile turned into the “Magnificent Michael Kors Mile” recently for the VIP opening party and fashion show at The 900 Shops. The by-invitation only VIP party began at 6:30 p.m. and, by party standards, it was a pretty intimate affair. About 75 guests mixed and mingled with Michael (a real charmer!) and gorgeous store manager, Tory Beneke, who was beaming. Michael is my favorite designer: His clothes are not trendy but very chic and timeless. Some of the guests were even wearing 10-year-old Kors and you would have never known. The store itself is gorgeous and modern with white leather furniture and beautiful fur throws thrown casually over the sofas (Michael said he patterned it after his own apartment). At 7:30 p.m., the hosts – who included Linda Johnson Rice, Amanda Puck, Toni Canada, Julie Lampert and moi – and Michael took photos on the red carpet prior to being seated for the runway show. I was so excited to be included and even though we were all co-hosts, Amanda Puck and her crack team from Experiential did all of the heavy lifting to put the event together in very grand style! The crowd of about 250 was very excited for the fashion show and party segment. Finally, everyone was seated and the music began – it made me want to go immediately to a club and dance...lots of Lady Gaga. And then the models came out clad in gorgeous spring dresses in dreamy sherbet shades with zippers and plastic cut-outs accessorized with clear Lucite jewelry that captured the light and made you feel like you were in South Beach. The heels were strappy and high, some with gold accents and some classic with black and carmel. Information on the Lucite seats described the collection as “urbane renewal…sleek architectural shapes….the counterbalance of crisp and soft….slashed openings and translucency reveal the body….asymmetry and sharp angles….luminous Lucite and silver accents, architectural clutch…sculptural sandals, pumps and oxfords….the rites of spring.” The men's clothes were interesting but I couldn't think of any male friends who could wear them. Lots of sleeveless jackets that you needed big guns to carry off with any effect. Click here to view more photos!

Overall, the show included so many wearable and chic looks that the women at the intimate brunch the following morning with Michael were literally throwing their credit cards at darling sales manager, Gregg Zgonena. The brunch was hosted by Whitney Lasky and included 34 of the city’s most sociable women. They included Michaela Parillo, Dusty Stemer, Lynn McMahan, Robin Berger, Rebecca Besser, Noren Ungaretti, Toni Canada, Mary Lasky, Melissa Babcock, Sophie Bross, Marsha Brenner, Gale Gottlieb, Sherren Leigh, Vonita Reescer, Sherrill Bodine, Sarah Stratton, Amy Koch, Shauna Montgomery, Shelley Farley, Natacha Isaacs, Mary Kay DeMaio, Mary Ann Murphy (who flew in from LA for the occasion), Sheryle Bellick, Marty Higgins, Micah Materre, Jennifer Oppenheimer, Kristina McGrath and Dori Wilson. The brunch, catered to perfection by Rachel Schwanz and The Entertaining Company, consisted of yogurt with granola, lavender honey and fresh berries served inside a golden eggshell, lemon ricotta pancakes, cranberry currant scones, chocolate filled croissants (baked onsite), smoked salmon with dill crème fraiche and caviar. After brunch, the resort line was shown. This collection included dramatic patterns, one-shouldered flowing gowns that you could wear to a black tie party or to the beach as well as oversized hammered gold necklaces and Nefertiti style bracelets. Michael offered three different dress lengths and said the length you choose depends on whether or not you like your legs and also your heel height. He demonstrated how you could change the look completely with the addition of a wide gold belt or a slim black belt as well as throwing a shrug over a cocktail dress and instantly making it daytime chic. I wanted to buy everything I saw but settled for some of the beautiful oversized gold jewelry and his latest version of the little black dress which I wore the night before for the opening. Guests at the evening event included Gale Gottlieb, Gretchen Jordan, Sugar Rautbord, Chaz Ebert, Shauna Montgomery, Helen Melchior, Nicole Jacob, Cindy Burns, Judge Mary Pat Burns, Greg Hyder, Jim Smith, Christopher Conway, Coco Meers, Barbara Kipper, Paul Iacono, John Regas, Astra Gamsjaeger, Corinne Melchior, Margaret O'Connor, Jan Melk, Noren Ungaretti, Michaela Parillo, Rebecca Besser, Sharyl Mackey, Lynn McMahan, Dusty Stemer, Sophie Bross, Jannie and Elliot Pearlman, Ricardo Santiago, Trevian Kutti, Rochelle Smith with Chef Charlie Trotter, Connie and Katherine Saville, George Fuller, Gwen Callans, Dawn Mattozzi, Rhonda Sanderson, Samantha Amato, Amalie Drury, Graham Kostic, Mary Kay DeMaio, Mary Ann Murphy, Andrea Schwartz, Melissa and Rich Gamble, John Walcher, Tina and Jeff Weller, Scott Bobek, Peggy Martay, Dorothy Whealan, Shia Kapos, Laura Barnett, Dennis Minkle, Lyndsie Jackson, Lynne Bredfeldt, Maureen Lampert and David Lampert among others. Welcome to Chicago, Michael Kors…we are thrilled you’re finally here!!!!! (Additional photos by Caitlin Saville and Rush Zimmerman.) Click here for more images!

Shaun Rajah is breathing new life into the Drake Hotel’s Palm Court. He is a one-man marketing team and he has so many ideas I can’t imagine when he ever sleeps. For one particular event, I was lucky enough to participate. Shaun organized a special afternoon tea and fashion show that celebrated women age 50 and above from all different walks of life called “50 & Beautiful.” The event honored Breast Cancer Awareness Month and proceeds benefitted the Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Featured fashions included Mira of Mira Couture, Elizabeth M., Quinton de' Alexander, Lily of Trieste, Joy Scott Milliner with jewelry by Sophia Forero. It was a fun day and it was nice seeing fellow models Sheryl Dyer, Dorothy Whealan, Cookie Cohen, Juell Kadet, Michelle Sutton Yeadon, Marlene Laport, Joan Sosano and Jolanta Reuge. Also on display this day was the photography by breast cancer crusader, Maude Metcalfe. The Palm Court began serving afternoon tea during 1982 and has served dignitaries such as the late Princess Diana and Hilary Clinton. In 1958, Queen Elizabeth had tea at the Drake as well as the Empress of Japan in 1970. Shaun is continuing this tradition and adding his own special touches too. “Catwalk Fridays” have been held every Friday during the spring, summer and fall and introduces new designers as well as more established ones from our area. “Palm Court Holiday Happenings” start November 27th and runs through January 3rd. There will be live entertainment with holiday carolers as well as their legendary tea service. Huge congrats to my friend Shaun Rajah for all of his hard work and great ideas! For more info and to book a reservation, please call Shaun at 312-371-0231. (Additional pics by Steve Starr.) View more photos here!

For the first time in its 53-year history, The Joffrey Ballet offered one-of-a-kind costumes to the public during its “Costume Vault Sale” earlier this month. More than 200 men’s and women’s costumes were sold with prices beginning at $25. Executive Director Christopher Clinton Conway said, “My favorite was a royal blue jacket circa 1920 that was one of two pieces owned by the company from a production of a ballet by Russian choreographer Leonide Massine. It had these beautifully decorative closures and would cost between $8,000 and $9,000 to have that jacket made today.” It was priced at $100! Many of the elaborate costumes also had the dancer’s names stitched into them for a personal connection. Buyers at the event reminded me of the Filene Basement’s wedding dress sale. The beautiful pieces flew off the racks and believe me, buyers all got great deals. I saw some of the garlanded headpieces and I wished I had arrived earlier….they were all gone by the time I got there. Some lucky little girls will be getting wonderful Christmas presents from the Joffrey Ballet! The event was, obviously, a big success with almost 580 shoppers during the two day event and raised $27,300 for the Joffrey Ballet! Congrats to co-chairs Corinne Melchior, Gretchen Klotz and Nico Rodriguez for the wonderful job they did for their first event for the newly formed Joffrey Circle Associates Board. Don’t miss the next Joffrey performance, “The Nutcracker,” beginning on December 12th.

Glamourcon 48 will be held in L.A. on November 14th and 15th at the Hilton LAX. Described as pinup and glamour at its finest, you may recall from past info, that it was also held in Chicago in August. For the LA convention, there will be the largest line-up of Playboy Playmates ever, 39 and counting. There will be eight Playmates of the Year including Patti Connors (1977), Karen Velez (1985), Kathy Shower (1986), India Allen (1988), Julie Cialini (1995), Brande Roderick (2001), Kara Monaco (2006) and Ida Ljungvist (2009). Playmates attending from the Golden Age of Playboy, the 70’s, include Julie Woodson (4/73), Patti McGuire (11/76), Sondra Theodore (7/77), Debra Jensen (1/78), Sylvie Garant (11/79) and moi (12/79). There will even be two Playmates from Playboy’s early days, Dolores DelMonte (3/54) and Arline Hunter (8/54). Irina Voronina and Penelope Jiminez just confirmed too. It will be great to see Hef and my fellow Playmate friends again! BTW, Hef Twittered recently that Holly Madison will have her own reality show set in Las Vegas called “Holly’s World,” which is due to air after “Girls Next Door.” For info on Glamourcon, go to www.glamourcon.com. Amy Koch gave me a great L.A. restaurant recommendation, Phillippe, which I can’t wait to try! Thanks, Amy! If YOU have a favorite, please e-mail me and let me know!)

The Chopping Block was the venue of choice for this year’s “Taste of TCW.” It was emceed by Steve Dolinsky of “The Hungry Hound” and organized to perfection by Managing Editor Cassandra Gaddo, Lauren Rafferty and Rebecca Michuda to benefit the TCW Foundation. There was a chef competition between Radhika Desai, Jennifer Gavin and Elaina Vasquez and Radhika was judged the winner by Carol Haddix (writer for the “Good Eating” section of the Chicago Tribune), Sarah Stegner of Prairie Grass Café and Ken Norgan. As part of her prize, Radhika will be featured in an upcoming issue of TCW. There was a great turnout and guests included Tiffani Kim and Brad Griffith, Victor Skrebneski, Susan Ellefson, Brooke Skinner (who will be featured in the upcoming Fabulous Singles article), Charlene Gorzela, Carrie Lannon, Joy Germont, Brenda Sexton, Dennis Minkel, Greg Hyder, Tsi-tsi-ki Felix, Andrew Hayes, Pat Borg, Dori Wilson, John and Christine Garcia, Sarah Levy, Rebecca Taras, Matt Lee, Millie and John Simon, Lindsay Hays, Laura Westgate and Adel Tarakdijian. For more photos, click here!

And now a personal note….my friend Jim Smith will be climbing all 103 floors of the Willis Tower on Sunday, November 15th in support of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. If you would like to donate to this worthy cause and his efforts on its behalf, please click here for more information. Congrats Jim and GOOD LUCK!

Congratulations are in order for Kate Gaynor on her wedding to Tim Dickey. They were married last month at the Fourth Presbyterian in a lovely ceremony. She announced the happy news at the Service Club of Chicago’s annual gala – La Bella Notte – Saturday night which was chaired to perfection by Kathy Crane and Cathy Smith. Congrats Kathy, Cathy and Kate-- you make a beautiful bride, girlfriend! :)

And speaking of congratulations, WGN’s own Micah Materre has officially assumed the 9 p.m. anchor spot as of November 5th! She was formerly the noon anchor and is also the host of “Chicago’s Very Own.” We are so happy for you Micah and we’ll be watching!! :)

Please don’t forget the Stepping Up in the City event on Thursday, November 13th at the Hotel Sax (333 N. Dearborn) from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. As I mentioned last week, this is a wonderful and much needed national mentoring program for women and girls. Come on Thursday to learn more about it. Tickets are $35 and for more info, click here.

I don’t normally like to use ads for my video closers but this one was just too creative to pass up! I hope you enjoy it because let’s face it, who doesn’t need a bit of whimsy in their lives? It also serves as a warning if you’re ever around Loch Ness!

That’s it for this week! Candid Candace will return on Tuesday, November 24th with lots of fun news and photos so stay tuned!

Love,
Candace :)
Candace@CandidCandace.com

CHICAGO MAGAZINE CHOOSES FIVE “MEN TO WATCH!”

2009-11-03T08:23:58-06:00

Chicago magazine could not have chosen five better men to feature in their upcoming “Men to Watch” article. Greg Hyder, Emmanuel Nony, Rick Gresh, Tom Kehoe and Luca Lanzetta are not only extremely good businessmen but they’re also gorgeous and, best of all, really NICE guys! Yeah!!! Finally, nice counts for something in this crazy world! I could not be happier for them AND for Chicago magazine under the new leadership of publisher Rich Gamble. Rich could also be one of the “Men to Watch” but then I guess this wouldn’t really look good since it IS his magazine but in any case, he is already breathing fresh life into a Chicago favorite and I wish him the very best! Back to the guys: David Yurman hosted a bash at 40 E. Oak to celebrate these “Men to Watch” and even a cold rainy night couldn’t keep the legions of friends and fans away from toasting these deserving guys. Champagne glasses tinkled, toasts were made and the gorgeous Yurman jewelry beckoned everyone. Store manager Laura Wallace had her hands full just trying to keep up with the demands behind the counter. Chicago’s fashion editor, Stacey Jones, snagged a magnificent “Hampton Blue” ring (sterling silver with diamonds) while Cindy Burns picked up a stunning “Confetti” ring. The only honoree missing was Tom Kehoe and, as you may know from the last installment of Candid Candace, he had a REALLY good excuse: Tom and his crew were busy decorating the White House for Halloween! I am so thrilled for him…he must’ve thought Christmas came early this year! His business, Kehoe Designs, has been around since 1996 and he has always been the go-to guy for event décor and design. It seems like everywhere you go, you are at a party or event where he has worked his magic. I once took a tour of his design space and I felt like Alice falling down the rabbit hole. He truly brings dreams to life as Michelle and Barack know by now. Our next “Man to Watch” is Emmanuel Nony. Born in Lille, France, Emmanuel is the owner of the River West restaurant, Sepia located at 123 N. Jefferson. Sepia is on everyone’s hot list and offers a product-driven seasonal menu by Chef Andrew Zimmerman in a rustic yet contemporary space. Emmanuel is an extremely dapper guy who says his clothing choices have been influenced by his nine years spent in Asia—at the Park Hyatt Tokyo to be exact (where “Lost in Translation” was filmed). He’s a gracious and charming selection for this feature. Rick Gresh, another restaurateur, is the executive chef at David Burke’s Primehouse. Rick has an impressive resume: He grew up in the Cleveland area earning an associate degree in culinary arts at the nationally renowned Culinary Institute of America. He landed an externship at the Waldorf-Astoria and, as executive chef of Green Dolphin Street, he was awarded a 3-star review from the Chicago Tribune. In 2001, Gresh was named a “Rising Star of American Cuisine” by the James Beard Foundation and in 2006 he was a USA finalist in the prestigious Bocuse D’Or competition. As you can see, yet another winning honoree! Greg Hyder has always been a “Man to Watch” in my opinion. Besides being a good friend, he is also the “King of Fun.” If Greg hasn’t been there, then you don’t want to go. He is an enthusiastic friend to so many and you can’t look at a charity host committee where his name doesn’t appear. And I don’t mean his name is just added and he doesn’t do any work….he works harder than anyone! He is a wonderful ambassador for the Peninsula Hotel as catering director where he brings his own unique brand of charm, grace and style. There isn’t a best dressed list that he hasn’t been on and deservedly so! Mark your calendars now for the May 21st Gift of Sight Gala where he will also be awarded the 2010 Man of Vision Award. I couldn’t be happier for him! And last but certainly not least, we have Luca Lanzetta and, at the risk of embarrassing him, he had the girls swooning for most of the evening. He’s a dashing man with an obvious flair for business. He has two showrooms in the Mart — Ernestomeda (specializing in modern, unique kitchen design) as well as Antoniolupi (specializing in modern European bathrooms). Born in Rome, his business holdings are international. He is an engineer by trade hence his strong design sensibilities which enhances his vision for his clients. He’s a very charming man and another very deserving honoree. Congrats to all and look for this upcoming issue of Chicago magazine to see more of these “Men to Watch!” Click here to view more photos.

If you didn’t see the fabulous documentary “The Heart of Hollywood: The Chicago Link” produced by our very own Brenda Sexton and Resolution Digital Studios this weekend then, sadly, you missed a great tribute to Chicago film talent. On September 21st in Santa Monica, there was a star-studded reunion of Chicago’s entertainment icons at La Grande Orange, a new restaurant owned by Chicagoans Rich Melman, his sons RJ and Jerrod and restaurateur Bob Lynn. Richard Roeper and Bill Zwecker were the red carpet hosts and also interviewed many from the Chicago film community including writers, directors, producers and actors for this film such as Harold Ramis, Chris O’Donnell, Joe Mantegna, Virginia Madsen, Tom Dreesen, Jeff Garlin, Bonnie Hunt, Effie Brown, Bob Teitel, Peter Jacobson, Ed Bernero, Gary Gray, Andrew Alexander, Steve Conrad, Steve Jones and Martha Lavey among others. Tom Dreesen, the emcee for both the LA event and the Chicago premiere, stated, “Chicagoans in LA are a very loyal crowd. There is nothing more fun than getting together and hanging out, eating real Chicago pizza in LA. And we naturally talk about our projects and figure out ways to bring that business back home. Recently, at the grand Elysian Hotel, there was a party to celebrate the premiere of this film. These two events successfully united two cities that are both steeped in rich cultural traditions and I congratulate the event sponsors AT&T, United Airlines, Columbia College and the Elysian for having the foresight to support such a wonderful endeavor. Guests attending included former Super Bowl Bear, Richard Dent, Elysian hosts Mary Beth Malone and David Pisor, Peg and Steve Lombardo, Bruce MacArthur, Billy Marovitz, Lee and Jeff Facklis, Jeff Jacobs, Marty and Jack Higgins, Maureen Schulman, Dick Portillo, Denis Healy, Mickey Norton, Trevian Kutti, Patrick Plante, Jocelyn Stoller, Gina Macchitelli, Julee White, Eitsa Bizios, Sarah Cooley, Michelle Carney, Meghan Roskopf, Amy Grundman, Susan Bloomquist, Nicolle Briscoe and Sean Eshagy. The host committee included Carrie Birkel, Christopher Conway, Senator Ken Dunkin, Chaz Ebert, Sonya Jackson, Sherren Leigh, Debbie Marchese, Lyn McKeaney, Helen Melchior, Rich, RJ and Jerrod Melman, Susanna Negovan, Steve Traxler, Julee White and Larry Wert among others. (Additional photos by Jennifer Girard.) For more photos, click here.

Steve Starr is one of my favorite photographers but he’s so much more than this. I have known Steve for 25 years since he had Steve Starr Studios on Clark Street. He had every manner of unique finds there but what I remember most were all of those exquisite vintage art deco frames holding photos of every major star from the Hollywood studio days. His book, “Picture Perfect—Art Deco Photo Frames 1926-1946” published by Rizzoli International Publications, showcased many of these rare frames and now he is coming out with another book! His latest venture, called “STARRLIGHT—Glamorous Latin Movie Stars of Early Hollywood,” will be published in 2010 and will include images of Rita Hayworth, Carmen Miranda, Dolores Del Rio and Lupe Velez among others. It seems he has photographed just about everybody who is anybody including Beyonce, Mickey Rooney, Dionne Warwick, Angie Dickinson, Carlos Zambrano, Jaslene Gonzalez, William Peterson, Geraldo Rivera, Chaz Palminterri, Jamie Foxx, Lynda Carter, Rita Moreno, Tony Curtis, Martin Landau, Debra Messing and Princess Yasmin Aga Kahn, to name a very few. Steve’s photography also appears in most of the publications around town and I’ve been lucky enough to use many of his pics in Candid Candace. He recently attended a Hollywood Collectibles convention and was kind enough to share some photos with me. Take a look at them now…I guess this just proves that we will all grow old, but some of us better than others! Thanks for the memories Steve! We will be looking forward to your new book! Check out SteveStarrStudios.com where you can visit the Starrlight Room, view a portion of Steve’s famous frame collection, read Starrlight stories and enjoy photos, letters and autographs he has received from his favorite luminaries over the years. :) (Photos by Steve Starr, obviously!) Click here for even more of Steve's fantastic photos.

Every fall my friend John Young hosts one of the most coveted parties around and this year he pulled out all stops. He hosted a party at his magnificent Brompton Gardens showcasing the fabulous Malbec wines of Cahors in the southwestern region of France. The history of Cahors winemaking goes back to the era of ancient Rome and was even served on the tables at the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitane to Henry II of England. The party always includes members of academia, city officials, Chicago’s social elite and friends and neighbors and since he is a garden designer/artist non pareil, everyone is anxious to attend. His many private and commercial projects win almost every coveted design award at the Mayor’s annual competition (Our garden won second place in the residential division under his masterful vision). Lucky guests in attendance included Kathleen Charles, John Robert Wiltgen, Alicia Loftis, David Dodson, Marina Kibardina, retired U.S. Army Brigadier General, Roy R. Moscato, VP of Rush University, Kathleen Andreoli, Steven Doi, Roy May, Joyce and Bruce Chelberg, Charles Vuono, Dr. Chris Henley, Debbie Galasi and Jeff Hoosin among others. Can’t wait until next year John to see how you will top this! (Additional photos by Ron Capek.) Click here for more photos.

I am so proud to congratulate my friend Judge Mary Patricia Burns! Just last week the Illinois State Senate confirmed her appointment to the Illinois Court of Claims. Her brother, renowned sports writer Martin Burns, commented, “Surely designer robes soon will become the rage on Benches all across our great land as our ‘wise Irishwoman’ begins her ascent up the judicial ladder. Look out, Sonia Sotomayor!” We are so lucky to have you for a Judge Mary Pat!!! There are so many friends achieving wonderful things! I also want to send out huge kudos to the Joffrey Executive Director Christopher Clinton Conway and Experiential Agency’s Amanda Puck for being chosen for Crain’s “40 Under 40” honors! Check out this web site for all of the honorees.

Speaking of fabulousness, designer Marcia Patmos - half of the design duo Lutz & Patmos - will be in town on November 19th for an exclusive trunk show co-hosted by Mary Jo Basler, Deirdre Huxhold and moi! Contact Deirdre at 312-375-4754 or at deirdrehux@hotmail.com for more info.

Under the heading of “Ridiculous or Sublime?” I offer up this piece of news: Recently, Hefner Twittered “Buy Crystal’s Boobies” Well naturally, being curious, I went to the web site posted and sure enough, she WAS selling her boobies! Hef’s girlfriend, Crystal Harris, teamed up with artist Randy Janson to raise money for the “Keep A Breast Foundation.” Their mission is to raise awareness among young teens and adults across the country about breast cancer prevention. The plaster cast of her upper torso is up for auction to raise funds. If you would like to bid on Crystal’s boobies, click here. I can’t believe I just wrote this….

That is it for this week’s Candid Candace! I hope you’ve enjoyed it and I will “talk” to you next week!

Love,

Candace :)

P.S. Don’t forget all of the great events surrounding Latino Fashion Week which runs through November 8th! Check it out here!

ANGELS AND BEARS AND BULLS, OH MY!

2009-10-27T06:27:00-05:00

Chicago has had lots of great store opening parties, but I can’t remember one being as well publicized and exciting as Victoria’s Secret grand opening. First of all, the ads alone would make any guy have a car accident upon seeing them for the first time—the tag line is “What’s sexy now, Chicago?” and includes a very sultry model in, what else, a Victoria’s Secret black lace bra and panties. And besides the ads, there are Lucite display cases all up and down Michigan Avenue with all manner of Angel wings which were worn in past Victoria’s Secret fashion shows inside. People can step up onto a little platform for a photo of themselves “wearing” the wings. Then there are instructions below where you can e-mail the pic and compete to be an Angel….oh yeah, I’m sure they will find a lot of Angels from this promotion but it is a very clever idea and as I walked along the street earlier in the day, it seemed EVERYONE was climbing up onto the little platform and then sheepishly asking passer-bys to snap a pic for them. It was very cute and I wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn’t only women doing this either! In any case, I was very much looking forward to the party which was, obviously, publicized to perfection by JKLS PR (Jill Katz and Lara Shipp). You could see the store at 734 N. Michigan Ave. from a mile away since it was lit up like a Roman candle! The pink carpet out front was jam packed with banks of photographers, many of them famous in their own right like Kelli Zink, Steve Starr, Melissa and Henrique Kerch (Factio Magazine) and Sally and Kerry Shorr with Miranda Wirth (Luxe Life Chicago). Even I had a Hollywood moment when I was asked to walk the pink carpet! It was a real thrill! Inside the party was less crowded than I expected but it was so refreshing. Most event organizers think the more the merrier but I don’t agree....madhouses are never good! The party was by invitation only and the invites were non-transferable. I know PR people usually try to snag some high-profile sports stars for their parties and, in this case, I don’t think they had to do much arm-twisting. Happily mingling with fans were Bears star linebacker Lance Briggs, Chicago Bulls Taj Gibson (there with his brother Floyd) and Derrick Rose, White Sox second baseman Chris Getz and former Bear Jerry Azumah. When the stars of the evening – VS Angels Miranda Kerr, Doutzen Kroes and Marisa Miller – made their entrances, the room came alive. Upon seeing how gorgeous they all were in person, a friend said, “Well, that throws my air-brushing theory right out the window!” The store itself is gorgeous too! The front room is glamorous, dark and dramatic with shocking pink touches while the second floor houses the Pink Collection in a 5,000-square-foot space which caters to the younger VS set. This Chicago location, besides having the largest swimwear collection, is also the only store in Illinois to carry it year-round. They have VIP fit rooms as well as a Body Match Scanner that utilizes white light technology to capture body images for a perfect bra fit! The days of ill-fitting bras seem to be coming to an end! There is also ongoing open casting events in NY, Miami, LA and Chicago to find the next Runway Angel to join the supermodels as they walk in the famous Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show to be broadcast Tuesday, December 1st (10:00 p.m. EST). Other lucky guests seen sipping Limelight Catering’s signature drink of the night – the Magnificent Mile Martini – were Jerry Kleiner, Marisa Molinaro, Steve Traxler, Lee Ellison, Rebecca and Charlie Besser, Richard Roeper, The Bachlorette’s Jillian Harris and Ed Swiderski, Trevian Kutti, Rich Foreside, Tonya Adamson, Billy Dec, Dan Uslen, Diane McGrath, Cat and Joe D’Orio, Kimberly Murray, Chris Norman, Chad and Adam Kramer, Brooks Rogalski, Elizavetta Efimova, Bracken Zimmerman, Jennifer Lane, Lou Canellis, Jessica Girdwain, Alec and Jeanette Ross, Paul Lee, Schae Lewis, Aeron Lancero, John Walcher, Jennifer Wirth, Sally and Kerry Shorr, Melissa and Henrique Kerch, Steve Starr and Kelli Zink. (Additional pics by Steve Starr and Luxe Life Chicago.) Click here to view more photos!

On this same evening, the street was alive with parties! Prior to the VS party, Tod’s at 121 E. Oak St. hosted an event introducing their new limited-edition book, Italian Touch, celebrating the Italian lifestyle. And, of course, their darling CEO, Marco Giacometti, was on hand to meet and greet the happy guests. Hosts for the evening included Laura and Matthew Anderson, Astra and Tom Gamsjaeger, Kerrie and Kevin Mudd, and Kate Templin and Ben Stahl. A portion of the evening’s proceeds benefitted the Joffrey Ballet Women’s Board and was also a kick-off for their 2009 Nutcracker Family dinner which will be held on December 12th. The store was aglow and full of smiling faces which included Harriet and Irwin Ross with their two handsome sons, Artistic Director Ashley Wheater, Christopher Conway, PR whiz Monique Jones (who planned this wonderful party), Margie Habermann, Ann Waters, Liz Sharp, Dorothy Bousseau, WB Prez Christine Ott, Rhonda Brown, Liz Adams, Margaret O’Connor, Lisa Malkin and crack staff members Julia Jankowski and Jen Hardin. View more photos here!

Fashion Focus started off with a bang in Millenium Park Thursday night when Macy’s presented the Designers of Chicago. Close to 1000 supporters showed up in a cold, driving rainstorm to cheer on their favorites which included Lara Miller, Blake Standard, 5p1t, Tennille White, Lauren Lein, Lee Allison, The Tiebar, Jermikko, Anna Hovet, Furio, Nora Del Busto, Cynthia Ryba and Audrey. These designers were nominated by the Mayor’s Fashion Council and are considered to be some of the best in the city. Tennille White drew the biggest applause: She creates great designs but she is also one of the very few designers who cater to the larger female figure. She had all beautiful models but one in particular caught my eye—Latesha Lipscomb. Not only is she full figured but she’s proud of it and full of attitude. The audience went crazy for her and in an e-mail to me, here’s what she had to say. “I’m a big girl doing big things and I really want to draw more attention to the struggles full-figured models and designers have in the industry.” After recently witnessing the Ralph Lauren fiasco where they had Photoshopped a photo of model Filippa Hamilton down to such a small size it appeared she had no room for her organs, this is a refreshing antidote. Winners for “Macy’s Distinction in Design” award, announced prior to the show, included jewelry designer Aya of Haji Couture who was wearing stunning earrings created entirely of feathers. Fashion czarina Melissa Gamble and Macy’s Andrea Schwartz teamed up to create this extravaganza and even though backstage flooding wreaked havoc on some of the clothes, Andrea joked, “This wet-look may start a new trend!” They also had the best DJ I’ve ever heard...DJ CY (pronounced "sigh). More images here! (Editorial photography by Jack Perno.)

And speaking of fashion, Latino Fashion Week begins on Monday, November 2nd with the Hair and Make-up Wars competition at Green Dolphin Street (2200 N. Ashland Ave.) from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. There are lots of fun events scheduled for this week of activities culminating with the Chicago Designers Award Presentation on Sunday, November 8th at V-Live (2047 N. Milwaukee Ave.) with the VIP reception starting at 5 p.m., fashion show from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and the trade show is from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. We need to support ALL of the fabulous designers in our community and help put Chicago on the fashion map so I hope you can join me! For more info and to purchase tickets, please click here.

As I mentioned to you last week, Bunky Cushing, hosted his wonderful “Handbags and Halos” luncheon at the Palmer House for 200 of his closest friends to benefit the Howard Brown Health Center. The exclusive, invite-only event raised more than $50,000 through its famous handbag raffle. Stanley Paul tickled the ivories and then David Easton – one of the world’s most sought-after interior designers – gave the keynote address. His eclectic design approach has transformed the residences of Carroll Petrie, Patricia Kluge and many leading industrialists. David shared a fascinating slide presentation about the evolution of design, from David Adler to his predictions for the pared down homes of tomorrow (since they aren’t traditional, I won’t be living in them). When I asked him what one would do with their beloved knickknacks, he said, “The only things you need to keep are your friends and books.” I sure can’t invite him over for tea since, as Chuck says, I have everything I’ve ever touched! Twelve lucky guests won handbags including MOI! I won a gorgeous Escada evening bag presented to me by the ever glamorous Ann Wallace. Other handbag donors included Ralph Lauren, Prada, Tory Burch, Michael Kors, 28 Shop at Macy’s and Brian Atwood among others. These bags will all go on sale at the Brown Elephant Resale Shop on November 14th. Besides Howard Brown, Bunky has supported the fundraising efforts of the Jane Addams Senior Caucus, English-Speaking Union, Chicago Historical Society and the American Friends of Versailles. Look for Bunky’s next popular Early Birds and Book Worms breakfast party at RL after David Easton’s new design book comes out November 2010. (Pics by Dan Rest.) Click here for more photos!

Step Up Women's Network is an organization that every woman should know about. It’s a national non-profit women’s network dedicated to strengthening community resources for women and girls with chapters in New York City, LA and Chicago. Through teen empowerment programs for underserved girls, women’s health education and advocacy, professional mentorship, and social networking opportunities, they educate their members to ensure that women and girls have the tools they need to create a better future. Their largest event of the year will be at the Hotel Sax (333 N. Dearborn) on Thursday, November 12th from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. The goal is to attract new members to this worthy cause. There will be an inspiring keynote address, networking opportunities, drinks and hors d’oeuvres but more importantly, you will have the opportunity to help someone in need. Please join me….tickets are only $35 and maybe you can join and change a life. For more info and to buy tickets, please click here and check out their web site at SUWN.org.

Just when you think the world is moving too fast and you start to long for simpler times, the Old Town Triangle hosts its annual Fall Hoe Down party and Chili Cook-Off. It was a true “family affair” organized by the “Mayor” of Old Town, Shirley Baugher, and Michael Warnick. Everyone contributed something—a plate full of homemade cupcakes, various types of cole slaw, cornbread, pumpkin cookies AND the star of the night—CHILI! There were 16 different types of chili, to be exact, all vying for the top title. Judging was led by Perennial’s Chef Ryan Poli and it was a “hotly” contested race to be sure but in the end two winners emerged victorious. Lucy Baldwin won in the “Best New & Different” category (recipe follows) and Lucy Wojis won for her “Best Traditional & Classic” recipe. There was Bluegrass music by the Whiskey Hollow Band, a moonwalk and balloon artists for the kids and lots of mixing and mingling. Partygoers included Alice and Judge John Huff, Monika Betts, Norman Baugher, Dan Baldwin, Alderman Vi Daley, Shannon and John Waterfied with Berit and Scotty, Deborah and Ed Howlett, Rob Katz, Carolyn Armenita David, Karen Stephenson, Sharon O’Brien, Chris Lon, Mary Martel, Tom and Tessa Bracken and Linda Short. Click here for more photos but simply scroll down for Lucy Baldwin's winning recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare chili whatever way is your family’s favorite.
3. Place chili mixture in a Pyrex dish and top with Trader Joe’s Cornbread Mix (prepare as directed).
4. Bake for 40 minutes and top with shredded Chihuahua cheese when finished.

And last but certainly not least, I want to congratulate friends Greg Hyder, Tom Kehoe and Emmanuel Nony on their upcoming profiles in Chicago magazine. We all know they are the “ones to watch!” As a matter of fact, just today, Tom Kehoe was tapped by the White House to do the Obamas’ Halloween celebration with 2,000 children. Tim Burton will be supplying some props to make the party perfect!! Congrats guys…you ALL deserve it!

I love the wonders of the seasons changing and I especially love seeing the little kids dressed up for Halloween! Please be kind and welcome your neighborhood children to your homes for this very special and memorable time in their lives and have a great week! :)

Love,
Candace :)

P.S. Don’t forget tonight’s preview party at the Joffrey Tower at 10 E. Randolph from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Admission is just $20, well worth it for the first ever look into the Joffrey Costume Vault featuring more than 200 one-of-a-kind Joffrey costumes plus vintage clothing and accessories for sale from some of the city’s top fashionistas! The event continues on Wednesday from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. Co-chairs for this unique event are Corinne Melchior, Gretchen Klotz and Nico Rodriguez.

IS 70 THE NEW 50?

2009-10-19T22:33:28-05:00

It was a very cold evening and I wondered whether I really wanted to go out or stay home and cozy up to the fireplace. Well, you can guess what I decided. I never like to miss an event that Brenda Sexton of Chicago Link Productions plans and this night was no exception. The occasion was a launch party at Martini Park for Virginia Madsen and her Emmy-Award winning mother, Elaine Madsen, for their documentary entitled “I Know a Woman Like That.” Virginia produced and Elaine directed this story featuring live interviews with extraordinary women ages 64 through 94. These women are fully engaged in their lives in the arts, athletics, social justice, environmentalism and high finance. Their unconventional choices, attitudes and discoveries about the opportunities they find at this time in their lives will motivate and inspire people of all ages. Chaz Ebert spoke eloquently on Roger’s behalf describing the film and no words could ever match his, so in his own words, I am proud to share this with you: “Its description may sound innocuous, but Elaine Madsen’s documentary is transformative in the way it regards life from the perspective of age. She talks intimately with 16 women in their 70’s or above, who didn’t put life on pause but kept right on living. Barbara Hillary skied to the North Pole, and says women her age are expected to feel ‘mindless, useless and sexless.’ Lauren Hutton smiles, ‘I’m better in bed.’ Elaine Kaufman presides nightly over the most famous saloon in New York. Lorraine Morton was elected mayor of Evanston at 74, and is still mayor 14 years later. After a famous career in prose, Maxine Hong Kingston has returned to poetry, her childhood love. Gloria Steinem thinks maybe at 70 you find out who you really were at 14. Madsen doesn’t ask celeb-trash questions, but is an adult talking to adults—even when she and Suzanne Adams (her daughter Virginia’s drama teacher) are lying on a rug on their tummies, talking face to face like two seven-year-old girls. Extraordinary.” Some of the guests for this exciting evening included Roger Ebert, Amanda Puck, Susanna Negovan, LeeAnn Trotter, Sherren Leigh, Janet Davies, Lisa Skolnik, Terry Savage, Richard Roeper, Suzanne LeMignot, Ruth Ratny, Larry Wert, Bill Zwecker, Chef Art Smith and Jesus Salguiero, Marisa Molinaro, Marlene Glitzen (better known as Marlene Siskel), Bruno Cohen (the new head of CBS), Lisa Aprati, Jane Davies, Kevin and Lim Kline, WTTW’s Elizabeth Brackett, Alice and John Sabl, Lyn McKeaney, Stanley Paul and Terry Savage among others. For more photos, click here!

We attended the Carl Sandburg Literary Awards dinner at the Public Library as guests of darling Leslie Hindman. She had a wonderfully “bookish” table that included Thomas Joyce (the famous book appraiser, rare bookseller and former star of HGTV’s “The Appraisal Fair”) as well as Mary Williams (the head of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers Rare Book Dept.), Matt Kohnke, Ann Marie Lipinski, Steve Kaplan and Nancy O’Shea. Since Chuck and I are book collectors, this evening was a special treat for us. Francie Comer and Miles White were the co-chairs and this year’s recipient of the prestigious Carl Sandburg Literary Award went to Salman Rushdie. The 21st Century Award went to author Patrick Somerville. Both gave witty, charming and informative speeches and then Mayor Daley spoke, stressing the importance of libraries in our neighborhoods not only for knowledge but also to provide a safe haven for children after school. Leslie is a strong supporter of this wonderful cause and was proud to point out that we (Chicago) have the best library system in the country and many people come to our city to study it. Clever table designs by Heffernan Morgan included books by both authors surrounded by candlelight and flowers. Guests were encouraged to take the books and have them autographed after the dinner. Other supporters at the event included Governor and Jayne Thompson, Mary Lou Gorno, Cindy Pritzker, Ralph Hughes and Bill Zwecker among others. Click here to learn more!

Bunky Cushing always has the best guests for his Handbags and Halos luncheon every year benefitting the Howard Brown Health Center but this year he outdid himself! Maybe it’s because I love the world of interior design but I think when it’s coupled with the world famous designer David Easton, it makes it doubly interesting for me (and I am pretty sure everyone who attended would agree)! I met David the night before at the fabulous and oh-so-elegant Patron’s Tea hosted by long-time friend of Bunky’s, Stanley Paul. His penthouse has been featured in so many magazines that I’ve lost count but every time I’ve been there, I felt like I’ve taken a trip to Paris—Art Deco Paristhat is….everything about his home is sheer elegance but it’s also so very warm and cozy. Patricia Zadony did the catering (call 773-495- 8463 for more info) and offerings included chicken curry tea sandwiches, goat cheese and watercress tea sandwiches, apple-Boursin cheese fingers and smoked salmon with capers and dill on black bread. Delicious!!! Bunky came up with the idea for this Patron’s Tea for his third luncheon featuring Lynn Wyatt as the keynote speaker because he felt, and rightfully so, that some of the ladies would love a chance to meet her on a one-on-one basis. For this Patron’s Tea, about 35 supporters attended including Cynthia Olson, Linda Heister, Zarada Gowenlock, Sherren Leigh, Cheryl Bollinger (with her darling granddaughter), Gerri Shute, Toni Canada, Dusty Stemer, Karen Goodyear, John Ansehl, Robin Berger, Cookie Cohen, Mamie Walton, Mary Ann Rose, Peg Lombardo, Lynn McMahan, Carlette McMullen, Gia McDermott, HBHC President and CEO Michael Cook, Paul Fairchild and Alan Brainerd among others. Stay tuned for pics from the luncheon coming next week. :) Great job again, as always Bunky!!! Check out more photos here!

The standing ovations never seemed to end on opening night of The Joffrey Ballet's "Othello" Wednesday evening. The company danced their hearts for a sell out crowd and the excitement was over the top. The scenery, costumes and music all came together for a perfect performance and the reviews were outstanding! This is Chicago-born choreographer Lar Lubovitch's Midwest premier of Shakespeare's classic tale portrayed with an amazing mix of classical and modern movement. The set design by George Tsypin is sheer genius with glass mixed with moving images and even dream sequences projected onto the wall. Fabrice Calmels performed as Othello, April Daley as Desdemona, Matthew Adamczyk as Iago, Aaron Rogers as Cassio, Allison Walsh as Bianco and Emila was portrayed by Valerie Robin. There are only six more performances through October 25th. This 2009-2010 season of Legends will continue on December 11th through 27th with "The Nutcracker" and "Cinderella" will begin on February 17th and run through the 28th. Congratulations to the Joffrey Ballet: Every step they take makes us breathless with anticipation for the next performance!

Speaking of performances, have YOU ever dreamed of being on stage? Now is your chance at the Victory Garden’s Theater Annual Casting Auction Benefit and Performance on Saturday, November 14th. Now in its 28th year, the Casting Auction is Victory Garden’s unique fundraising event in which all the roles (chorus, cameo, supporting and children’s) of a professionally-directed and produced classic American musical are sold at auction! You don’t need to be a professional actor but you should have the appetite to perform and the desire to be onstage in the spotlight. The winners of the roles will have the opportunity to play their parts in performances directed by Artistic Director Dennis Zacek, to be scheduled for a weekend in February 2010 before an audience of more than 400 each night. The event at the Victory Gardens Theater (located at 2433 N. Lincoln Ave.) on Saturday, November 14th, will include a performance of “Anything Goes,” with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. So polish off those paddles and get ready for your close-up! Casting auction co-chairs are Stuart Burstein, Nancy Studenroth and Fred Zar. For more info, please call 773-549-5788 or click here.

On Friday, October 23rd, the Palm Court at the Drake Hotel will be hosting a unique fundraiser to benefit the Lynn Sage Cancer Research Foundation during this month of breast cancer awareness. Shaun Rajah has planned an event called “50 & Beautiful—Catwalk Fridays Special” which will celebrate influential women ages 50 and above with an afternoon tea and a fashion show showcasing collections from six of Chicago’s most exclusive designers: Mira Couture; Quinton De Alexander; Elizabeth M Fashion; Sylwia W; milliner Joy Scott; and jewelry designer Sophia Forero. Featured models are Cookie Cohen, Juell Kadet, Lynn McMahan, Dorothy Whealan, Susan Fierro, Joan Sosano, Salome St. Clair, Michelle Yeadon, Marlene Laport, Sheryl Dyer and moi! There will be two shows – the first from 2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. and the second from 3:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. – that will include three-tiered tea service. Tickets are $29 and reservations can be made by calling Shaun Rajah at 312-932-4619 or by e-mail at shaun.rajah@hilton.com. Thanks for all of your hard work Shaun! All of your events are such fun! :) For more photos, click here!

And last but not least, please join me at the annual “Taste of TCW” on Wednesday, October 28th at The Chopping Block. All monies raised benefits the TCW Foundation which supports organizations helping women and children with operating budgets under $500K. The event, emceed by Steve Dolinsky (a.k.a. The Hungry Hound), is from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will feature a contest between Chefs Radhika Desai, Jennifer Gavin and Elaina Vasquez as well as hors ‘d’oeuvres created from the chef’s favorite recipes, signature cocktails by Sunda mixologist Sherrie Geslak and a high-end raffle. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased by calling 312-951-7600, ext. 171 or by visiting tcwmag.com. I hope to see you there! For more photos, click here!

Some personal congrats are in order for my friends Lydia Fisher and Gregg Zgonena! Lydia’s first book, Cinderella of Wall Street, is out now!! After two decades with a century-old Wall Street investment bank, she writes of the far-reaching consequences after its sudden takeover in the spring of 2008 in a totally unique way. A very timely book for these tumultuous times. As for my dear friend Gregg, he has left Ultimo to take on a new and exciting challenge as the sales manager of the Michael Kors Boutique due to open later this month at 900 N. Michigan Ave. A huge congrats to these two go-getters – I am so happy and proud for you both!!!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s edition of Candid Candace. This link will make you vividly recall your difficulties as a child learning to ride a bike….I am now ashamed of my need for training wheels…

Love,

Candace :)

Candace@candidcandace.com

WORLD FASHION CHICAGO IS WORLD CLASS!

2009-10-13T06:50:19-05:00

Chicago’s recent World Fashion Show was world class thanks to the efforts of ZZAZZ Production’s Tracey Tarantino and the incredible support from our fashion community. More than 35 designers inspired by Chicago’s 28 sister cities were featured alongside international designers from Milan, Italy; Shanghai, China; Durban, South Africa; Petach Tikva, Israel and Vilnius, Lithuania. This year’s show featured local talent such as Melissa Serpico, Vika Brown, Anna Fong, Yana German, Mira Couture, Paul Sisti, Sylwia, Kate Jacobson, Bobbie Chi and John Shultz as well as three designers from Israel, Lithuania and China who had travelled to Chicago especially for this event. These global fashions represented the wonderful cultural diversity that our great city has to offer and were presented on the Harris Theater Rooftop Terrace. At the beginning of the show there was a “Hello Sister” video narrated by Oprah Winfrey which was originally created for the IOC visit (we all know the sad results of this). It was a very exciting event and as you approached the Rooftop, dramatic lighting pointed the way to the tent enclosed venue. There were photographers everywhere and video cameras were recording all of the moments. The designers were being interviewed in front of the step-and-repeat and ticket holders were air kissing their friends and taking photos—the atmosphere was abuzz with activity and reminded me of the excitement of NY Fashion Week. Guests were all chicly dressed and even though there was a chill in the air, everyone was very warm in spirit. The Chicago Sister Cities International Program, under the auspices of the City of Chicago, provides leadership to develop, manage, and coordinate programs and projects with Chicago’s sister cities. Besides the cities already mentioned, our sister cities include Accra, Ghana; Amman, Jordan; Athens, Greece; Belgrade, Serbia; Birmingham, England; Bogota, Columbia; Busan, Republic of Korea; Casablanca, Morocco; Delhi, India; Durban, South Africa; Galway, Ireland; Gothenburg, Sweden; Hamburg, Germany; Kyiv, Ukraine; Lahore, Pakistan; Lucerne, Switzerland; Mexico City, Mexico; Milan, Italy; Moscow, Russia; Osaka, Japan; Paris, France; Prague, Czech Republic; Shenyang, China; Toronto, Canada and Warsaw, Poland. Who KNEW?! Wow, we have a lot of friends here, don’t we? Sponsors for this event included RL Restaurant, Richard Driehaus Charitable Trust, Park Hyatt Chicago, TCW, Chicago magazine and Factio magazine and Charles Ifergan among others. (Charles and his terrific styling team created the gorgeous runway looks and a lot of people don’t realize the many charitable events he donates his time and efforts toward. Thanks for all you do Charles! It doesn’t go unnoticed). Other fashionistas seen at this stylish event included Melissa Gamble (Director of Fashion Arts & Events at Dept. of Cultural Affairs) and her hubby, Richard Gamble (new publisher of Chicago magazine), Hazel Barr, Greg Hyder, Amy Wimer, Vonita Reescer, Peggy Martay, Laurie Davis, Darby Hill, Bree Lara, Sheryl Dyer, Melissa and Heinrich Kerch, Charles Ifergan (who’s styling team did the hair for the event), Jean Antoniou, Barbara Glass, Rich Varnes, John Colletti, Telemundo’s Tsi-tsi-ki Felix and Andrew Hayes, Jennifer Lane and Ann Estsas among many others. For more info, check out worldfashionchicago.com and chicagosistercities.com. (Additional pics by Steve Starr; click here to view the gallery.)

Chilli Pepper’s birthday party is always a much coveted invite and this year was no exception. Todd Hatoff of Allen Brothers and chefs Mario Santiago and Guadalupe Aguilar co-hosted her party at May St. Café (located at 1146 W. Cermak) and over 60 friends came to celebrate with her. The first thing you noticed upon entering the restaurant was the massive floral display with little chili peppers from her friend Oprah. Chilli (spelled with TWO L’s) knows everyone and it seems everyone knows her too. She was the gracious hostess greeting everyone at the door and taking photos with her ever-present camera. (And she never fails to send you the photos either!) Chef Mario showed us around the restaurant and it was lovely with an outdoor patio and a massive grill which is used in the summer for parties and chef demonstrations. The sit-down dinner had a marvelous menu (Chilli is a well known foodie and has been to Tru Restaurant over 100 times!) which included quesadillas, French double cream brie and pear, chorizo with Chihuahua cheese, escargot with strawberry garlic butter in phyllo, carne quisado (beef stew), Allen Brothers beef tenderloin tips made with garden fresh herbs (Mario and Guadalupe have an organic garden off of the parking lot), slow roasted pork marinated in mojo criollo. For dessert, there was Chef Art Smith’s famous hummingbird cake and the May Street Café’s white chocolate flan (which will be featured on the food network show “The Best Thing I Ever Ate”). Alpana Singh chose all of the dinner’s wine selections and they were perfect, of course! She also created a “Chilli Pepper Punch” which she said was, “sweet but deadly!” The restaurant is decorated with beautiful paintings by Art’s partner, Jesus Salguiero. Lucky guests included artists Alexander Espinosa and Bob Clark, JoAnn Buccini, Charles Blackstone, Charlene Acciari, Maya Douglas, Rafael Reudas, Nadine and Ira Epstein, Rosa and Lou Ebling, Shell Reyes, Dan Bacon, Jennifer Fox, Brent Ochs and Tim O’Hare, Matt Nudelman, Brian Butterfield, Prosecco’s Jason Clark and Katherine Alvera, Jon Cochran, Paul Escriva, JoAnne F. Fehn (who is a candidate for Cook County judge) and Barney Moles among others. The after-party was hosted by Robert and Luis Miguel. I wish you a happy birthday YEAR, Chilli! :) Click here for more photos from this fantastic fete.

Brenda Sexton has been one busy lady! Recently, she organized a star-studded reunion of Chicago’s entertainment icons in L.A. with the help of Rich Melman, Tom Dreesen and friends. Together, they revived a 15-year-old tradition of bringing together Chicago’s A-list in entertainment for a night of Chicago food, fun and camaraderie. This time it was in Santa Monica at Melman’s newly opened restaurant, La Grande Orange, which is owned by Rich’s sons RJ and Jerrod and fellow Chicagoan Bob Lynn. In addition to serving LGO favorites, the restaurant icons served classic Chicago staples including Lou Malnati’s pizza, Italian beef sandwiches from Portillo’s, Fluky’s Chicago hot dogs and Eli’s cheesecake all flown in for the event. In addition to Chris O’Donnell, Virginia Madsen, Jeff Garlin, Joe Mantegna, Peter Jacobson, Nia Vardalos, Hayes MacArthur and Harold Ramis, 350 loyal Chicagoans gathered for this Chicago Link/LA City Link Reunion Party. They included Peggy and Steve Lombardo, Lynn McMahan, Les Coney, Lyn and Lauren McKeaney, Sean Conroy, Chaz Ebert, Lou Weisbach, Julee White, Mary Beth and Kevin Malone, Ken Cook, Christine Ryndak, Debbie Marchese and her daughter Regina among others. Bill Zwecker and columnist/film critic Richard Roeper were on hand to host the red carpet while Tom Dreesen emceed the event. The event was televised and will air in both Chicago and LA on October 31st and November 1st as a 30-minute TV special and includes interviews with Harold Ramis, Jeff Garlin, Peter Jacobson, Bonnie Hunt, Joe Mantegna, Virginia Madsen, Andrew Alexander of Second City, Martha Lavey of Steppenwolf and others. The film premiere will be at the Elysian Hotel on October 27th from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Event hosts include Larry Wert, LeeAnn Trotter, Bob Sirott and Marianne Marciano, Christopher Clinton Conway, Helen Melchior, Liz Crokin, Steve Traxler, Richard Roeper, Chaz Ebert, Ruth Ratny and moi among others. Tickets are $100 and space is limited. For more info, contact Brenda Sexton at brenda@chicagolinkproductions.com. (Fab Fotos by Mitch Canoff.)

Beautiful author/socialite Amanda Brooks has been photographed for every major magazine. Her sense of style sets her apart from the crowd and now she has written a book, I Love Your Style, documenting how she has been inspired by style icons of yesterday and tomorrow. Using hundreds of candid photos, she demonstrates every possible fashion trend and tells you how to find your own inner fashion icon. She says, “There is hope for everybody. People who have style come from the most unlikely places. Money is more of an encumbrance to style than it is an asset.” I’m not so sure about this last part but I think what she is saying is that lack of funds make you rely more on your own creativity which is actually what true style is all about. The book signing party was held at Chanel and hosted by our own city’s fashionable young things: Kimberly Burt, Caroline Beak-Crown, Meredith Wood-Prince and Alexis Ross. Amanda is a natural and casual beauty and obviously practices what she preaches! Check out this link to see her video and for more info.

The Joffrey Ballet will open their new season of Legends on Wednesday, October 14th with the Midwest premiere of “Othello.” This is Chicago-born choreographer Lar Lubovitch’s full length story/ballet in three acts with a stunning score by Academy Award winner Elliot Goldenthal. The entire 42-strong company of Joffrey dancers will participate in this production and it is recommended that you try to see both casts since each showcase different aspects of the company. In one production, 6’ 6” Fabrice Calmels will be paired with April Daley. New dancer, Cuban-born Miguel Blanco, and Victoria Jaiani, will be featured in the other cast. Choreographer Lubovitch has received many awards including a Tony Award nomination for “Into the Woods” as well as an Astaire Award for his highly praised dance sequences for the Broadway show, “The Red Shoes.” He danced in numerous modern, ballet, jazz and ethnic companies before forming the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company in 1968. Since there will be only nine performances, I recommend you get your tickets ASAP! This is a not-to-be-missed opportunity! I will be seeing both companies and I hope to see you there! For a sneak preview video peak and ticket info, click here.

Well, that’s it for this week…I hope you’ve enjoyed Candid Candace! I would like to thank Flashpoint Academy’s Howard Tullman for the video of my interview with Pamella Roland and her family at the recent Joffrey Ballet’s Couture & Cocktails. Check it out here. I would also like to thank CS Magazine for including me this month in Amalie Drury’s article, “Reality Mights,” for the real dish on “Windy City Wives.” Check out the article here. I hope you all have a great week and we will “talk” again soon!

Love,
Candace :)

(As always, if you would like to contact me, please e-mail me at candace@candidcandace.com. If you or someone you know would like to be added to the blog alert list, just send me your address and I will send you a weekly e-mail when Candid Candace comes out. :) Thanks so much!)

JOFFREY BALLET’S “COUTURE & COCKTAILS” SRO AT PALMER HOUSE!

2009-10-06T06:52:50-05:00

The BEST party of the year was Friday night at the Palmer House for the Joffrey Ballet’s Couture & Cocktails! It must be true because everyone told me so! If you weren’t there, you missed a lot of fun! Pamella Roland’s show was electrifying and she came with her whole beautiful family. It began with the VIP party in Lockwood Restaurant where guests mingled with celebs including the darling Rancics, Giuliana and Bill, and the red-hot glam DJ, Donna D’Cruz. The lobby where the event was held was SRO and it was a scene straight out of Anna Wintour’s dreams. The runway was covered in gold gel to coordinate with the ornate gilding in the room and the lighting by Dennis Remer of Frost was sexy, sexy, sexy. Then the lights went out and the first gorgeous models appeared at the top of the stairs leading from the Empire Room. The music made you think you were in St. Tropez as the models strutted down the runway with their avant garde hairstyles by Charles Lord. There were so many glam designs it was dizzying….after the show, Artistic Director Ashley Wheater and Executive Director Christopher Clinton Conway introduced the Joffrey dancers who paraded down the runway rivaling any supermodel. The crowd went wild and then they introduced Helen Melchior and me, the event founders. This was our fourth event and by far the biggest and the best thanks to our presenting sponsor, The Palmer House. We then introduced our beautiful co-chairs: Anne Kaplan, Kristina McGrath, Rebecca Besser, Shauna Montgomery, Ann Waters, Sheryl Dyer and Leslie Hindman (who was our Auction Chair). I thanked our gracious sponsors, Netjets, Van Cleef & Arpels, United Airlines, Neiman Marcus (who introduced us to Pamella) and our media sponsor CS Magazine, who has been with us from the beginning. Leslie Hindman then started the live auction with Giuliana and Bill. The Peninsula’s Far East Package went to Rhonda Sanderson, Pamella herself bought the gorgeous diamond Van Cleef & Arpels evening watch, the Pamella Roland NY Fashion Week package went to Kristina and Mike McGrath, the party for 50 in the lobby of the Palmer House went to Barkley Payne and the Chicago Package went to Steven Haislet, Victoria Dinges and Anise Wileylittle. Even the dancers joined in donating several items for our silent auction. Temur Suluashvili knitted four sweaters to outfit a family, Fabrice Calmels (who will be playing Othello in the upcoming season) donated a dance class for 12, Valerie Robin donated homemade limoncellos and Matthew Adamczyk donated a gorgeous painting. The dance party continued in the Red Lacquer Room and the State Ballroom served as our sexy lounge area with white leather furniture and the evening’s fashion show being replayed on a giant screen. When the dancers got on the dance floor, the crowd was captivated. If you haven’t seen a Joffrey dancer let his/her hair down then you have really missed an incredible treat. They dance with such abandon and style…it’s a sight you won’t forget. No one wanted to leave when the evening came to an end and we didn’t! Off to Potter’s we went to relive the evening over a final cocktail….WHAT A NIGHT IT WAS… :) And the best part is we raised $250,000 for our beloved Joffrey! Yehhhhhhh!!! Thanks so much to all who attended and supported this unique event! Bold-faced names in the crowd included Dana Hokin, Cynthia Holbrooke, Paula and Peter Fasseas, Traci and Barry Mansur, Angie DeMars, Lynn and John McMahan, Elizabeth Ryan, Sophie Bross, Liz and Jeff Sharp, Lisa Malkin, Sherry and Tom Barrat, Shelley MacArthur Farley, Jan Melk, Gregory Russell, Amelia, Alex and Laura Silva, Kimberly Gleeson and Dr. Stephen Stryker, Sarah and Ted Tetzlaff, Debra McMichael, Grace Barry, Noren and Richard Ungaretti, Jocelyn Stoller, Chris Long, Maria Smithburg, Donn Seidholz, Jeane Schroeder, Toni and Rick Canada, Greg Hyder, Jim Smith, Felicia and Kurt Winiecki, Nadine and Ira Epstein, Hedwig and Bob Golant, Charley Jordan, Jannie and Elliot Pearlman, Nicole Jacob, Paul Rehder, Nicki and Nicholas Patrick, Lydia and Francois Alouf, Leslie Hindman, Mary Lou Gorno, Sara Wheater (Ashley’s sis) and her family, Kelli Zink, Rebecca and Charlie Besser, Shauna and Barry Montgomery, Rich Varnes, Diane and John Patience, Marcus Riley, Anne and Burt Kaplan, Stanley Paul, Mamie Walton, Beverly Blettner, Sherren Leigh, Carol Beitler, Patti Eyler, Stuart Feinberg and Cookie Cohen, Susan Gohl, Deb and John Gross, Odele and Brent Hawkins, Paul Iacono, Rhonda Sanderson, Marty Higgins, Cheryl Larsen and Robert Murphy, Camille Rudy, Kristina and Mike McGrath, Barkley Payne, Lar Lubovitch, Leslie Blum, Terri D’Ancona, Maria and Bob Zec, Wendy Krimins, Tina Koegel, Susan and George Heisler, Claire Holdren, John Carroll, Bruno Abate, Howard Tullman, Michaela and Dick Parillo, Kathleen Klaeser, Averill and Buddy Leviton, Abigail Rutherford and Wesley Donohoe, Ellie Fisher and Dana Spektor among others. (Othello opens at the Auditorium Theater on October 14th. Don’t miss it!) Special thanks to Howard Tullman and Flashpoint Academy for filming the show as well as our peeps from Frost Lighting which you will see on Candid Candace at a later date but click onto this link for a sneak preview. BTW, guess who visited our own Ashley Wheater at Joffrey Tower? Mikhail Baryshnikov!!! They have known each other for ages and “Mischa” as Ashley calls him, congratulated him on the great job he’s doing!!! I AGREE! Kudos to our Ashley and infinite thank yous to Bob Carl, Caitlin Saville and Barry Brecheisen for the fab fotos! For more photos from this amazing evening, click here!

All you need to do to have a crowd for a party is have Nate Berkus’ name on the invite! This is exactly what happened for the party at Ralph Lauren last week benefitting DIFFA. It was wall-to-wall with glamorous people (after all, it is benefitting the Design Industry Foundation Fighting Aids) and everyone was very happy to be there. Nate has never looked better – if this is even possible – and seemed very happy. He co-hosted this event, which was a kickoff party for “Dining by Design” which will be held November 5th through 7th at the Merchandise Mart with Alfredo Paredes, the Executive VP of Polo Ralph Lauren and the DIFFA Chicago Board of Trustees.There were people on every floor and everywhere you looked you saw someone you knew. Seen in the crowd were Todd Hatoff and Marshall Erb, Charles Hocevar III, Frank LaMarca, Izabella Stefnis, Corinne Melchior, Helen Melchior, Graham Kostic with Kevin Aeh, Elise Schmitt and Kristin Lamprecht, John Ansehl, Francine Turk, Shelley Koester, JoHannah Kornick, Chris McNally, Chad Duda, Holly Hunt, Patrick Plante, Chef Art Smith and Jesus Salguiero, Kyle Koenig, Az Ferguson, Laura Nelson, Marta Michulka, Melissa and Rich Gamble, Estrella Rosenberg, Jonathon Wells, Jerry Mickelson, Pavel Juricek, Judy Neidermaier, Victor Skrebneski, David Sheppard, DIFFA Chair Jennifer McGregor, Carrie Lannon, Lynn and John McMahan, Kara Mann, Jennifer Woolford, Richard Cassis, John Rouse, Jan Parr, John Brennen, Lee Allison and Deborah Walters among others. Afterwards, the party continued at RL Restaurant…it was a long night but a fun one for a wonderful cause…and, of course, it’s always great seeing NATE! :) Click here for more photos!

A BIG congratulations to CS Magazine on their 15th Anniversary! I can’t believe it’s been this long!! It seems like just yesterday they breezed into town and created a social sensation! The party was held at Barney’s and three of the windows were decorated with quotes about CS Magazine by Bill Zwecker, Billy Dec, Nate Berkus, Amanda Puck, Maria Pinto, and MOI! I was so honored and excited to be included—to see your name on a window like this was really something! I made Chuck drive by TWICE to make sure we got a good look! DJ White Shadow was the music man for the night with décor by Heffernan Morgan. It was a very happy crowd and included John Carroll and his girlfriend April Francis, Toni Canada, Neal Zucker, Amanda Puck, Stephen and Michael Kong (founders of Modern Luxury), Gina Bazer, David Barnett, Liz Grossman, Kelli Zink, Jenny Berg, Graham Kostic, Jonathon Wells, Gary Weidner, David Anthony, Bruno and Melissa Abate, Laura and Howard Sims, Jerry Kleiner, Julie Darling, Gregg Zgonena, Maria Ponce, Michael Crowley and Lisa Kingsley among others. Check out more photos here!

Chicago Now hosted its first Blogapalooza along with the 900 Shops on September 24th. Chicago Now bloggers were stationed all over the mall at selected retailers and restaurants meeting fans and friends and passing out treats. Caitlin Giles of “Wee Windy City” treated the kids to face painting, scavenger hunts and cookies while Brandon Frein and Arlene Matthews of “Styled in Chicago” created some new looks at Bloomingdale’s for a few lucky guests and presented fall fashions with personal shopper, Joyce Sobczyk. Sarah Stegner of “Prairie Chefs” gave cooking demonstrations at Williams-Sonoma while I mingled with friends at Mont Blanc. We served champagne and delicious food from Le Colonial. I like to think my friends came to see me but I have to be honest with myself—it was the food and drink! Anyway, lots of Chicago Now’s top bloggers participated including darling Ashley Bond (Miss Illinois 2009) who gave tips for working out and staying healthy at Equinox, Matt Lo Cascio of “Jay Cutler Superstar” and Julie DiCaro of “A League of Her Own” met guests and talked Chicago sports while treating them to cocktails and shoe shines and RedEye’s Stephen Markey held a meet and greet featuring Bloody Marys and breakfast bites at Oak Tree Restaurant and Bakery. (Stephen wrote a very funny account of his Blogapalooza experience on Chicago Now entitled “

I Think I’m Still Drunk from Blogapalooza.”) Friends who turned out to visit included Ryan Salzwedel, Jeffrey Alters, Bill Maxwell and Ryan Salz (Channel 3), Jon and Andrew Landan, Vincent Anzalone, Mable Buckner, Lynn McMahan, David Dvorak, Lonnie Rodriguez, Gina Driskell, JoAnne Bush, Michael Roberts, Julia Jacobs-Sandford, Allison Rausch, Kellen Sisler, Denise Sinz, Callahan Tormey, Kerry and Sally Schor, Jennifer Wirth, Rita Fisher, Joey Majumdar and Rebecca Franson among others. I hope you get a chance to check out all of the great blogs at ChicagoNow.com. For more images, click here!

As we all know, this month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and beginning October 1st, The Peninsula Chicago will dedicate itself to raising awareness and funds for it starting with a pink backlit hotel entrance and logo as part of the Lynn Sage Cancer Research Foundations’s annual “Light the Way to Find a Cure” campaign. They will also donate $2 for every Afternoon Tea served in the lobby from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.—this tea will also feature informal fashion shows during Fashion Focus Chicago. Designs will be shown from Escada (Oct. 20th), Neiman Marcus (Oct. 21st), Giorgio Armani (Oct. 22nd), J. Mendel (Oct. 23rd) and Ultimo with jewelry by Sydney Garber (Oct. 24th). Also, $5 per dinner check at Avenues or Shanghai Terrace will be donated to Lynn Sage when diners mention breast cancer awareness and $5 will also be donated per one hour or longer treatments at The Peninsula Spa by ESPA. Let’s hope more hotels follow suit to make a difference for this much needed cause. We all know someone affected by breast cancer—let’s show them how much we care….For more info, please contact Susan Ellefson at 312-573-6616 or via e-mail at susanellefson@peninsula.com.

Hope you have a wonderful week…I am sorry for our Olympic bid loss but to quote an old Garth Brooks song, I guess we have to be thankful for “Unanswered Prayers.” Check out this little clip that will make you smile and I’ll “talk” to you next week!

Love,
Candace :)

(And as always, if you would like to contact me, please e-mail me at Candace@CandidCandace.com.)

THE PENINSULA HOTELS AS SEEN BY ANNIE LEIBOVITZ

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The invitation was sleek, elegant and in black and white just like her photographs—even the stamp had one of her photos taken for this occasion. “Portraits of the Peninsula” was an exclusive party

celebrating these remarkable photographs taken by Annie Leibovitz for the Peninsula Hotels featuring the stars of their line in Chicago and Tokyo. With these photos, Leibovitz departs from her tradition of celebrity portraiture to focus on the people and personalities behind the Peninsula brand. While not famous, the faces of Peninsula pageboys, housekeepers and bellmen are just as compelling as those of celebrities

when seen through her lens. This was the second collection of images by Leibovitz—the first photos were taken in Hong Kong and New York. She was given free rein to roam the hotels, in public spaces and back-of-house areas, shooting wherever she wished and choosing whichever scenes or staff

members that she believed best represented the heart and soul of the hotels. Peter Borer, the Peninsula Hotels’ chief operating officer said, “Portraits of the Peninsula” is a dramatic departure from traditional hotel advertising; there are no models or staged images in these photos, and the only celebrity is the one behind the camera.” In one endearing shot,

The Peninsula Chicago’s doorman welcomes a young guest to the hotel, while in another the hotel’s chefs stand in an organic city farm with Chicago’s dramatic skyline in the background, and the reservations team is poised to welcome guests’ calls in a third.

Peninsula Chicago GM Maria Zec and catering director Greg Hyder were also included in this select group of people who were chosen by Leibovitz for the shoot. This very exclusive party was held in the Peninsula Suite (1808). I had never been there before but it was an experience I won’t soon forget. The

Pen Suite, as it is called, is 3,465 square feet with a wrap-around outdoor terrace and Jacuzzi overlooking Lake Michigan. (It didn’t hurt that it was a perfect evening with a sunset that made you weep.) And when I say terrace, I mean it was HUGE! There were waiters and serving stations surrounding its

perimeter as well as a full bar. The food was the best around with selections that included Japanese Wagyu beef with white truffle brulee, snow crab dim sum, BBQ beef short ribs, exquisite foie gras, mille-feuille

caviar deviled quail eggs, scallop and truffle tarts and so much more. The new French pastry chef, Celine Plano, stole the show with her already famous peanut butter and jelly macaroons! The Sirens played while lucky guests enjoyed the show including Victor Skrebneski, Rich Gamble (the new publisher

of Chicago magazine), Dan Uslan, Christie Hefner, Billy Marovitz, Michael Leppen, Yvette Cusack, Sheryl Dyer, Amy Tara Koch,

Mary and Jim Lasky, Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Arredia, Eric and Jen Ferguson, Hazel and Warren Barr, Sherrill Bodine, Helen Melchior, Paul Iacono, John Regas, Amy Wimer and Jim Wlodarczyk, Jim Smith, Carol Carroll, Karen Maisa, Mary Ann Rose and Heinz Kern. Click here to check out more of Annie's amazing photos and here for more pictures from this wonderful event.

Common Threads' new associate board hosted its first annual World Cookout – at Fulton’s on the River last week. Again, it was another one of those perfect evenings in Chicago and the crowd turned out in force to support it. Many chefs were there showing off their

culinary skills including Stephanie Izard (winner of Top Chef Season 4), Rodelio Abilgot (Sunda), Giuseppe Tentori (Boka), Rick Gresh (David Burke’s Primehouse), Suzanne Imaz and Martial Noguier (Café des

Architectes), Paul Virant (Vie), Chris Pandel (The Bristol), Bill Kim (Urban Belly), Gale Gand (Tru) and Ray Villalobos (Table 52) and others. There was a VIP Tasting with Café Spiaggia's chef di cucina Sarah Grueneberg. The

after-party continued at Jake Melnick’s. Almost $30,000 was raised to support the Common Threads’ after-school cooking programs for low-income kids. Seen on the scene were Rich Varnes, Ken Norgan, Linda O’Keefe (Executive Director for Common Threads) and her handsome hubby Nick and Amanda Puck (who led the charge for this event) among others. Click here for more photos!

My favorite artist, Francine Turk, recently held a preview party hosted by Chicago Art Source and Gallery. Her works are highly desirable to many collectors and the who’s who among the designer set—Nate Berkus just mentioned in his

Tribune article this past weekend that he had loaned one of his Turk pieces to his brother for his new apartment. Her artwork also appeared in the movie “The Break-Up” starring Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston. The event was catered by the Elysian Hotel

(who is also a big fan of Francine’s with many of her pieces appearing in the hotel). This exhibit, entitled “Body Language,” will run through October 31st and is inspired by

her recent travels to France and the home of Marcel Proust. She uses varying mediums that include oil, pastels, charcoal and mixed media and this recent collection previewed her latest pieces. It is a show not

to be missed! Francine will travel back to Paris to continue this body of work that is proving to be a successful departure from her work of the last five years. We

wish her the very best and can’t wait to see what exciting images her next trip brings! For more info, stop by the Chicago Art Source and Gallery at 1871 N. Clybourn or visit their web site. For more photos, click here!

A Silver Lining Foundation will host its annual black-tie gala on Saturday, October 3rd, at the Hyatt Regency McCormick place (2233 S. Martin L. King Dr.). A Silver Lining Foundation (ASLF) provides breast cancer resources, quality of life services and no-cost mammograms to uninsured patients. This year’s event will

feature singer Nan Mason, an eye-popping live auction and unique silent auction. Tickets are available for purchase at www.asilverliningfoundation.org for $300 per person or $3,000 per table. The evening will feature dinner and dancing to the music of Rhythm City. I know we all know someone touched by breast cancer so I hope you and your friends will be able to support this worthy cause that provides these much needed services. Call 312-345-1322 to learn more about this wonderful organization.

And now be prepared for next week’s Joffrey Ballet’s Couture & Cocktails coverage because I am still recovering from the PARTY OF THE YEAR! You will see what I mean when you see the photos! Thanks to all of you who supported this event and I hope you had as much fun as I did!

I am sorry this week’s Candid Candace is coming out a little late. My mother-in-law fell recently and broke her hip—she is 88—but the good news is that she only needed pins and is already up and walking. Thanks so much for all of your prayers and good thoughts…they worked! See you soon and thanks again for checking in!

Love,
Candace :)

P.S. Check out what my friend Billy Dec is up to with our Olympic bid!

CELEBS AND FASHION RULE IN BRYANT PARK!

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Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in NY was sooooo incredibly exciting! It seemed like everyone in the world was there! We were invited to preview Pamella Roland’s Spring 2010

Collection in Bryant Park and my new friend, NY Housewife, Alex McCord, also invited us to attend Walter Baker’s show at Style 360. He is a dear friend of hers and we were in the front row with lots of paparazzi! It was a blast! Even Chuck had a great time! Walter’s fashions were chic, youthful and oh-so

stylish! The first model on the runway was Somalian supermodel Ubah Hassan. She also appeared in the Oscar de la Renta show and was featured in the first all-black issue of Italian Vogue shot by Steven Meisel. She

was one of the best looking (and sweetest) models we saw all week! For the finale, all of the models came out blowing bubbles out of Swarovski crystal-encrusted bottles. It was adorable!

From the Walter Baker show, we went to Bryant Park to wait for the Pamella Roland show to begin at 1 p.m. While we waited, we saw Carine Roitfeld (editor-in-chief of French Vogue) and Ken Downing (Fashion Director of Neiman Marcus) along with LOTS of very well-dressed fashionistas and zillions of photogs rushing through the tents including

Patrick Cunningham of the New York Time’s weekly “On the Street” pictorial. These shows are everything you’ve heard about and more and I was so thrilled to be there! The hottest looks I saw were strappy booties and platform shoes without heels!

How can they even walk on their toes like this?! I’ll never know! As we lined up for Pamella’s show, there were throngs of people going to the line marked “Standing Room Only.” We felt very grateful to

have our tickets in hand. We had to wait while the photographers all got their pre-event photos and then we were allowed in. I’ve never seen so much press in my life! It was surreal…everywhere you looked, there were celebrities! Lisa Rinna was there in a

hot, short red dress with a great haircut. Nicky Hilton was there but didn’t want to sit next to anyone who wasn’t famous so there was a bit of juggling in the front row until Abby Manning (Eli Manning’s wife) agreed to sit next to her. Nigel Barker, famous judge/photographer on "America’s Next Top Model," was there looking very handsome and very TALL! We also saw J.

Alexander who is the quirky runway coach on "America’s Next Top Model." I was also told that Toni Braxton, Amanda Bynes and Paris Hilton were there (I didn’t see them)

and that Courtney Love showed up for the Narciso Rodriguez show in a very sorry state. And it seems like everywhere I go, I run into one or more of the NY Housewives! (Maybe this is a good omen for me!) Seated across from us were Bethany Frankel, the

Countess (LuAnn de Lesseps) and Kelly Bensimon. The first thing I noticed was how tallllllll they all were too! (As you can see from the photo, I look like I’m standing in a hole next to them….) Then the lights went

out and Pamella’s show began. I have four words for the fashions shown: I WANT THEM ALL!! It seemed like every look brought the crowd to their feet—it was beyond thrilling! From daytime to evening, there was some sense of drama in every outfit…very, very chic and very wearable at the same time with luscious colors and florals inspired by the paintings of Georgia O’Keeffe. There were beaded gowns, chiffons, metallics and pale tweeds—

all simply chic and elegant. At the end of the show Pamella brought her darling children, Cassandra, Sydney and Cole De Vos, up on stage for the runway walk…it was magic time! (Cassandra and Sydney appear in all of her ads that are out now looking

very high fashion and gorgeous). Later that evening, we were all invited to the after-party on Pamella’s family yacht, the Seaquest. This ship – and I do mean SHIP – is 164 feet long with three decks. For this evening, her fashion show was being projected onto the stern of the boat. It was so cool and such an unexpected touch. The party was small and intimate and we felt privileged to have been invited. Chuck and I went to NY with Helen Melchior and

the Executive Director of the Joffrey Ballet, Christopher Clinton Conway and we had such a great time. This after-party really capped off a whirlwind of activities. Pamella

and her family couldn’t have been more gracious and I am so happy to see a woman who is not only successful and talented but so down to earth as well. I am thrilled she will be the main feature for our Couture & Cocktails

event for the Joffrey this Friday evening at the Palmer House. Pamella and Neiman Marcus will be bringing this same show to Chicago that we saw in NY for Fashion Week and it is not to be missed! If you haven’t bought a ticket yet, there is still time! Tickets start at

$250 and include the fashion show, live and silent auctions, after- party with world famous DJ Donna D’Cruz (who just played at

Diddy’s party in St. Tropez) and LOTS of fun food! The VIP ticket is $500 and includes the celeb-filled pre-party in Lockwood starting at 6:30 p.m. Giuliana and Bill Rancic will be there along with many other surprise guests. Call 312-386-8921 for tickets or you can buy them at the door. I hope to see you all there!!!

The rest of the week in NY wasn’t too shabby either! We went to the Waverly Inn for dinner (Graydon Carter’s charming West

Village restaurant) and Elle MacPherson was there (again VERY tall with LOTS of hair!) and at Cipriani Downtown, LeBron James (the massive forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers) was there. His bodyguard was a pitbull so I wasn’t able to bring back a pic of him. Let’s just say, next to Shaq, he’s the biggest man I’ve ever seen.

We were also lucky enough to catch Maria Pinto’s dramatic installation at Banchet in the Meat Packing District. As we pulled up, the entire building was bathed in a deep purple glow

with people milling about inside and out. There were lots of press and Katie Couric had just given Maria a great plug on CBS so everyone was very happy! Adding even more drama to her already gorgeous clothes were Charles Lord,

her longtime hair stylist, along with Riccardo Santiago, Nikia Smith, Nelson Serrano and Eneida Bailey (Gayle King’s hairstylist) who did the hair so dramatically and creative it made you gasp! Maria’s sponsors on the invite included Aandrea Carter, Kath Carter, Les Coney (who was there with his handsome buddy Marc

Brooks), Pam Crutchfield, Barbara Franke, Barbara Levy Kipper, Rose Lizarraga, Noelle Nikpour, Julie and Randy Richardson, Gail Waller and Tim Schwertfeger and Susan and Robert Wislow. I was so happy to see Maria showing in NY! Congrats and good luck Maria!! The designs were gorgeous and Lisa Marie McComb, her stylist, looked as chic as the models! Guests in attendance from Chicago included Les Coney, Donna Thompson, Stacey Jones and Emmanuel Nony. For more photos from this amazing trip, click here!

On Thursday, September 24th, come celebrate Blogapalooza from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the 900 Shops and presented by Chicago Now. There will be complimentary spirits, food and wine and you will get a chance to meet the Chicago Now bloggers stationed throughout 900 N. Michigan’s

selected retailers and restaurants. There will be how-to advice, a DJ, food samples, special values and raffle prizes. I will be at Montblanc and would love to meet all of the Chicago Now fans!! Ashley Bond of “Body by Bond” and David Wallach of “Pace of Chicago” will be giving tips on working

out and staying healthy at Equinox and Matt Lo Cascio of “Jay Cutler Superstar” and Julie DiCaro of “A League of Her Own” will meet, greet and talk Chicago sports with special treats for guests. For more info and to check out all of the bloggers who will be there, click here. As you can see, there will be something for everyone!

What a time we had in the city that never sleeps! I hope you all felt like you were there with me! Stay tuned for next week's Candid Candace when I take you to an exclusive VIP party in

the Peninsula Suite celebrating the genius of Annie Leibovitz, Francine Turk's one-woman show, Common Threads' recent fun-filled party, opening night of "Zero" at the Victory Gardens, CS's 15-year anniversary party, Chicago Now's Blogapalooza AND Couture & Cocktails coverage. Whew...I'm tired already!

Thanks for tuning in!

Love,

Candace :)

(If you would like to contact me or be added to my blog alert list, please e-mail me at c andace@candidcandace.com.)

30TH MISS CONTINENTAL PAGEANT WOWS PARK WEST CROWD!

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The Miss Continental Pageant finals are always held on Labor Day night. This year’s show, owner Jim Flint’s 30th, was the best one we’ve attended so far at Park West. Everyone was dressed to the nines and all fans had placards and noisemakers ready to cheer their favorites on. It really is the best show around. For $75, you get at least 10 production numbers that are like mini-Broadway shows with the elaborate costuming and choreography. The Continental Pageantry system was started in 1980 to provide an avenue for professional female impersonators to compete for a national title. The opening number was a wonderful medley of the top Broadway hits from Cats, The Wiz, 9 to 5, La Cage aux Folles and many, many more. The closing number of this segment was performed by the legendary, Chili Pepper (who was also the very first winner of the Miss Continental title in 1980), “singing” a song from Sunset Boulevard as Norma Desmond. Clad all in white and acting her little heart out, she was clearly the crowd favorite! There were 30 contestants from all over the country who started out in the semi-finals at the Baton Show Lounge on Sunday night. By the finals on Monday, there were 13 and then the final five who each performed amazing talent segments and appeared in swimsuits and evening gowns for the judging. My friend, Nadine Epstein, has been a judge for 25 years and I know how hard it must’ve been to choose a winner since they were all terrific! Other judges included Jim DeMundo, Skip Mackall, Brian Reams, Howard Meyer, Tommie Ross (a former Continental winner), Antonio Edwards, Denis Sabol, Robert Hamm and Fred Asbell. During the opening greeting, Jim Flint mentioned that they had received a long-distance call from a soldier serving in Afghanistan for tickets – she was home on leave – and he introduced her from the stage to a standing ovation. Erica Dunlap, Miss America 2004, was there enjoying the show as well as 16 former Miss Continental Pageant winners. Approximately 1100 excited fans and friends watched as Armani (Miss Continental Florida) was named the winner (she performed a mean Michael Jackson number for her talent segment). First runner-up was Mokha Montrese (Miss Canada Continental) who performed Swan Lake, and second runner-up was Naysha Lopez (Miss Virginia Icon Continental) who performed a space-age production number. The other two finalists were Aurora Sexton from Chicago and Kim Moore from Puerto Rico. We’ve been to lots of Continental Pageants and were so thrilled to see how far the show has come. We thoroughly enjoyed it and want to congratulate Jim Flint on his dedication to the community and for creating this exciting and unique show! See you all NEXT Labor Day! Photos from top right: finalist Aurora Sexton, winner Armani, first runner-up Mokha Montrese, second runner-up Naysha Lopez and finalist Kim Moore; Sunny Dee-Lite's production number; winner Armani as Michael Jackson; Sunny Dee-Lite's evening gown; with event founder Jim Flint; Cezanne, Mimi Marks and Monica Monroe; John Regas and Chili Pepper; Chuck, Chanel and David Brandt; retiring Miss Continental, Tulsi; Cats production number; judges Nadine Epstein, Skip Mackall and Tommie Ross; Chili Pepper as Norma Desmond; Tim Gideon and former Miss America Erica Dunlap; happy partygoers. For more photos from this event, click here!

The Costume Council of the Chicago Historical Society hosted a reception at Neiman Marcus Thursday night to announce the FashioNext designers who will be competing to create a garment inspired by select pieces from its Costume Collection. This year’s focus will be inspired by an upcoming exhibition on weddings entitled “I Do! Chicago Ties the Knot!” opening May 22, 2010. The designers will each create a wedding gown constructed solely with fabric provided by Brentano, a Chicago-based interior design textile company. The 2009-2010 design contestants are James de Colon, Caroline Devillo, Elda De La Rosa, Anna Fong, Sam Kori George, Holly Greenhagen of Dame Couture, Jane and Saeed Hamidi, Kenneth Park and Carla Hwang and Katrin Schnabl. Several gowns were on display and although they were all gorgeous, a standout was James de Colon’s. It was haute couture and priced at $5,000. (A girl can dream……) Neiman’s chic GM, Wendy Krimins, welcomed the crowd and introduced Costume Council President Noren Ungaretti, who explained the contest and the purpose and encouraged everyone to come to the pre- party before the May opening. Then Timothy Long, the museum curator, spoke…..it was a lovely event with lots of familiar faces in the crowd including upcoming party co-chairs Laura Barnett Sawchyn and Heather Farley (with her handsome fiancé, Bruce Ingram), Tony Rossi, Toni Canada, Robin Berger, Connie, Katherine and Caitlin Saville, John Clese. Omar Miller, Joel Mangers, Alex Aubrey, Patti Kent, Peggy Snorpf, Andrea Reynders, last year’s winners, Roger Price and Tommy Walton (who are this year’s judges), Dan DiCeasar and many more. (BTW, the exhibition preview party will be on Friday, May 21st, so mark your calendars now! For more info and to follow the competition, please go to the Chicago History Museum's web site. Photos from top right: Joel Mangers, Omar Miller. Dan DiCeasar and Alex Aubry; Laura Barnett Sawchyn, Patti Kent, Susanna Johnson and Tony Rossi; designer James de Colon with his models; gorgeous James de Colon design; John Clese, Heather Farley and Bruce Ingram; Cliff Duske and Michael Spellmeyer; Roger Price, Andrea Reynders and Tommy Walton; Marcus Riley and Jessica Zweig; Wendy Krimins with Timothy Long and Noren Ungaretti; Katherine Saville, Peggy Snorpf and Connie Saville.

The Chicago Gourmet event is right around the corner and I hope I’ll see you there! This is a must-attend since its purpose is to promote Chicago internationally as a world-class city and also the fabulous chefs who we are so lucky to have by the dozens! It takes place Saturday (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and Sunday (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) September 26th and 27th in Millenium Park and is a celebration of the city’s finest in food and wine. Multiple chefs and restaurants will offer tastings of a variety of cuisines each day including on-stage demonstrations. Celebrity appearances include Ted Allen (of Top Chef and Chopped), Rick Bayless (Top Chef Masters winner and star of PBS’ “Mexico-One Plate at a Time”), Rahman “Rock” Harper (winner of Season 3 of Hell’s Kitchen). Stephanie Izard (winner of Season 4 Top Chef), Marcus Samuelsson (of Inner Chef, Urban Cuisine and Iron Chef America), Fabio Viviani (of Top Chef) and Art Smith (who we all know will be cooking for the Dalai Lama soon!). There will also be the ultimate wine experience with Grand Cru Tastings which will offer attendees tastings of the finest wines in the world as selected by their Master Sommeliers. (The Grand Cru is a separate ticketed event at $175 per person and requires a general admission ticket. Attendance is limited to 200 per day). General admission tickets are $150 per day (a two-day pass is also available for $250). This event was founded by my friend Sheila O’Grady from the Illinois Restaurant Association and I am so proud and happy for her and all of her IRA friends! I hope everyone will support this wonderful event for Chicago! For more info and tickets, please go to www.chicagogourmet.org. Photos from top right: Chicago Gourmet; last year's Chicago Gourmet; Chef Bartolotta and Chef Bayless; chef tasting at Chicago Gourmet; Mayor Daley with Chef Bayless; Top Chef Stephanie Izard serving the crowd; Chef Art Smith; Chef Marcus Samuelsson.

The Gold Coast Neighbors (in its 52nd year) recently hosted its signature event, “Evening on Astor.” We were very lucky to be guests of Toni Canada, Heather Jane Johnston, Michelle Herman and Kimberly Gleeson who had one of the cutest tables there. The theme was orange right down to the colorful hors d’oeuvres and guests were instructed to wear “orange attire if you desire.” Needless to say, it made the task of finding their table pretty easy! Right next to the “Orange Table” was the Leslie Hindman table—staffed by her crack team with crystal stemware, lilies and sterling silver. The street from Schiller to Goethe was chock-a-block with familiar faces. Seen in the crowd were Katherine Chez and Judd Malkin, Shari and Jerry Michaels, Lynda and Howard Silverman, Mike Wilkie, Lori and Don Shroud, Justin Dedeaux, Gabrielle and Don Weisberg, Brian White, Dr. Steve Stryker, Richard Doermer, Lyndsay Canada, Elaine Yusa, Wesley Donohoe and Abigail Rutherford, Michelle Klarchek, Anda and Marc Elardo, John Vaile, Lauri Krakora, Lily Liu and Jimmy Florek among many others. This event for GCN not only brings neighbors and friends together but is also a major source of funds for the upcoming year’s activities and educational efforts. Photos from top right: with Kimberly Gleeson, Toni Canada and Heather Jane Johnston; Leslie Hindman; Katherine Chez and Judd Malkin; Heather Johnston and Richard Doermer; the "Orange Table" with flowers by Jonathan Ryan; Anda Smith-Elardo with Kimberly and Marc Elardo. For more photos from this event, click here!

A VERY chic dinner party was hosted recently by Lydia Fisher Alouf to celebrate her Aquarian friends. It was called an “Aquarian Intermezzo” and her guests included Christina Ghilberti, Dana Capone, Laura Rosenkranz, Jeannette Cooper, Judy Kaplan, actress/producer/model Alex Meneses, Kelly Brown, Suzanne LeMignot and Diane Whiteley. Lydia is an expert cook and all of her dinner parties always include an array of unbelievable home-cooked dishes. I was so sorry to miss this party (even though I’m a Gemini I was still invited). Lydia’s culinary rainbow included sesame encrusted salmon with sweet and sour glaze, pine nut/red pepper/ginger orzo, Lithuanian beet salad, Lithuanian Napoleonas tortes and much, much more. I know everyone had a great time and we are all looking forward to Lydia’s upcoming book! (Love from Ausra—Lydia’s Lithuanian name for me.) Photos from top right: having fun with Lydia; can you say YUM?; hostess Lydia Fisher Alouf, Christina Ghilberti and Dana Capone; hostess Lydia Fisher Alouf.

There was a wonderful party at Bebe on Oak Street this week called a “Salute to Rising Stars”…my friend, Lynne Bredfeldt, is a nominee and I have my fingers crossed that this much-deserved title will be going to her! The party was fun with lots of chic peeps and wonderful food by The Entertaining Company! Seen on the scene were Kevin Sullivan, Melissa Song, Lisa Ackerman, models Cecily Rodriguez, Elena Greenwell, Lina Pakrosnyte and Harold Zimmerman from Votre Vu. Good luck, Lynne! Photos from top right: Melissa Song, Kevin Sullivan and Lisa Ackerman; Lynne Bredfeldt; Cecily Rodriguez, Elena Greenwell and Lina Pakrosnyte.

My friend Harriet Ross had great news to report for the recent Dance for Life benefit! They raised over $300,000 with $175,000 going towards all of their good works! Kudos to Dance for Life!! Photo: Harriet Ross.

It’s not long now before THE JOFFREY BALLET’S COUTURE & COCKTAILS event on Friday, Sept, 25th at the Palmer House! We will have lots of surprises and celebrity guests PLUS an incredible Pamella Roland runway show! This is an awful lot of fun for just $250! Even if you have plans earlier in the evening, you can still come to the awesome after-party from 9 p.m. to midnight to dance with the dancers, listen to the world-class DJ, Donna D’Cruz, and see the fashion show projected on a super-size screen in the State Ballroom’s chic lounge area. Hope to see you all there! For tickets, please call Julia Jankowski at 312-386-8921. :) Photos from top right: a scene from last year's Couture & Cocktails; Pamella Roland with her daughter Sydney and Joffrey Director of Development Christopher Conway; having fun at last year's Couture & Cocktails.

Hope you’re enjoying our wonderful weather now that summer has finally arrived! We will be going to New York this week for Fashion Week and to preview the Pamella Roland show firsthand. (Her runway show at Couture & Cocktails will be the first look-see outside of her Bryant Park show!) I will be bringing back lots of fun photos for the next Candid Candace so stay tuned! In the meantime, enjoy this little video that shows true friends come in unusual shapes, sizes and species! Please e-mail me with your comments at Candace@CandidCandace.com.

Love,
Candace :)

P.S. Thanks to Sun-Times reporter Celeste Busk for this wonderful article on our book collection! (Just click the image at right to read the article in its entirety.)

CHICAGO IS BECOMING THE DANCE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD!

2009-09-07T20:39:48-05:00

The recent Dance for Life benefit at the Harris Theater was a sell-out and now I know why! It was one of the most joyous festivals of dance that I’ve attended and the crowd was so supportive of all of the dance companies’ amazing efforts. Participating companies included Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, The Joffrey Ballet, River North Chicago Dance Company and Same Planet Different World. WGN’s entertainment critic and reporter, Dean Richards, was the emcee/host for the 18th year and the crowd loved him. The evening began with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres on the rooftop of the Harris. The views were exquisite and the weather was perfect---everyone was excited and happy including moi. Co-chairs were Patti Eylar, Kevin McGirr and Joe Schroeder. (Kevin’s speech on healthcare reform received thunderous applause.) Producer/founder Keith Elliot started the event off with a bang….dancers everywhere performing multiple art forms—they were even dancing hanging onto fabric from the ceiling—a very joyous opening number with something for everyone that brought the crowd to their feet. This number, danced to “Soolaimon” by Neil Diamond, was directed by Harrison McEldowney (who is also the choreographer for the Baton). There was a tribute to Michael Jackson performed by local favorite Enrico Hampton. Hampton has been channeling Michael Jackson for over 20 years and he was perfect in every gesture and movement. (On this same day, Hampton had a half-page article in the Chicago Tribune so I’m guessing his dance card is going to be full for quite a while.) Matthew Adamczyk represented The Joffrey Ballet with his haunting solo performance of “Aria.” WLS’s Ron Magers was the high bidder on the American Airlines trip package which included business class airfare for two to selected cities. From the excitement of the crowd, I’m pretty sure this event will be another sellout come August 2010. I suggest you get your tickets as soon as they become available! It always sells out early and has grown to become the largest performance based AIDS fundraising event in the Midwest benefitting the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Chicago House, AIDS Care, Center on Halsted and also individual members of the dance community who are in need. Visit Dance for Life's web site
for more information. Photos from top right: sell out crowd; Anthony Ritter, Marybeth Brandabur, Justin Breitfelder and Dorothy Bousseau; Mike McRaith (director of the Illinois Department of Insurance), Tara Flocco and fiance Alexi Giannoulias; Quentin Schumacher, Michael Hawkey and The Palmer House's David Brandt; Ken Sarnoff, The Joffrey's Artistic Director Ashley Wheater and Christine Ellis; Jim Smith, Chris Long; Helen Melchior and Greg Hyder; with WGN's Dean Richards; event co-chairs Kevin McGirr, Patti Eylar and Joe Schroeder; Greg and Kasia Kay; Joffrey dancer Matthew Adamczyk; Kathy Schmalen-Abbene and daughter Emily; Peter Grigsby and Gary Metzner. For more photos from this event, click here!

And more news from the world of dance! Don’t you just love it? I hope Chicago becomes the center of the universe for dance and if founders/artistic directors Jay Franke and Lar Lubovitch have their way, it will! Their Chicago Dancing Festival was held just recently and it was SRO - which just goes to show how much Chicagoans embrace dance! This FREE festival hosted 16 dance companies from around the world for a week-long series of events culminating at the Pritzker Pavillion in Millenium Park. Don't miss it next year because tickets go fast for this event, too! Photos from top right: David Herro, tennis great Billie Jean King and Chicago Dancing Festival co-founder Jay Franke.

Common Threads’ new Associate Board is hosting their first annual World Cookout at Fulton’s on the River at 315 N. LaSalle on Thursday, Sept. 17th. Chicago area chefs will unite with winemakers, mixologists and brewers to raise money for the low-income children in Common Threads’ after-school cooking programs. Top Chicago culinary stars who are generously donating their time and talents include Rodelio Aglibot (Sunda), Robert Andrea (Jake Melnick’s), Greg Biggers (Fulton’s on the River), Radhika Desai (Top Chef Season 5), Jonathan Fox (La Madia), Gale Gand (Tru), James Gottwald (Rockit Bar and Grill), Giuseppe Tentori ((Boka), Stephanie Izard (Top Chef Season 4), Bill Kim (Urban Belly), Sarah Grueneberg (Spiaggia), Mark Mendez (Carnivale), Chris Pandel (The Bristol), Toni Roberts (C-House), Paul Virant (Vie) and Dominique Tougne (Bistro 110), Rick Gresh (David Burke’s Primehouse) and Suzanne Imaz and Martial Noguier (Café Des Architectes). VIP tickets are $150 and include pre-party and after-party access beginning at 9 p.m. at Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap at 41 E. Superior. General admission tickets are $75. I hope you can come out for this wonderful cause! For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.commonthreads.org or call Jenny Pinto at 312-329-2501, ext. 207. By the way, if any of you are interested in attending a cooking class with the kids of Common Threads, e-mail me at candace@candidcandace.com. I've taken several groups of friends in the past and it's an experience they have never forgotten! Photos from top right: Common Threads students; Fulton's on the River; Chef Stephanie Izard with Common Threads students; Chef Art Smith and Padma Lakshmi with Common Threads students.

Recently, I was invited by Patrick Plante for lunch at 676 Restaurant at the Omni Hotel, located at 676 N. Michigan. I had never been and quite frankly, hardly knew where the place was. Well, I have to tell you that this beautiful restaurant is a little jewel with the most beautiful views of Michigan Avenue AND LET’S TALK ABOUT THE FOOD! OMG, chefs Kevin Atkinson and Daven Wardynski create the most gorgeous and tasty dishes imaginable! All of the dishes use seasonal ingredients and the day we were there they were serving tomato and Michigan white bean soup with truffles and a goat cheese “crouton,” seared fois gras with a pink peppercorn pancake and sour strawberries, Maine lobster spring rolls, seared sea scallops with braised kale and golden raisin pesto and hot rock Gulf shrimp tacos. The dessert tasting was simply decadent and included butterscotch crème brulee with shortbread cookies, bittersweet chocolate truffle mousse cake with raspberry sauce, warm Michigan apple crisp with bourbon caramel and cinnamon ice cream and vanilla bean cheesecake with lemon-blueberry compote and maple tuille. The staff could not be sweeter and the room, designed by Hollywood set designer Curtis Schnell, is gorgeous and dramatic. If a guest inquires about a dish, they even send you off with the recipe!! I highly recommend 676…..you’ll be pleasantly surprised! For reservations, please call 312-944-6664, ext. 559. Photos from top right: inside 676; with my host Patrick Plante; the Omni Hotel (center).

Chuck and I were recently feted by my longtime dear friend, Rhonda Sanderson, at a double anniversary party at Gibson’s. We, along with Hedwig and Bob Golant, enjoyed a private, elegant and intimate evening with several friends. My goddaughter, Samantha Amato, planned the evening to a T right down to the heart-shaped place cards which doubled as seed packets. There were lots of toasts and memories shared and I can’t thank her enough for this wonderful evening and for being such a good friend! Guests included Charley Jordan, Alan Sax, Sheryl Dyer, Hazel and Warren Barr, Greg Hyder, Jim Smith, John Regas, Gale and Jay Gottlieb, John Amato, Emory Golant, Nadine and Ira Epstein, Jannie and Elliot Pearlman, Keith Shirley, Maureen and Jerry Guon and Tracey and John Vercillo. I hope we can all be together again on our 50th! :) Photos from top left: Bob and Hedwig Golant, Rhonda Sanderson and us; Rhonda, me, Nadine Epstein and Jannie Pearlman; Bob Golant, Chuck, Warren Barr, Elliot Pearlman and Ira Epstein; Hedwig Golant, Hazel Barr and Gale Gottlieb; Maureen Guon with John and Tracey Vercillo; John Amato, Rhonda and Samantha Amato. For more photos from this amazing evening, click here!

Guests attending opening night of the Lyric Opera on Sept. 26th (Tosca), will be among the first to preview its two new restaurants. Florian Opera Bistro and The Sarah and Peer Pederson Room will be open on performance days only, exclusively to ticketholders for that date’s performance. Rich, jewel-tone reds and golds create a gem-like quality in the Pederson Room while the Florian will feature a fantastic collection of historic and contemporary opera photographs from the Lyric’s collection. Jewell Events Catering has created menus for matinee and evening pre-opera dining and pos- matinee dining. George Jewell says, “I’ve drawn from my European training to create menus that are classic, yet innovative, to create a gem of an evening or afternoon for guests.” The Pederson Room is by reservation only and the Florian is casual chic with an a la carte menu and guests will be served on a first-come, first-served basis. If George Jewell is involved, I KNOW it has to be good! Congrats to the Lyric and George! I can’t wait to try them both… :) Photos from top left: the Pederson Room; caterer extraordinaire George Jewell; Florian Opera Bistro.

Well, since this little blog seems to be covering just about everything this week, I don’t want to forget to mention two boutiques that I recently came upon. Both of them are in the Fulton Market Street area and couldn’t be cooler! The first, Fix at 1101 W. Fulton, has only been opened a month and is owned by the dynamic sister team of Maggie and Jennifer Gelber. They carry men’s and women’s clothing with new and exciting designers like Elizabeth & James, Black Halo, Nightcap Clothing, Graham & Spencer, Dekkori, Ginette_NY, Rich & Skinny, Rag & Bone and Mackage to name a few. Their accessory choices were really unique and included Dekkori boot covers that changed a simple pump into one of the season’s hottest looks for $127. There was also a terrific leather bracelet-keychain that took the worry out of walking the dogs and not having enough hands for everything you needed to carry ($49) and their gold/diamond jewelry line by Ginette_NY covered every price point. Around the corner was another cool store called Koros at 1019 W. Lake owned by Kristen Skordilis and Tom Bynum. They carry amazing oversized necklaces by Marlaina Stone with a small, but unique selection of hot styles. I fell in love with a tulle belted vest by Bynum & Bang which would look great over jeans. The store is visually remarkable too! I hope these two chic shops turn this area into Soho Midwest soon! Good luck Maggie, Jennifer, Kristen and Tom!! :) Photos from top right: Fix owners Jennie and Maggie Gelber; Dekkori pump covers; keyring bracelets; Koros co-owner Tom Bynum; Marlaina Stone necklace; Bynum & Bang vest. For more photos, click here!

Well, this is all for this week and thanks again for reading CandidCandace! I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day and had their flags proudly displayed somewhere for the world to see! God Bless America and see you next week!

Love,
Candace :)

P.S. Congratulations are in order for Harriet Ross, Keith Elliott, Gail Kalver and Danny Kopelson (Chicago Dancers Board of Directors) for being honored by the Illinois Arts Alliance for their amazing dedication to the world of dance. I also want to congratulate Lynne Bredfeldt who will be honored on Sept. 16th with the “Rising Star Award” and finally, a very happy first birthday to Graham Kostic’s wonderful web site, Glossed & Found! MOVERS AND SHAKERS ALL!