Fashion Forecast.

I should have known what the weather would be in Chicago today without even checking. For the past six months, every time there has been an event that required (1) glamming up and (2) some Schwartz in my life, it has poured. Chicago Singles at the Museum of Contemporary Art: raining cats and dogs. Glamorama: Steady downpour, decreasing as the night went on. Gala: Took 20 long, hair-deflating minutes to get a cab. Which brings me to tonight: Macy's presents Chicago's Fashion Focus, which was a VIP cocktail reception at the tent in Millennium Park, followed by a fashion show, and concluding with an after-party at the Shrine. The forecast? Sprinkles in the morning, growing heavier as the day went on. My boy, Tom Skilling, was not wrong. By the time I drove home tonight, there was enough water on the streets that I think there was the potential for hydroplaning, depending on the car.

However, neither rain nor flood will stop fashion. The show was super. My friend, Andrea, opened the show, explaining that it consisted of both designers that Macy's currently carried and those fledgling designers who were in the Fashion Incubator, a Macy's-sponsored and Chicago-supported project to encourage design in Chicago. The show featured 106 looks. I had never been to fashion show before but I LOVED it. While some of the models had hip bones so sharp I was afraid for them (and those around them who might accidentally get sliced if the girl should stumble into them), there was actually a wide variety of model size, including one plus-sized model who owned the runway and crowd like no one else. She arched her eyebrow and that crowd went wild. Incredible. Anyway, I thought it was great and saw some clothes that I would very much like to own.

From there, we went to the Shrine, a club, and site of the afterparty. Due to the rain, I was near my physical limit anyway. A friend of mine works at the Shrine and I was hoping that knowing him would guarantee my tired knees and feets a seat. Thankfully, not much standing and lots of sitting and chatting took place. It was nights like tonight that I most hate my arthritis -- the music was good and I like to dance but it was not an option. Missy and I decided to call it a night around 10:30. But, the Shrine is located in a cab dead zone so we gave up and ran across the street to Cuatro, a restaurant, that was still serving and had a snack while we called a cab.

Overall, it was a very fun night and so different from my professional world. Unfortunately, my body was a casualty of the rain. Sadly though, the greatest casualty from tonight was Missy's camera. Its tiny and cute and now apparently lost. I have an APB out on it -- calls in to Cuatro and the Shrine - but so far nothing. Photographic proof of the good times tonight (and others) may be lost, but at least we still have the memories. In my case, that might not last very long but for others, I'm sure it will.