Ariana, Live From The Runway: Where Fashion x Classical Music
THE DEVELOPMENT
On the night of Saturday, January 27th, the immersive fashion show Soundpost: Perception, A Classical Music and Fashion Experience was held at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The event unveiled an exclusive glimpse into the orchestra, where fashion intertwined with the Chicago Symphony to showcase a mesmerizing fusion of modern inspiration, full of bold prints, intricate textures, and vibrant colors.
A testament to the young design talent of the city, this inspiring and creative collaboration of fashion and music was organized by @csooverturecouncil (including Jackie Cheng, Clint Ecker, and Harper Reed) and hosted by @chicagofashioncoalition, styled by @stylebykimi, and produced by Ray Martinez of @donebydesign.
The show was an extraordinary creative feat. Seamlessly combining fashion and music, six designers showed their collections over two acts. Each presentation was accompanied by live music from select Chicago Civic Orchestra members.
THE DESIGNERS
The first was InBetweenBranches:
Photo courtesy of Enrique V.
Chanel turned bird cages into handbags at NYFW 2019, but never before has the runway witnessed a bird’s nest as a halo-like headpiece. Charting new creative territories precisely such as this, Chicago-based designer Jordan Chavez made his debut mounting various fascinators into his models’ hairstyles and crafting cascading chapeaus above each originally crafted textile piece.
The debut couture collection, “Rural Renaissance," was a tribute to a bygone era when fashion called for women of the 1800s to weave intricate detail into their wigs. The twelve looks of this collection transcended the audience to a different era, each piece lavishly unified with live classical music.
In addition to the inspiration of the 1880s, one can draw artistic similarities between Chavez’s collection and styles seen from Moschino’s Fall 2021 Ready-To-Wear line and Jean Paul Gaultier’s Fall 2001 Couture. A more modern look in the collection was a red two-piece set lined with white lace trim.
The second designer was Alisia Medina:
Photo courtesy of Enrique V.
The song “Danzon No. 2” by Arturo Marquez cascaded throughout the auditorium, bringing a sense of ethereal exuberance to the stage. This collection evoked that same feeling, and Medina’s culturally savvy looks graced the symphony with floaty silhouettes and colorful, vibrant pieces.
The third was Feign:
Photo courtesy of Enrique V.
Models strutted across the Chicago Lyric Opera stage in sets by designer duo Feign (designed by Jon James and Jené Stefaniak), accompanied by the song Source Code, by Jesse Montogomery. The collection included ethereal visions of denim, tulle, leather, and other everyday materials blended together to create newfound statement pieces and unique silhouettes. The embodiment of the fierce, femme fatale in sleek, modern lines is forecasted to be an ultimate trend for the upcoming season.
The fourth designer was October:
Photo courtesy of Enrique V
Enter dark hues, chains, and oversized drapery, synchronized with Beethoven’s classical favorites String Quartet No. 8 in E. Minor, I. Allegro and String Quartet No. 13 in B Flat, II., Presto. This collection featured multiple menswear additions. The cuts and textures from this designer channeled – a sincere compilation of raw edginess and nodes of avant-garde and goth.
The fifth designer was Summer Han:
Photo courtesy of Enrique V
Along with the songs On The Nature of Daylight by Max Richter and Nessun Dorma by Puccini, models strutted down the catwalk adorned in meticulously crafted garments that seamlessly merged contemporary silhouettes with avant-garde details.
Han’s keen eye for texture and color was evident in the luxurious fabrics and bold hues that adorned each piece. From sleek tailored suits with unexpected embellishments to flowing evening gowns with intricate draping, every ensemble exuded an air of confident elegance.
The sixth designer was Chelsea B.
Photo courtesy of Enrique V
The final designer to set foot on the stage was Chelsea B. Accompanied by the song Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber, this designer provided a stunning contrast to the rest of the lineup in a ten-piece capsule collection of fiber crochet inspired by the Venus Fly Trap. The collection, titled “The New Bloom,” featured hand-knitted garments of color, buoyance, and intricacy. More of this designer’s work can be seen on the 2022 season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars by Monét X and on popular hip-hop music artists Flo Milli, Baby Tate, and Coi Leray. Chelsea B closed the show with a final walk, effortlessly showcasing how superb sewing and streetwear seamlessly make for a successful fashion house. Two more looks below from Chelsea B.
The Takeaway
"Perception seeks to challenge, unravel, and reconstruct how we see ourselves, our cities, and the art forms we love,” Chicago Fashion Coalition President Marquan Jones read at the conclusion of Soundpost, following the last notes of the Chicago Orchestra Symphony’s final song. “This immersive fashion show aspires to bridge generational gaps, transcending perceptions that label the symphony as ‘exclusive’ or for the older crowd.”
Soundpost: Perception, A Classical Music and Fashion Experience undoubtedly exceeded expectations by bringing new faces and walks of life to Chicago Symphony Hall. Moreover, the intricate programming of this event demonstrated just how powerful and closely aligned the relationship between art and music really is.
The Six Designers Below in Order of Article/ Showcase:
All Photos courtesy of Enrique V.
