Glam Rocks-Oh 5 Shines on Chicago

Glamorama Oh-5 is one Chicago event with style that brings a smorgasbord of celebs to the Windy City. Annually, the Historic 150-year-old Marshall Field’s State Street store transforms itself for a night that rivals Hollywood events. “This department store is amazing. Coming here is possibly the most exciting retail experience in my life in its entirety. It’s amazing…amazing,” Crossing Jordon Actor Jerry O’Connell boasted to me at his Perry Ellis special appearance that afternoon. Jerry and Rebecca (Romijn) couldn’t come to the exciting event because they were heading to Cynthia Rowley’s engagement party in New York, but we have a feeling they’ll be vying for a celebrity guest spot at an electrifying future Glamorama party.

On Friday, August 12, at 7:30, Marshall Field’s annual rocked-out event proved once again that Chicagoans have a fashion sense that can compete with some of the most prestigious fashion orientated cities. This year, the all-out-party started with a Hollywood-esque Green carpet with a media frenzy, celeb-rified entrance of the B-52’s, the East Village Opera Company, Ryan Seacrest (showing off his R-Line savvy t-shirt), Joey Slotnik (Nip/Tuck, Alias, Entourage), Seth Meyers (from SNL fame), and was hosted by the vivacious Robert Verdi from E’s Fashion Police.

After posing for Chicago’s favorite photographers (including the globetrotting famous celebrity photographer Patrick Mcmullan) the celebs and guests made there way to the show, which was a spectacle in itself. Runway favorites got us wrapped up in the “fall” moment from designers Zac Posen, Tuleh, Roberto Cavalli and Paul Smith as gorgeous models strutted down their down-slanted runway. "The Glamorama event is a fabulous evening in every sense. The show is so well produced and executed creating a real spectacle of light, music and of course fashion. It really is an occasion to dress glamorously and enjoy the fun and theater of fashion. Chicago is such a great city and Marshall Fields, as the leading store of the city, is the perfect host for such a first class event," said Matthew Williamson, an internationally known London-based Fashion Designer, with special clients like Sienna Miller and Brooke Shields.

The excitement continued after the runway show, as guests made their way to the post-party at Marshall Field’s State Street store, which reflected a world saturated in black and white op art, ransom note lyrics on the walls, projected black and white photography, mirrored balls and McQueen’s checkerboard, created a night to remember.

The $1,000 tickets made us feel very Hollywood in the VIP celebrity private room overlooking the party below, full of our favorite stars, all in their own character of course, not their tv persona’s we all love them for. Marc Moses from Desperate Housewives, Lauren Holly, Seth Meyers mixing with our own local big names like Amanda Puck, Nate Berkus and Billy Dec. Back downstairs the ($173 ticket buys you an) entire floor transformed into something right out of a Hollywood movie with more celebrity sightings, models at play and chic Chicagoans getting their party on to grooves of DJ Tony Okungbowa (from the Ellen DeGeneres’ show). Cocktails were flowing with a savory menu of rock star favs like lobster trifle and Gruyere Fondue, mixed lavender-scented “magic brownies” and electric Kool-Aid shots. Some of the best post party features included an Oxygen Bar, a Photo Booth and a Pinball Alley with Tommy-and Kiss-themed machines.

After a glorious night of partying with the stars, it all went down for a good cause. For the past six years Marshall Field’s has raised over $1.4 million for the Art Institute of Chicago, which is reason enough for us.

For more info, check out www.fields.com.

by Melissa Maynard