B12 Solipsism

Local high profile designed Maria Pinto (we’ve discussed her store before) is closing down her boutique, located at 135 N. Jefferson St in the West Loop.

All of the praise for Michelle Obama’s grape- and tomato-colored sheaths couldn’t bear enough fruit to spare their Chicago-based designer — Maria Pinto — from the recession’s blight.

Pinto, whose work has been worn by not only the country’s first lady but also queen-of-talk Oprah Winfrey, will open her West Loop boutique for five final days starting Tuesday. Her daywear, eveningwear, wraps and one-of-a-kind accessories will be liquidated at 50 percent to 70 percent off their original prices.

In January, Pinto arrived at the decision to close her shop and cease wholesale operations, she said. A fashion designer for 20 years who previously worked for Geoffrey Beene, Pinto launched her own line in 1991. Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Barneys New York and Takashimaya in New York, as well as high-end boutiques across the country, carried her pieces.

[Click to continue reading Maria Pinto: Chicago designer Maria Pinto liquidating boutique - chicagotribune.com]

I’ve glanced at her store window a few times, and I didn’t see any item that entranced me. Perhaps her best work was customized to particular customers, and not for display on a clothing rack.

And this statement mostly sounds true:

“In the general scheme of things, our store was doing very well. But our other retailers are paring down their open-to-buys (merchandise purchases) and looking to build sales through trunk shows,” she said. “It’s difficult because it makes your forecasted cash flow challenging. You’re waiting for the show to happen, waiting for things to happen. Before, the stores were committed to larger inventories.”

Any avid shopper can see the shift, she said.

“Walk through the stores and see how the stores are buying very differently. Saks had blast-out sales going in November 2008. November this year, there was very little in stores that was on sale. What was left was bottom-of-the-barrel. Everyone is having to reposition themselves.”

For 2009, total U.S. apparel sales fell 5.2 percent to $188.5 billion, market research firm NPD Group reported last month.

A few interesting links collected February 25th through March 1st:

• 

• Where is The Best Bloody Mary in DC? « brunch and the city – image by swanksalot on Flickr

• 

• R.J. Cutler: What I Learned From Anna Wintour – Lesson 1: Keep Meetings ShortI work in the film business, where schmoozing is an art form, lunch hour lasts from 12:30 until 3, and every meeting takes an hour whether there’s an hour’s worth of business or not. Not so at Vogue, where meetings are long if they go more than seven minutes and everyone knows to show up on time, prepared and ready to dive in. In Anna’s world, meetings often start a few minutes before they’re scheduled. If you arrive five minutes late, chances are you’ll have missed it entirely. Imagine the hours of time that are saved every day by not wasting so much of it in meetings. It’s not by accident that during the final scene of The September Issue, Anna Wintour is in her office alone, waiting for a meeting to begin, and we hear her voice call out, “Is anyone coming to this run-through except for me?”
• Haymarket Pub & Brewery Opening this Summer in the West Loop — Grub Street Chicago – Once Extra Virgin, then Bar Louie, now Haymarket Brewery Photo: swanksalot/Flickr

Waiting for a Perfect Moment, originally uploaded by swanksalot.

in front of the St. Patrick’s church, no less

embiggen:
decluttr

I actually flubbed this photo a bit, at least from my perspective. I’m more used to using my 18-200mm lens for “street photography” than the 50mm lens I used this particular day. I think the focus was slightly off, so I used the Alien Skin Exposure 2 filter, with Kodak 25 (sharper) settings. This particular filter emulates using Kodak slide film, and subtlety sharpens the edges. In this case, the image came out pretty good, but I wish I had taken a better shot to work with. If you look at the larger view, you’ll see what I mean (maybe).

Also, the light pole “frames” are intentional. I had given myself an assignment on this particular photo-stroll; look for images that are framed by natural elements. In this case, the street lights.

In the future, I’m going to assign myself other tasks based on looking at photos I like. I’m thinking – negative space, abstractions, etc. The trick is adding a bit of theory on top of my photographic instincts. I’ve been taking photographs long enough that my eye is an extension of my camera, the goal is to challenge myself into pressing the shutter sometimes despite my finely honed instinct (which is not always correct, of course). Does that make sense?

Excellent news reported by Chuck Sudo of the Chicagoist: a delightful pub within stumbling distance of me

Construction is currently underway on Haymarket Pub and Brewing, in the former Bar Louie space at 741 W. Randolph. The project is a partnership between Pete Crowley, senior brewer at Rock Bottom Chicago, and his friend John Neurauter. We’d been hearing rumblings for weeks about Haymarket and Crowley, who’s also president of the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, was more than happy to fill us in on some of the details.

Crowley said that Haymarket will focus on “classic Belgian and contemporary American ales and lagers paired with hand made sausages, pulled pork, pizza and rotisserie chicken.” There are plans for an outdoor beer garden, full bar, dining area with pool tables and games. About 600 square feet downstairs will be allocated for a barrel room for aging and blending. The centerpiece of the pub will be a walk through kitchen and brewery that leads to a “drinking and writing” theater

[From More Brewing In Town: Haymarket Pub and Brewing - Chicagoist]

Let’s hope it has better luck than the several previous occupants of this location (at least five businesses that I can think of have cycled through in the last decade)

A few interesting links collected February 7th through February 17th:

• 

• The New Parking Meters and The Chicago Economy | The Chicago 77 – We’d like to that Swanksalot for kindly sharing today’s photo via the Creative Common’s License. (sic)
• Political Style: Mario Pinto to close – Image Copyright: Swanksalot/Creative Commons)We were saddened to hear that Mario Pinto, the designer famous for Mrs Obama’s purple primary dress will be closing her business and is expected to file for bankruptcy early next week.

• 

• Joan Walsh – Salon.com- The pitbull in lipstick is back! – She’s “tired of hearin’ the talk talk talk” but Palin wowed Tea Party Nation Inc. with nastiness for fun and profit

  “They’re not knowin what are we gonna do if we don’t have Tea Party support”

You Have Seen Some Unbelievable Things, originally uploaded by swanksalot.

actual artist/title unknown.

Hubbard Street somewhere in the West Loop.

decluttr

There are several variations on this stencil on various train underpasses near Hubbard Street

HipstaMatic Presidential Towers, originally uploaded by swanksalot.

Well, three of them anyway

Shot with my Hipstamatic for iPhone
Lens: John S
Film: Pistil
Flash: Off

decluttr

from last month’s archive

Family Planning protest w 50 foot Giant Virgin Mary, originally uploaded by swanksalot.

I only had a 70 mm zoom lens when I shot this, so this is a little hard to see, but it looks like a giant Virgin Mary statue is being set up to glare across the street at the family planning clinic on 659 W Washington. By the looks of the police barricades, I’d say a bevy of protesters is going to greet any woman unlucky enough to have an appointment today. I’d go over and get a closer shot, but I’d probably get into a fist fight with the fundies. Birth control is apparently their next target, btw.
decluttr

As ChicagoSage suggested in comments, we should build a 30 foot Flying Spaghetti Monster with noodley appendages next to this statue.

Fumare Meats – Metra Market, originally uploaded by swanksalot.

Finally made it over to the long-awaited Metra Market. Favorable impression, we’ll be returning

www.frenchmarketchicago.com/vendor/fumare
Dick McCracken left banking to pursue his love of good food and sharing his culinary finds with others. Fumare (’smoke’ in Italian) brings traditionally cured and smoked meats from local producers to Chicago French Market. Items include locally made prosciutto, hams, smoked sausages, bacons and other delights. Menu highlights include an old-fashioned, Montreal-style smoked meat (think pastrami) cured and naturally smoked, peppered and slow-cooked to a well-marbled tenderness.

am actually pretty hungry right now, wish the French Metra Market was open

Harrison Ford at the Haymarket, originally uploaded by swanksalot.

Shot with my Hipstamatic for iPhone
Lens: John S
Film: BlacKeys B+W
Flash: Off

decluttr

billboard for Extraordinary Measures looking at Marry Brogger’s Haymarket Riot Memorial statue

Displaced Truths, originally uploaded by swanksalot.

West Loop

Embiggen: decluttr

The view from my office window

A Mystic Communion, originally uploaded by swanksalot.

West Loop

decluttr

from my 2008 photo archives

YMCA 1928, originally uploaded by swanksalot.

West Loop

decluttr

from my 2009 photo archive

Progress is Inevitable, originally uploaded by swanksalot.

Metra

benefits from viewing larger:
decluttr

from my 2006 photo archive

No More Number 3, originally uploaded by swanksalot.

alley wall, West Loop

Embiggen: decluttr

from my 2006 archives