Chicago has never needed much encouragement to put its name on things. We’re happy to help.
Ashley Munroe introduced Fab Chicago beneath a series of white tents at Armitage and Bissell, where the corner’s turrets provided a suitable backdrop without requiring anyone to improve the architecture. Flags marked the occasion. Guests arriving in the new Chicago hoodies were photographed before they had a chance to put their coats back on.
The evening brought together Society Members, neighbors and familiar faces from NBC, WGN News, the Lincoln Park Gazette and CNN. There was some discussion of who was on television and who simply looked as though they ought to be. Ashley made a point of greeting both.
Mayor Daley was unable to attend. His son may have. The Ryans were also absent, although someone near the second tent was quite certain their son had arrived. Neville Bryan sent a family representative. Ashley considered the families well represented and saw no reason to trouble anyone further over the details.
Under the tents, guests examined the collection with drinks in one hand and rather definite opinions in the other. The Chicago lettering appeared on navy hoodies and notebooks, while framed neighborhood maps encouraged several conversations about where people actually live. A woman who had come expressly to look at the clothes spent most of the evening explaining her corner.
Fab Chicago brings these familiar pieces of the city together: the lettering, the neighborhood signs, the maps and the stars people recognize before they have read a word. It is the Society’s Chicago line, with room for people whose affection for the city extends beyond the Village. Membership is optional. Having an opinion about Chicago will help.
Ashley described the undertaking as an opportunity to elevate the city’s everyday presentation. Chicago already has the architecture, she noted, and can hardly be expected to conduct all of its civic business in an old conference fleece. A good hoodie can accompany someone to the lakefront, through an airport or out for coffee without making the city look as though it has given up.
The notebooks received particular attention from guests who enjoy the appearance of having somewhere to be. The framed maps were discussed as gifts for friends who have moved away, and for friends who have remained but could use a better understanding of the boundaries. No one suggested that affection for Chicago required an entirely neutral account of its neighborhoods.
As the light softened, the flags and turrets gave the corner the air of a small civic occasion. People lingered between the tents, comparing colors and deciding who needed what. Ashley was pleased. Introducing a collection is one thing; giving everyone a reason to stay for another drink is rather more useful.
Fab Chicago is for the neighborhood regular, the friend who still asks what has changed on their old block, and anyone who feels a little better when the skyline comes into view. We expect you’ll find something that feels like your Chicago.