In acknowledgement of the passing of a fashion icon, Karl Lagerfeld…

Karl Lagerfeld

Elegance is an attitude. Indeed, it is. From the words of Karl Lagerfeld, an icon in fashion, and especially within the world of Chanel, onward in that. With an appreciation of the world of fashion design, Lagerfeld has always been one that captured my attention with his constant mystique and his bold force in the world of fashion.  A pioneer of fashion and noted as:

“One of the most prolific and celebrated fashion designers of all time”- Harper’s Bazaar

From my archives, June 2018

I can always be found photographing the windows of the Chanel boutique on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois.  A destination from behind my lens for years has been the windows of Chanel.  Lagerfeld, born in Hamburg and changing the world of fashion for decades in Paris, will live on as a force of change itself.  In his words, “Change is the healthiest way to survive”.  His mark of change and his gift to fashion, that he brought forth through decades of his work, will survive and endure to live on, indeed.

On a personal note…  In 1998 I met the icon of fashion at the launching of his fragrance, Jako, at the Chicago State Street flagship store, Marshall Fields.  Framed is his autograph personalized to me. It represents a moment in time not to be forgotten.  For I had met an icon and prolific designer of fashion that will endure to impact the world of fashion.

How befitting to quote Coco Chanel:

“Fashion changes, but style endures”

Onward in appreciation to the change, the style and the iconic presence of the late Karl Lagerfeld.

Onward,

Kristin

Fashion & The City

May: Fashion & The City: Chicago

May. Fashion and the city, Chicago. Again, another blending of style and the details of the city and its streets. Joint inspiration from behind my lens, indeed. Quick snapshots in time of changing visuals in a city. Without a doubt, it was officially Summer. And a sweltering Summer day, at that. With temps in the concrete jungle in the high 90’s, the “real feel” was clocked in at 104 while perusing the Gold Coast off Michigan Avenue. On this particular day, breezes from Lake Michigan were non-existent.  It was merely hot, hot, hot. But onward. Onward to rejuvenate myself and focus on the details and the city scene I was immersed in. Chicago Love. Fashion Love. City life love.

Spring Into Summer Green Off The Chicago River

With a nod to Memorial Day, the windows of Ralph Lauren offered a classic American visual of fashionable style. Polo Style. All white delight, and the red, white and blue stars and stripes that we love. Classic Americana. Summer in America, for certain.

Ralph Lauren’s Polo: Classic American Fashion

Of course, Max Mara always gains several compilations from behind my lens. A mass of stylish mannequins always lures my camera…

Max Mara: Style & The City

Structure & Stylish Substance: The City & Max Mara

Fashion Windows & City Details

Structure & Fashion’s Timeless Form: Max Mara

Michael Kors City Style

Vivid Tones In The City: Hugo Boss

A City’s Stylish Reflections: Chanel

Fashion & Timeless Structure: Chanel and City Details

 

Neiman Marcus: The Marred Mannequin & The City

A word about a photographed mannequin from behind the stylish windows of Neiman Marcus. Shock from behind my lens. As I have been capturing visual merchandising from behind my lens for over 5 years, I had yet to come across a mannequin on Michigan Avenue, from such a high-end brand as Neiman’s, with a marred face. As I stood there, debating to share such an image of visual faux pas, I began to ponder as to how the visual merchandiser found it acceptable to leave the mannequin in the window with such glaring defects. Alas, perhaps it is only those of us that truly stop to view, to admire, to look at the details, that notice.  Maybe the thought was it would go unnoticed by the fast paced shoppers that only throw a glance towards the fashionable whimsy behind the expansive windows of glass.  Yet to me, as a photographer of high style mannequins, I expect more. Higher standards, if you will.  Perhaps I am in alignment with the well said quote below…

“I have the simplest taste. I am only satisfied with the best”   -Founder Stanley Marcus of Neiman Marcus

City Style: Burberry And The City

Fashion and the city. One more compilation in time. Visual merchandising that changes monthly and the structure and form of the city. A love affair that continues.

Onward,

Kristin

The Photographer In The City. Selfie, Buberry’s/May 2018

Fashion & The City

Fashion & The City: Chicago Style

Fashion. The city. Two loves entwined. Another month of images from behind my lens to weave together the visuals of styled, fashionable stance behind thick panels of glass and the structural visuals that a city bestows to those who look closer. Details. Captured. The essence of a fashion and the city that surrounds it…

It was late April in Chicago. Blue skies. Minimal Chicago winds. Spring was in the air. Alas, my timeliness in sharing is late…but images are lasting and one month spills into the next swiftly. Time itself is swift. The month of May images await from behind my lens. Yes, a monthly visual compilation continues. Yet appreciation of the moment captured is always my intent to share. Onward in that. From behind the lens.

City view: Chicago, April 2018

City Structure & Fashion’s Whimsy At Neiman Marcus

City Scene & Brilliant Whimsy, Neiman Marcus

Stripes & Structure: Neiman’s & The City Of Chicago

Hugo Boss & Michigan Avenue Scene

“Chicago” Icon & Burberry

Max Mara & City Detail

Max Mara: Blue Hue & Architectural Details

Michael Kors & Iconic Chicago Architecture…The Wrigley Building

Chanel. Details in a city.

Every once in a while I photograph a mannequin that beckons a rendering in black and white. Brilliant fashion style that endures to delight from behind the lens (thank you, Max Mara).

For the love of Fashion’s Mannequin… Max Mara Style

Consider the world of fashion as it exists in the city. The two collide in a delightful city scene. For the love of fashion and the city, Onward.

Kristin

Fashion & The City

Fashion and the City/Chicago/March 2018

Fashion & the city. Entwined. Architecture and the city. City scenes and fashionable luring windows endure to bring appreciation from behind my lens. An ongoing attempt at capturing the essence of fashion’s change in a structural world of distinctive architectural details. A love affair, indeed…

Spring onward, from behind the lens…

The Beauty Of Neiman Marcus  Visuals & City Details

City Patterns & Color Bursts Of Style

Seasonal Nods Of High Style, Neiman Marcus

Fashion and the City, Louis Vuitton

For the Love Of Chanel…And The City Of Chicago

Two Loves: Fashion & The City

The Windows Of Prada, The Artistry Of Visual Display & Details Of Substance In A City

Color Burst, Tom Ford & City Scene

Stripes & City Style: Max Mara

Fashion & The City: Always Entwined. Max Mara.

Burberry Fashion & Architecture

Appreciate the details that surround you. Looking closer, looking upward you will find details of beauty. And from behind the thick glass panes of fashion’s changing stage? Inspiration and appreciation of fashion’s whimsy and artful displays of style will loose you, if but for a moment, into the timeless and often fantasy world of fashion.

Breton Stripes At Max Mara

One side note…On this day, March 31, 2018, Jcrew has deemed it to be International Stripes Day.  Befitting that the image below finds me in Jcrew stripes. Breton Stripes forever!

Onward!

Kristin

Self Portrait Off Burberry’s Reflective Exterior.

Fashion & The City

Fashion & The City: February 2018

So it was February. Fashion and the city. Intertwined. As fleeting as time is, the changing windows of fashion move at the speed of the city streets. Constant. To see the world of fashion behind the windows of a city is to see the city itself that these representations of style dwell within. From behind the lens, once again, my shift has changed to add the details of the city and street scenes paired with fashionable style…

Max Mara In Chicago

Max Mara In Chicago

Burberry Tulle & Parisian Architecture, Chicago

Burberry & The Icon Of Chicago

Blue Skies: Michael Kors & The “Bean”

Chicago Details & A Fashionable Mannequin Of Saks

Hugo Boss Style & City Details

Fashion & The City (Zara)

Consider the city surrounds and the fashionable representations therein. City life is certainly a mix of energy and fantasy. Look closer.  Look upward. Appreciation for the visuals and details that surround will only bring gratitude for the very gift that each day brings.  Alas, I will never tire of saying it…“Every day is a gift”.

City love and fashionable love, Onward,

Kristin

The Photographer…

PS: Perhaps capturing myself in my own way is documenting personal change. Internal change in recollection of a moment captured. Time and place. With change comes growth. Onward into change. There is freedom in that, indeed.

Fashion & The City

Chicago, January 2018

Fashion and the city. Two loves. The art of fashion and the architectural city. Chicago.  For the last few years I have presented a monthly visual of the mannequins of high end fashion that grace the streets of Chicago. Oh, Chicago. A few snapshots of my love of the city and the fashionable streets joined together.  Fashion is linked with the city it surrounds. To me, the two are entwined.

Like fashion, my life continually changes.  Perspective.  As I have held firmly to the word “onward” in recent years, in the first month of this New Year I was struck by another word.   Prevail.  Just as truth prevails, the city prevails. As a word that can be used in several contexts, in this case,  fashion and the city that surrounds prevails in continually offering us such a vast array of visual delights.   Oh, for the love of the energy of the city, the architectural delights and the changing visual world of timeless and whimsical fashion that awaits behind shiny panes of glass off the streets of a city. Not to mention the sounds of the city.  Or the weather itself that changes the city seasonally.  On this particular day intense fog rolled in and shrouded the city by afternoon end.  Oh, for the love of Chicago in January.

That said, a New Year, a new intent, onward…

Chicago, January 2018

Chicago, January 2018/Burberry

 

Chicago, January 2018/Burberry

Chicago, January 2018

Chicago, January 2018/Tom Ford

Chicago, January 2018

Chicago, January 2018

Chicago, January 2018

Chicago, January 2018

Chicago, January 2018

Fashion and the city.  Architecture and fashion as art.

From behind the lens I offer my perspective which is a personal passion and a love of the city and the world that resides within its realm.  A world of fashionable fantasy, architectural history and reality.  Onward in appreciation of all of those elements.  Life.  The world that surrounds us and the joys we find within our realities are gifts.  From behind the lens I will continue to capture what inspires.  City inspirations, indeed.

Kristin

The Photographer. Self Portrait. January 2018.

A New Year…Onward.

Chicago

A New Year. New opportunities. New horizons ahead.
Change. As you move forward into the New Year be reminded that “Nothing changes unless you change”.
Move onward in that.

Onward always,

Kristin

Moving Onward/Selfie

City Inspirations: Fashionable Windows Of Chicago In December

Fashionable Chicago

Fashionable Chicago in December. Holiday style, captured.  Another year, from behind the lens, comes to a close. Fashion off the city streets of Chicago. Never the same. So it is with a love of the fashionable windows that I continue to put forth the images that inspire me of fashion’s art. The mannequin and the fashionable changes that drape them. We do what we love, in the end. Perhaps these blog posts of monthly fashionable journeys are visuals that I can recall with delight. That therein is enough reason to capture, compile and publish quietly to the world.  Has it been 5 years of never missing a month in sharing these fashionable images from the city streets of Chicago? Alas, time flies.  As we contemplate and review another years end, it is with thought, consideration and passion that we choose to move forward. It is the only direction.

For the love of what inspires us, onward…

City Scene: Michigan Avenue in December

Tiffany’s Visual Delight

Cartier’s Holiday Fantasy

Saks Fifth Avenue: Holiday Style

Saks Fifth Avenue: Holiday Style

Saks Fifth Avenue: Holiday Style

Celebratory Louis Vuitton

Oh, for the love of Max Mara’s windows. It endures. Perhaps it is the timeless simplicity that the visuals bring forth. But of this December’s windows I must comment on the nod to fashion’s past. Stylish toppers that recall fashionable yesteryear of classic feminine style. In classic black, indeed…

Nod To Fashion’s Past: Max Mara

Max Mara Style In Classic Black

Max Mara: Classic Style In Timeless Black

My Personal Love Affair: Max Mara Windows In Classic Black

Max Mara: Topped In Style

Max Mara

Holiday Color Pop: Max Mara

So it was pure delight to see the Parisian flare reminiscent of Coco Chanel’s French Riviera style and the Breton stripe shirt.   My favorite fashion icon, for certain. Timeless. Cheers, Max Mara, for another classic display.

Max Mara: Striped Delight With A French Flair

New Year’s Nod, Macy’s State Street

Consider what inspires you. Follow it. For in the end, as each day is a gift, it is the joys the delight us that should layer our worlds. So the city streets, the city itself and the changing fashion that represents the season and the art of fashion are a few of my delights that give me immense delight. Onward in the New Year, from behind the lens. A new perspective ahead. Perhaps a new fashionable perspective from behind the lens, too. Change is always good. After all, there is no change unless something changes. Onward in that.

Onward,

Kristin

Photographer In The Reflection, “Selfie”

Christmas Wishes…

Graced With Boughs Of Pine & Ribbons Of Red…                                                                          (Chicago Board Of Trade)

 

Wishing you and yours a Merry and Bright Christmas filled with joy, happiness and gratitude.  Merry Christmas!

Onward, always,

Kristin

 

“It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air”   – W.T. Ellis

Holiday Lights, Chicago

City Inspirations: Fashionable Windows of Chicago in November

Fashionable Chicago In November

So it was November. And in Fashion, like time itself, change is inevitable. Fashionable streets of Chicago in a month that preludes the Holidays. Yes, fashion and the city. A city bedecked in pre-holiday fete from the windows and beyond. Perhaps no other words are needed except a recap of the visual delights that awaited the eye on the city streets. Fashion and the photograph. If, but for a moment, captured in time. Onward we go to the holidays and celebrations that follow…

Join me in the photographic journey, as we near years end, in appreciation of the windows of fashion on the city streets of Chicago. November in Chicago. The Magnificent Mile and the Gold Coast. Behind the lens, onward…

Fashion And The City, Max Mara

Neiman’s Holiday Style

Holiday style, Neiman Marcus

Holiday Fete, Neiman Marcus

Holiday Dazzle, Neiman Marcus

Holiday Statement, Neiman Marcus

Holiday Prelude, Neiman’s

A Hugo Boss “Holiday”

Mad For Plaid, Burberry’s

Mad For Plaid, Burberry

Layers Of Burberry

Styled Chairs, Burberry

Burberry & The World Of Visual Merchandising

Chair Style: Burberry’s & The World Of Visual Merchandising

Ferragamo: Bedecked In Style

The Windows Of Marc Jacobs

Golden Palms & Classic Black: Michael Kors

Kate Spade, Joy

Silhouettes Of Style, Carolina Herrera

Chanel. Fashionable Statements Endure

Fashionable Chanel

Black And White: Tom Ford

Max Mara, Winter Prelude

Max Mara, Winter Prelude

Max Mara, Winter Prelude

Max Mara, Winter Prelude

Max Mara, Winter Prelude

Max Mara, Winter Prelude

Fashionable Winter Impact: Moncler

Winter Whimsy: Ralph Lauren

Consider with appreciation the fashionable windows that surround. There is always something to delight the eyes. Whether whimsy or pure, classic style, fashion endures to inspire, to excite and to push those of us onward in appreciation. Details of an art form captured from behind a lens. In a moment of time, indeed.

Time.  It is all we have.  The moment.  Let’s relish the moment and with gratitude appreciate the gift of time.  That, therein, is the greatest gift to be reminded of during the holidays. At the onset of Christmas and a New Year, may your inner world be one of appreciation and gratitude.  The world before us.  Our life.  Our perspective.

For me, from behind the lens, onward in that.  Although few may read these words, respond or peruse the images, it is with the inner passion of sharing the art and beauty of fashion that I continue to push forth the images that I am inspired to capture and present.  Impact.  If but for a moment…in time.

Onward,

Kristin

Fashionable “Selfie”, Caught in the reflection paired with city fashion window love