ML - Michigan Avenue

2013 - Issue 8 - December

Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!

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Wes Gordon's first resort collection features lush fabrics and clean silhouettes. Gordon's first resort collection was influenced by out last minute to find 30 nude pumps," he says. "But then suddenly having '90s style icons like Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and the luxury to be able to say what this woman is wearing on her feet was really inspired by his passion for clean silhouettes. "Every col- exciting and fun—making her more three-dimensional and being able to crelection has these really rich fabrics. With resort what I ate that world a little bit more." The second accessories collection, on which wanted to do was take that and combine it with clean he continues to build this woman's lifestyle, is with Kotur, the bag line silhouettes. What do these decadent, luxe ingredients designed by fashion veteran Fiona Kotur. "I love Fiona, and the process was so fun," says Gordon. "She's been doing mean in 2014—and what does it mean in a way that's not just an evening collection, but also for a woman her own collections of inlaid boxes, and I love the technique. We came up with this fun shape in her kitchen together on a piece of paper. who needs her wardrobe to do [The bag] is a seven-by-seven square, and it has inlay upon a lot of different things? So I inlay. We showed them not with our evening looks, not with looked at a lot of late '90s, really our cocktail looks, but just casually." elegant looks—Gwyneth Paltrow For Gordon, simplicity and confidence make a woman. in Great Expectations, Rene Russo "Our woman knows who she is," he says. "She's very comin The Thomas Crown Affair—this fortable and confident, and she's looking for clothes that idea of it [being] feminine and amplify rather than mask [her confidence]. I think that's sexy, but still clean. There's still why our clothes are timeless and why they have a longevity a personality there." to them." He enjoys identifying this when traveling, espeThat philosophy trickled into cially to Chicago, where he visits "about eight times a year, his first runway show in New between trunk shows, special events, and charity events." York in September for Spring He often drops in at Neapolitan Collection in Winnetka, 2014, which layered upon his —WES GORDON where his line is sold. "I sound like I do their public relations resort collection. "There's nothwhen I say this," he laughs, "but I swear it's genuine—it's the ing I dislike more in clothes than having 7,000 seams and the clothes just look so most amazing store. It's the John Hughes town, so it's very charming and stiff—when [clothes] wear the person," he says. "A cute with little shops and a little main street, and it looks very all-American. seam is only on our clothes if it needs to be there." And then you go into [owner Kelly Golden]'s store, and it's the ultimate jewel Gordon also debuted his second accessories col- box. Bottega Veneta, Prada, Lanvin, Irene Neuwirth jewelry—it's just amazlaboration. "A couple of years ago we started ing stuff. She has great taste." When in the city, Gordon loves The Boarding House, Alpana Singh's winecollaborating with Manolo Blahnik. That was really exciting at centric River North spot. His guilty pleasure? "I'll be really bad and get an the time because before that Italian beef or a Chicago style hot dog at Portillo's, which is amazing." Neapolitan it would just be us running Collection, 715 Elm St., Winnetka, 847-441-7784; neapolitanonline.com MA "It took me a few seasons to find my voice, but starting with resort specifically, it's been quite focused." MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM 092-093_MA_SS_TasteMaker_Winter2014.indd 93 93 11/19/13 6:54 PM

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