Violet Revolution

This past Friday Chicago fashion mainstay, Akira along with Chictopia and Chinese Laundry, celebrated the launch of Shop Akira 2.0– their fabulous new website with tons of stylish items by designers such as: Betsey Johnson, Dolce Vita, Jeffrey Campbell, L.A.M.B. and Sam Edelman.  The designers’ creations can be found both online and in store.

The event took place at Griffin Lounge where Helen Zhu (left in below photo), founder of Chictopia, kicked off a fashion show presentation of the latest summer styles and Chinese Laundry footwear all available at Akira.  Guests enjoyed giveaways and gifts, plus AKIRA stylists were on hand to help guests navigate the new features of SHOPAKIRA 2.0 and pick out chic outfits.

These were some of our favorites from the show, but it was hard to choose just a few!  See more pic’s on Facebook and let us know which is your fave!!!

Rompers are so in this season.  I just recently bought one and love it, although I’ve quickly determined they need to incorporate snaps at the bottom like a onesie (for those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, those are those leg-less infant outfits that snap at the bottom) for easier bathroom visits.  This floral one is cute too, plus love the mirror studded bag along with it as it shows you can mix studs and floral prints, which at first thought would seem mismatched.

I like how this dress strikes a balance between dressy, but not too much.  It solves the problem of when you’re going somewhere and not really sure if you’re going to wind up being the only one over or under dressed.

What I like most about this corset and shorts combo is the ruffle at the bottom of the corset.  How many times have you thought about buying a fashion corset, but then reconsidered as it might be too binding and uncomfortable?  With the ruffle at the bottom, you don’t get that constricting feel, plus it hides the tummy well if that’s your problem area, while still looking sexy and trendy.  This is also a great look to dress up with studded heels or down with flat or low-wedge sandals.

How cute is this metallic strapless dress???  The model looked great in this, especially with the sunglasses, plus you could easily throw a cropped jacket or sweater over this once it gets a little cooler out (I know, don’t really want to think about that right about now, but I had to mention it).