The Radar Fashion
by D. Graham Kostic and Kate Templin
photography by David Anthony

ROCK THE RUNWAY
Chicago's couture crowd is gaining ground. We reveal our five faves...
Chicago as a fashion city is not an entirely new concept: Bergdorf Goodman discovered Michelle Obama-favorite (and lifelong Chicagoan) Maria Pinto in the early '90s; Ikram Goldman opened her eponymous couture club almost seven years ago; and ladies-who-lunch have been frequenting Michigan Avenue's designer dens for decades. Recently, however, Chicago style seems to be skyrocketing (just ask anyone who attended last fall's big, glossy Fashion Focus Chicago). No longer a mere stepping stone to New York's admittedly savvier showrooms, the Windy City  is now fostering its own creative talent pool, and our favorite fashion designers- Agga B. designer Agga Raya, the dapper duo behind Dieter Bennet, Art Institute grad Abigail Glaum-Lathbury, girly girl Elise Bergman and Appartchik's Tram Nguyen- are proving that they have the talent and dedication to make their marks on the national style scene, while still staying devoted to their hometown.

 
ABIGAIL GLAUM-LATHBURY,  THE DESIGNER: Philadelphia-native Abigail Glaum-Lathbury. AGE: 23. DESIGN AESTHETIC:  Sculptural designs that incorporate movement. "I take a 360-degree approach to design," Glaum-Lathbury says. "I don't think front-and-back; I think about movement in relation to body movement." The designer works primarily in a muted palette. "But then I like to include one or two bizarre colors." PATH TO THE WINDY CITY:  After graduating from the Art Institute in 2006, Glaum-Lathbury decided to stick around. "I feel like I have room to breathe here," she says. "I'm not pinned to a specific market like I would be in New York or L.A.." SPRING FEVER: The spring collection was inspired by etymology (yes, the study of insects). "I was thinking about the wasp-waist of Dior," she says. "I like that impression of an elongated abdomen, without being grotesque, of course." BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Being chosen as one of Gen Art's Fresh Faces in Fashion in 2007. WHAT'S NEXT: Glaum-Lathbury will take her designs to the New York market in February. "I'm excited to extend myself to buyers I wouldn't meet otherwise," she says. "It's pretty scary, though: Failure is not really and option." PICTURE PERFECT: Triple front corseted Rodialia tank, $325, and faceted Vespidae skirt, $500 (both shown on model, left). WHERE TO FIND: Habit, 1951 W. Division St., 773.342.0093. For more info, visit www.abigail-glaum-lathbury.com.