Ikram’s 15th Anniversary Party

Chicago’s most coveted boutique may be full of serious fashion, but it isn’t run by someone who takes herself too seriously. Sure, Ikram Goldman has dressed Michelle Obama and dines frequently with fashion royalty. (Dinner with Azzedine Alaïa in Paris? But of course.) Truth be told, though, the sartorial superstar is a loving wife and mother who treats every single one of her clients like a celebrity.  So, when you toast 15 years as Chicago’s leading lady of fashion, you’ve got to throw a fête as epic as your pedigree. Over 800+ A-list guests, including Mayor Rahm Emanuel, George Lucas, and Rodarte’s Kate and Laura Mulleavy, descended upon a tent outside of The Geraghty for an epic high fashion block party.

The grand entryway doubled as a step and repeat, complete with shipping containers decked out with custom graffiti by Kehoe Designs artists, and an oversized print of a painting of the Ikram store front commissioned by the leading lady herself. Inside the tent, hand-painted fabric hung loosely from all four corners. A heavy saturation of red lighting (a nod to Ikram’s signature color) hung from above the fabric and pierced through the netting to create a wash of depth and text direction.

A 90-piece marching band, DJ Jesse de la Pena and several other bands performed on an erected stage to meet the demands of the enthusiastic crowd of partygoers on the dance floor. Signature eats from a bevy of Chicago food trucks like Big Star, La Patrona, Chubby Wieners, The Fat Shallot, Little Naansense and Doughnut Vault added a touch of whimsy to the theme. J&L Catering providing additional goodies including cotton candy, sushi, an ice cream cart, smoothie stations (inspired by NYC fruit vendors) and warm chocolate chip cookies. Guests certainly didn’t leave hungry—late night snacks in the form of burgers and fries from Shake Shack rounded off the robust menu for anyone who continued to dance into the wee hours.