Dancers from the Joffrey Ballet.
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| This year’s featured designer, David Meister fits a model in one of his designs. |
In September, the leaves on the trees and the humidity in the air give way to a much more enjoyable ubiquity: fall fashion. And with fall fashion comes the much-anticipated Couture & Cocktails, the Joffrey Ballet’s annual fundraiser that has been gaining steam ever since its start six years ago. For the September 23 fête at The Hudson (a large, raw warehouse space at 2222 S. Michigan Ave.), chaired by Kristina McGrath and Rebecca Besser, the Joffrey celebrates the work of übertalented clothier David Meister, this year’s featured designer. Although Meister joins a crop of notable past honorees— Pamella Roland, Carmen Marc Valvo, Maria Pinto and Escada have all been featured—his unusual start in the business makes him the most apt candidate.
“Dancewear was what really inspired me to do my clothes the way I do,” Meister says, referring to his first job in New York City with Danskin, the women’s dance and athletics line. It was there he learned how to work with stretch-woven fabrics, and he has been incorporating those elements into his designs ever since. “We’re known for our fit,” Meister says of his line. “But also, everything has some stretch or movement in it. That’s important because it’s a more modern way of dressing; it’s comfortable and it wears well.”
A self-proclaimed “huge fan” of the ballet, Meister is excited to be part of the event, which last year raised more than $260,000 for the Joffrey Ballet’s programs and performances. “People think fashion is just something you put on your back,” Meister says. “But fashion is in every part of our lives; it cannot only be inspired, it can inspire as well.”
For tickets ($275–$1,000), visit joffrey.org/coutureandcocktails, e-mail coutureandcocktails@joffrey.org or call 312-386-8921.
