Tom Wolfe, Rachel Weisz, and Jesus

Proud Morty Keep on Burning
Poor Christopher Marlowe. It’s hard to snag the spotlight when Bill Shakespeare is a contemporary, but a new production of Marlowe’s The Troublesome Reign and Lamentable Death of Edward II, King of England, with the Tragical Fall of Proud Mortimer, adapted and directed by The Hypocrites’ much buzzed-about...

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Drinks, Please! Back on the Nightlife Beat

Last Girl Standing no more.

In what turned out to be a truly memorable evening, I finally tied the knot a couple of weeks ago at the Drake Hotel. Since my marital status has changed, it seemed like the title of my blog should, too; hence "Nightspotting 2.0," a nod to my longtime print column in Chicago magazine. And now that my mini-moon to the Montage Resort in Laguna Beach is over, I'm back pounding the pavement to bring you the latest from the nightlife front every Thursday—and check in Mondays for weekend photos from the scene. But first, for those who sweated out the prewedding jitters with me via the blog, a few highlights from the big event...

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Lanvin: The Timeless Brands Will Inherit the Credit Cards

Lanvin is much adored for its female-flattering looks. At the entrance of the show on Sunday, as I watched the editors come in, I was strangely reminded of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. No one was in drag mind you (although the Paris Vogue editors certainly can work a bondage look!), but it was more that cult feeling. Women come to the Lanvin show knowing all the words to the song and knowing they will like what they hear...

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On The Market—Doubly Contemporary in Wicker Park

List Price: $1.25 million
The Property: This newly built house is up-to-the-minute in two ways: its sleek, airy design is very contemporary, and many of the materials and methods that went into its construction are sustainable...

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Eve of Construction

All About Eve

Matt Fisher, the owner of eight-month-old Tallulah (4539 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-942-7585), hasn’t slept since summer. He signed a deal in late August on the old Flapjaws space (840 N. Wabash Ave.) in the Gold Coast, which he is rehabbing and renaming Eve—and he has his chef at Tallulah, Troy Graves, crafting a menu to be ready by the time...

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A Fashion Finale

A designer who uses plus-sized models (Tennille White) . . . followed by an entire collection from a bikini designer who's riffing off a film noir theme? You're not in Oz, you're at the closing show of Chicago's weeklong fashion celebration! I don't mean this unkindly. There's a lot of diversity here in terms of designer backgrounds, inspiration, and even what constitutes "style." Last night's event—Macy's Presents the Designers of Chicago—did as much as any to illustrate that, booking accomplished locals Lara Miller (who's known for her gauzy, convertible shapes and eco-fashion mindset) and...

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Housing Bulletin—Company Announces Discounted Home Sales

In the present economic climate, home sellers have been tense, while potential homebuyers have had a tendency to sit still. But for ten days, beginning on October 10th, one real-estate company will try to get house sales moving again by cutting the asking price on thousands of homes by 10 percent.

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage has arranged for the owners of about 23,000 homes nationwide—about 1,300 of them in...

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Guest Blog: The Allure of Couture

The emphasis of "The Allure of Couture" fashion show Monday at Millennium Park: wearability. Showcasing items from sweaters and jackets to dresses and pants, the event consisted of outfits that were in the realm of possibility from designers Sam Kori George, James De Colon, Maria Pinto, Mi Ri Uhm and Nick Cave, among others. The standout collection? Vatit Itthi. The clothes demanded attention, both for the bright colors (blue, hot pink, and yellow) and for their sleek elegance...

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Zara Opens in Skokie

Euro Fash

Few affordable stores inspire the devotion of Spanish-based Zara (Old Orchard, Skokie; 847-329-0808, zara.com). A steady stream of those who have shopped the brand in Europe or the coasts have poured into the Old Orchard store since it opened on Sept. 25th, expressing mostly the same sentiment: “Finally.” The excitement over the opening rivaled that of the Marc by Marc Jacobs in Bucktown, with a decidedly more pocket-friendly assortment of merchandise. And...

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ALDS Game 4: Rays at Sox

The Cubs Hater protests the "blackout," The Elitist roots for Torre's team, The Time Traveler mourns Stoney's radio departure, The Girl mocks Joe Maddon's glasses, and The Fatalist weighs life insurance options. Here, our analyses of ALDS Game 4...

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The Fear Card

As the first biographer of Barack Obama, I have often found myself in a position where few journalists find comfort: defending the honor of a politician.

Yet, over the past 14 months, ever since the release of my biography of Obama, I have fielded countless questions about Obama that clearly have been based in ugly racial or religious distortion, and I have felt it my obligation to help set the record straight. In doing so, occasionally I have been accused of being an Obama sympathizer. But if that's the price of spreading the truth, so be it...

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Sale of the Week—A Lincoln Park Greystone

List Price: $1.495 million
Sale Price: $1.3 million
The Property: This Victorian greystone was built in 1874 on what is now one of Lincoln Park’s most appealing blocks, with the park half a block east, restaurants less than a block to the west, and some of the neighborhood’s finest architectural treasures (including the Wrigley...

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Louis Vuitton

If good manners means starting your fashion show on time, Marc Jacobs has become the fashion equivalent of Emily Post. Scolded by critics for his notorious tardiness in previous seasons, he now aims for precision, by golly. This afternoon we received an e-mail from the press contact: "The show will start at 2:30 p.m. sharp." Well, I arrived sweatily at the courtyard of the Louvre at...

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ALDS Game 3: Rays at Sox

The Time Traveler thanks Danks and Jenks, The Bleacherite visits a ghostly Wrigleyville, The Elitist dismisses the win, and The Fatalist goes shopping for bathroom fixtures with his wife. Here, our analyses of ALDS Game 3...

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NLDS Game 3: Cubs at Dodgers

The Cubs Hater sheds a tiny tear, The Ump punches the fist, The Girl rejoins society, and The Fatalist reaches for a small—very small—spot of consolation. Meanwhile, The Delusionist plans next year's victory party. Here, our analyses of NLDS Game 3...

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ALDS Game 2: Sox at Rays

The Ump says C.B. Buckner blows, The Fatalist admires Uribe's chin hair, The Delusionist fields hate mail, and The Time Traveler is lost in the wilderness. Here, our analyses of ALDS Game 2

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