When the uber stylish and talented Cristy Pratt of Morph Clothing asked me to join her for a week in the Windy City to watch her fabulous line of dresses walk down the runway, how could I say no?? Chicago's Fashion Week produced by Fashion Bar is an annual event to celebrate diversity and inclusivity-- something that I loved getting to experience with other #bossbabes Andrea Serrano of Charleston Shop Curator and Liz Martin of Charleston Weekender.
There's just something about spending dedicated uninterrupted quality time with other smart female entrepreneurs that feeds my soul. This was a week for the books!
(Image) Enjoying lunch and coffee at The Kitchen.
Let's first talk about the Morph clothing line, shall we?? Frustrated by the feeling of having nothing to wear in an overcrowded suitcase, Cristy Pratt set out to design pieces that let you travel light, live simply, waste less, and look great. That's my kind of clothing!!
I first discovered Morph Clothing when my girl Andrea Serrano brought some dresses for us to wear on our trip to Palm Springs earlier this year. Morph dresses can be worn 60 different ways-- I was dumbfounded at the possibilities.
Morph Clothing is gaining international recognition after features at the BET Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, and runway shows in fashionable cities such as Miami and LA.
Above: Models were decked out in custom Jahde Leather Atelier earrings, cuffs, and necklaces for the runway show. Last Image: I loved wearing my Morph dress in Palm Springs earlier this year!
Speaking of fashion-- my gal pals and I love working with brands when we travel as part of creating destination content, and Chicago was a perfect backdrop to work with Oventure. Based in Dallas, this female owned company makes products that free up your hands and limit the maddening search for "where are my keys"?! Their signature colorful O Key Rings and Bracelet Bags were the perfect size for us to carry our essentials during our time in Chicago.
(Image) Out and about with my girl Andrea Serrano sporting our O Key Rings and Bracelet Bags in Chicago.
We did play tourist a little bit on our first day in the city by taking a tour. I highly recommend the Shoreline Sightseeing Architecture Tour as it is a great way to learn so much about the city. We got to see and learn about over 40 famous buildings and sites as we cruised along the Chicago River. It's $37, and worth every penny!
There are several other tours and cruises that you can take, but this one was perfect for us. I definitely recommend taking a light jacket as the wind can get quite chilly when the buildings shade the sun on the water.
During our week in Chicago we had plenty of time to eat our way through the city and explore the sites. Several restaurants hosted us for the most delicious meals, and I'd like to share some of our favs.
Above: The BLVD is a swanky place decked out in all things Art Deco. Our turbans and Morph dresses fit right in, and the food was absolutely decadent.
Every single meal we had in the city was memorable, and we truly found Chicagoans to be super friendly and the service was over the top.
Above: Fresh and healthy fare at The Kitchen, the best brick oven pizza around at Bar Cargo, and a late night celebratory dinner at Gibson's Italia after the Morph runway show.
One of the highlights of the trip was getting to visit the Laudi Vidni store and learn about their customization process for handbags. The name is "individual" spelled backwards, and I love how they celebrate individuality, diversity, and inclusion. We had a blast picking out colorful leathers, and we can't wait to get our new bags in a few weeks.
Chicago, we will definitely be back! You exceeded our expectations, and my girls and I enjoyed all that your have to offer.
XO, JuJu
Some of the content in this post is sponsored; however, the opinions are my own.