Over the weekend, I headed over to AKIN in Lincoln Park to help Equilibrium USG cover their 3rd annual skyn design competition – Skyn Deep. I was amazed at how much inventory we packed into the cars en route to AKIN, but it’s really good that we did since a TON of it flew off the shelves once people started rolling in.

AKIN served as a perfect backdrop to this year’s Skyn Deep event – surrounding the innovative, modular bags with apparel and footwear that would ensure you looked fresh everywhere you went. Morris and Melvin did an amazing job highlighting the venue with some dope EQ vinyl, including a full wrap on a Ducati 998. Throughout the night, DJ Illusive, DJ Kid Trae, DJ David Sabat, DJ Franco de Leon and B96′s very own Julian on the Radio did an amazing job emcee-ing and kept the beats going until the doors closed.

It was awesome to see tons of people rolling in sporting their EQ bags (and some even their own custom skyns). That combined with how well received the bags were by newcomers and long-time followers made it clear how far EQ has come as a brand in such a short amount of time. Food and drinks kept circling around while people got a chance to mingle and get to know EQ, new people, the artists and the inspiration behind their designs.

Hundreds of people came through the doors of AKIN that night and after the Skyn Deep 2010 winners were announced, we were treated to the sounds of the Ducati 998 at full song with its sick Akrapovic exhaust. Talk about an explosive way to end a great night. Speaking of winners, Equilibrium selected four winners this year – three came from online voting and the grand prize was awarded by the EQ Team. Check out the winners below:

EQ GRAND PRIZE

EXIT TO THE LEFT
(Los Angeles, California USA)

All the winners (along with some lucky raffle ticket winners) received some complimentary EQ gear. Their designs will also be reproduced in a limited run and sold at both AKIN locations and online. As an added bonus, for every skyn they sell they have an opportunity to gain commissions. So make sure you pick up one before they are sold out!

In the end, Skyn Deep is Equilibrium’s way of giving back to the artist community – giving them a chance to leave their mark on something that won’t just be seen in retail stores, but also on the backs of those who love their work and seen all over town. Big thanks to EQ for having me come out to cover the event and to the Skyn Deep sponsors – AKIN, Potential Villain and Royal Mindset. Check out the rest of the photos below:

Click the image above to watch the photo slideshow or right click & save to download

Almost a week ago, I had the opportunity to photograph a wonderful couple, Arnold and Natalie, for their engagement session. After talking about possible e-session locations, we decided to head over to the planetarium to take advantage of the versatility. It is one of the more common spaces to hold a photoshoot like this, so I actually left the office three hours early to scout the area for some new possibilities to shoot Arnold and Natalie in a new light.

Everything turned out perfectly – the scenery, lighting…even the unpredictable Chicago weather went the way of the gods for this photoshoot. And despite any initial nervousness, both of them turned out to be total naturals in front of the camera. I want to extend a big thank you to Arnold and Natalie for the opportunity to shoot again – especially a couple that has been together for 10 years! It was a BLAST and I am wholeheartedly looking forward to shooting your wedding later in September! Without further hestitation, I hope you all enjoy the photos!

Click the image above to watch the photo slideshow or right click & save to download

A couple days ago, I got together with Federico and Romina to shoot their engagement session. After breaking their initial nervousness, it was great to see their true colors (and goofy-ness) come out! Although I definitely employed some very traditional UMG-esque shots, I also tried to photograph them in a more vibrant tone to accentuate their fun mood. I was thrilled that we ended up choosing a park setting for the shoot because it allowed us to use a variety of backdrops to play off their playful personalities. I will definitely have to go back to shoot a bit more there.

Anyway, I am really looking forward to shooting their wedding next week (August 27th) – it should be a great day! In the meantime, enjoy the photos and leave some love!

Click image above to watch the photo slideshow or right click & save to download

The midwest leg of the Glamorama “tour” set off with a theatrical bang with Project Runway’s star Chris March and performances by Grammy award-winning singer Macy Gray and Eric Hutchinson.

DJ Rex from Mix Media Group spinning all night

While the fashion show was underway, the crew over at Macy’s were busy finishing up the final details for the ultimate after party – highlighted with a remarkable performance by DJ Rex and DJ Kid Kris from Mix Media Group. Sponsors such as Patron, American Express, XBox 360, Rockstar, Fiji, See’s Candies, 2xist, Mac and Office Max pulled out all the stops to help create a “a playful landscape” for the event. Coupling the lavish devor with attendees from the Ford Modeling Agency the after party definitely did not disappoint.

What’s even more incredible about Glamorama is that underneath it all, the proceeds of the show in Chicago will contribute to Ronald McDonald House Charities® – an organization devoted to create, find and support programs that directly improve the health and well being of children. [Via RMHC]

Here’s a little bit more history on the Glamorama show:

This year marks a new era with Macy’s Passport Presents Glamorama – a name that joins the best elements from Macy’s Passport in Los Angeles and San Francisco and Macy’s Glamorama in Minneapolis and Chicago. Both shows have had a rich tradition of producing an over-the-top fashion show and post-party with local charity beneficiaries and now will become a four-city tour through Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Glamorama debuted under Dayton’s as “A Cause for Applause” in Minneapolis in 1992 and became known as Fash Bash in 1995. This event came to Chicago in 1999 and was named Glamorama in 2003, chosen for its instant connotation of fashion, entertainment, event, energy, glamour and fun. Macy’s Passport Presents Glamorama raises money to support children’s cancer research; to improving the health, well-being and education of children; and to help with HIV/AIDS services, prevention and research. This event has taken fashion to the highest level of design, making the event the hottest ticket in town. [Via Macy's]

Ada Yonath (right) pictured at the Fairmont dinner

The Nobel Prizing winning Ada Yonath graced Chicago with her presence a couple weeks back with a reception at the Peninsula Hotel and a 3-course dinner at the Fairmont.

Not only was it an amazing opportunity to be so close to such an influential person in science (specifically Chemistry), but it was a real treat to hear her speak about growing up, coming to the US, her family and her scientific journey which has led her to where she stands today. It was also really interesting to listen to her perspective on the interest of science in Israel (especially for women). Through it all, she spoke so humbly and with a sense of genuine passion that it was hard to NOT start wanting to do ribosome research right there and then.

I didn’t plan to stay the entirety of dinner, but I found her work so engaging that it was hard to leave, haha. Anyway, it was an honor to be a part of her Chicago visit and to photograph all the attendees. Here are some of the photos from the event:

In addition to launching Manny Garcia’s new website before the “Serenade” show at the House of Blues Chicago, we also wanted to push through with an official Manny Garcia Band t-shirt for their premiere. It was the first collaboration project to involve RTSTK (pronounced as artistic), which both Unscene Media and Manny Garcia are a part of. Big shoutout goes out to Morris from Equilibrium USG for all his help on the shirt. You’ll also being seeing a lot from EQ on RTSTK. A super-mega awesome site is in the works for that project, but we’ll have a temporary site up soon so you can start learning more about what RTSTK is all about.

In the meantime, check out the shirts and head over to Manny Garcia’s official site and pick up one for yourself! I brought them straight over to the House of Blues show the other day and they were selling like hot cakes (I think there are only maybe 10 left) so get yours while you can!

After putting in a long night or two and consulting changes with Manny, the site was ready to go with ample time before the show. SCORE! I’m sure there will be some further refinement and new products to add to the store as time goes on, but I’m very happy with how everything turned out – especially on a truncated timeline. Here’s a shot of the old site and the new one:

Old:

New:

Be sure to stop by the new site and check it out!

The Confederation, without any debate, is a bad thing. And aside from that, the only thing you can say about the Confederation is that it is quintessentially American. So what’s someone to do with such an outlandish concept?

Well, if you were trying to be more of a cruising motorcycle badass than Harley Davidson, the only word that could probably help you do exactly that would be “Confederation”. And that’s exactly what Matthew Chambers did in “seeking enlightened design through true American inspiration.” A hell of a mission statement there, but in order to deter the original Confederation definition from getting in the way of your motorcycle sales, you’d have to be making something extremely special.

The Black Flag is an all-black version of the P120 Fighter. The stealth-like machine is mechanically identical to the standard P120, using the same 160hp (135 lb/ft torque) V2-engine and aluminium monocoque backbone chassis. The high-end exclusive bike features carbon ceramic brakes, carbon wheels, adjustable suspension and a hand-built five-speed gearbox.

With production numbers of the Black Flag being pinned in the teens, it is even more exclusive than the regular P120 (50 units). This bike, then, will undoubtedly continue to drop your jaw and snap necks out of sheer exclusivity…not to mention the insane details on the bike itself.

Damezo’s Pizza & Restaurant has teamed up with Love Your Pet to throw an event called “Waggin’ Wednesdays” through this October. You can think of it as a Chicago (dog) meet n’ greet with a good cause conveniently attached. Besides, who can resist a good slice of pizza and getting out of the house for a bit? Here’s a little bit of info:

Bring your pooch or see our adoptable pets each Wednesday at Damenzos for Waggin’ Wednesdays. Our enormous dog-friendly patio plays host for get-togethers with other dog enthusiasts. If you have a dog, thinking of adopting one or know someone who is, bring your two- and four-legged friends and meet some of ours! A portion of food and beverage proceeds benefit various local animal shelters so come hungry and thirsty and enjoy great food and drink specials! Wednesdays, May through October (5 PM to 9 PM) [Via Chicago.com]

For those of you who are interested in adopting a local pet, check out this link from Love Your Pet. Rather than haphazardly allowing anyone to adopt a pet, they thoroughly make sure the pet is a good fit for you and vice versa. Aside from being a really responsible idea for pet adoption, it helps reinforce the fact that pets require a great deal of attention and care – something that owners nowadays enwrapped in their busy lives can tend to forget.