CHICAGO LIGHTS UP Chicago’s Navy Pier is the destination for spectacular fireworks perfectly synchronized to music on Lake Michigan. The summer schedule begins this week with fireworks every Wednesday and Saturday night through Labor Day weekend. Whether viewing from the dock or on board an evening cruise, fireworks is the perfect way to end your day in Chicago. How magnifique…

CHICAGO LIGHTS UP

Chicago’s Navy Pier is the destination for spectacular fireworks perfectly synchronized to music on Lake Michigan. The summer schedule begins this week with fireworks every Wednesday and Saturday night through Labor Day weekend. Whether viewing from the dock or on board an evening cruise, fireworks is the perfect way to end your day in Chicago. How magnifique…

Reblogged from ❤ Mind of my Own ❤ 

“The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell and taste it.” – Rudyard Kipling Image from Sofitel Chicago Delight by Sofitel menu.

“The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell and taste it.” – Rudyard Kipling

Image from Sofitel Chicago Delight by Sofitel menu.

SHOES SHOES SHOES

Step into Style and take a fashionable journey with Sofitel Chicago Water Tower and our friends at Bloomingdale’s.

Right now we invite you to walk in our (luxury!) shoes and experience the many facets of the Sofitel brand on display in the Sofitel Chicago lobby. Celebrate our weddings and events, delight in our fabulous desserts and marvel at our extraordinary architecture. Then head over to our favorite shopping destination Bloomingdale’s to see more amazing shoes!

CHICAGO ICON TURNS 40 For 40 years, the Sears Tower has illuminated the Chicago skyline. Few buildings expressed the zeitgeist of the 1970s quite like this building, now known as the Willis Tower. The idea for this remarkable work of architecture began in 1968 when Sears Roebuck and Company, then the nation’s largest retailer, decided to leave its West Side headquarters. Sears did not set out to build the tallest building in the world—it set out to build the most efficient. However slowly but inevitably, the Tower went from landmark to historic icon. Not long after the building’s opening, Alexander Calder installed his famous mobile sculpture, Universe, in the lobby. In 1981, a climber from Maine donned a Spider-Man suit and scaled the west face of the tower using suction cups. In 1985, a new atrium lobby attracted the kind of street life that the soaring tower deserved. And in 1986’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Ferris and friends visited the Skydeck as part of the most famous day of playing hooky in the history of cinema. Best of all, you can discover the landmark only moments from Sofitel. Read more about the fascinating 40 years of ‘Sears’ here. 

CHICAGO ICON TURNS 40

For 40 years, the Sears Tower has illuminated the Chicago skyline. Few buildings expressed the zeitgeist of the 1970s quite like this building, now known as the Willis Tower. The idea for this remarkable work of architecture began in 1968 when Sears Roebuck and Company, then the nation’s largest retailer, decided to leave its West Side headquarters. Sears did not set out to build the tallest building in the world—it set out to build the most efficient. However slowly but inevitably, the Tower went from landmark to historic icon. Not long after the building’s opening, Alexander Calder installed his famous mobile sculpture, Universe, in the lobby. In 1981, a climber from Maine donned a Spider-Man suit and scaled the west face of the tower using suction cups. In 1985, a new atrium lobby attracted the kind of street life that the soaring tower deserved. And in 1986’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Ferris and friends visited the Skydeck as part of the most famous day of playing hooky in the history of cinema. Best of all, you can discover the landmark only moments from Sofitel. Read more about the fascinating 40 years of ‘Sears’ here. 

Reblogged from Invest in fear 

A CHICAGO ‘MUST SEE’  The Lyric Opera of Chicago is one of the leading opera companies in the United States. And if you are planning a trip to Chicago you shouldn’t miss the 1943 masterpiece by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, ”Oklahoma!”, which has just opened to fantastic reviews. Even if you don’t see the show don’t miss the company’s permanent home, the Civic Opera House, is as iconic as the productions it creates  - The building is one of Chicago’s historic landmarks and among the world’s most beautiful theaters. Built in 1929 and fully restored in 1996, the Civic Opera House is a hybrid of Art Nouveau and Art Deco designs and a majestic setting for entertaining on any scale. The 3,563-seat theater is the second-largest opera auditorium in North America and holds the largest stage in downtown Chicago. Catch either this month, not far from Sofitel Chicago.

A CHICAGO ‘MUST SEE’ 

The Lyric Opera of Chicago is one of the leading opera companies in the United States. And if you are planning a trip to Chicago you shouldn’t miss the 1943 masterpiece by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, ”Oklahoma!”, which has just opened to fantastic reviews. Even if you don’t see the show don’t miss the company’s permanent home, the Civic Opera House, is as iconic as the productions it creates  - The building is one of Chicago’s historic landmarks and among the world’s most beautiful theaters. Built in 1929 and fully restored in 1996, the Civic Opera House is a hybrid of Art Nouveau and Art Deco designs and a majestic setting for entertaining on any scale. The 3,563-seat theater is the second-largest opera auditorium in North America and holds the largest stage in downtown Chicago. Catch either this month, not far from Sofitel Chicago.

AMALIA PICA The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA) offers exhibitions of the most thought-provoking modern art and is one of our favorite spaces in North America. The MCA exhibition Amalia Pica is the artist’s first major solo museum show in the United States and includes approximately fifteen of her most significant works from the last seven years, in addition to new commissions. Using simple materials such as photocopies, lightbulbs, drinking glasses, beer bottles, bunting, cardboard, and other found materials, Pica creates work that is formally beautiful and conceptually rigorous while addressing fundamental issues of communication—such as the acts of delivering and receiving messages (verbal or nonverbal) and the various forms these exchanges may take.  Hear from Pica herself talking about her artwork and ideas in this video.

AMALIA PICA

The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA) offers exhibitions of the most thought-provoking modern art and is one of our favorite spaces in North America. The MCA exhibition Amalia Pica is the artist’s first major solo museum show in the United States and includes approximately fifteen of her most significant works from the last seven years, in addition to new commissions. Using simple materials such as photocopies, lightbulbs, drinking glasses, beer bottles, bunting, cardboard, and other found materials, Pica creates work that is formally beautiful and conceptually rigorous while addressing fundamental issues of communication—such as the acts of delivering and receiving messages (verbal or nonverbal) and the various forms these exchanges may take.  Hear from Pica herself talking about her artwork and ideas in this video.

GRAND CENTRAL MEETS NICK CAVE Our favorite New York sight this spring has been ‘Heard NY’ - Chicago-based artist Nick Cave transformed Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall with a herd of thirty colorful life-size horses that broke into choreographed movement—or “crossings”— twice a day, accompanied by live music. Classic Cave and classic NY! 

GRAND CENTRAL MEETS NICK CAVE

Our favorite New York sight this spring has been ‘Heard NY’ - Chicago-based artist Nick Cave transformed Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall with a herd of thirty colorful life-size horses that broke into choreographed movement—or “crossings”— twice a day, accompanied by live music. Classic Cave and classic NY! 

Reblogged from  

CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE Sometime the very best city finds are right in front of you. That’s certainly the case at Sofitel, with some of Chicago’s best architecture finds within a short walk from the hotel. Although our concierge are happy to provide you a map on check-in for a detailed explore, some of the most obvious finds are Willis Tower, John Hancock Center (pictured), Water Tower Place, The Wrigley Building Complex and our personal favorite the iconic Marina City.  What will you discover on your next visit?

CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE

Sometime the very best city finds are right in front of you. That’s certainly the case at Sofitel, with some of Chicago’s best architecture finds within a short walk from the hotel. Although our concierge are happy to provide you a map on check-in for a detailed explore, some of the most obvious finds are Willis Tower, John Hancock Center (pictured), Water Tower Place, The Wrigley Building Complex and our personal favorite the iconic Marina City.  What will you discover on your next visit?

SAINT LAURENT IN CHICAGO The French fashion house now under Mr Hedi Slimane’s stewardship brings its luxury line of apparel and accessories to the Mag Mile and best of all - only minutes from Sofitel. This slim-fitting polka-dot shirt is a just one suave example of the brand’s new era of iconic elegance for men. This and many more magnifique items can be purchases from the Chicago store at 51 E. Oak Street and online via Mr Porter. Image: Mr Porter.com

SAINT LAURENT IN CHICAGO

The French fashion house now under Mr Hedi Slimane’s stewardship brings its luxury line of apparel and accessories to the Mag Mile and best of all - only minutes from Sofitel. This slim-fitting polka-dot shirt is a just one suave example of the brand’s new era of iconic elegance for men. This and many more magnifique items can be purchases from the Chicago store at 51 E. Oak Street and online via Mr Porter.

Image: Mr Porter.com

MANNEQUIN RETROSPECTIVE  Ralph Pucci is a luminary in the design community.  His company is world famous for its high-end mannequins in the likenesses of top models and design collaborations with fashion houses and illustrators. Now Ralph Pucci has partnered to create a retrospective of mannequins at Macy’s State Street flagship in Chicago. In the windows on the perimeter of the store you will find 50 Pucci mannequins representing 27 collections over a 30-year period. Chicago fashion was never so magnifique! 

MANNEQUIN RETROSPECTIVE 

Ralph Pucci is a luminary in the design community.  His company is world famous for its high-end mannequins in the likenesses of top models and design collaborations with fashion houses and illustrators. Now Ralph Pucci has partnered to create a retrospective of mannequins at Macy’s State Street flagship in Chicago. In the windows on the perimeter of the store you will find 50 Pucci mannequins representing 27 collections over a 30-year period. Chicago fashion was never so magnifique!