Chicago Humanities Festival

April 30, 2016 2:30 pm - 9:00 pm Stagg Court

Style Matters. From Air Jordans to the power suit to androgyny, what we wear speaks volumes about who we are as individuals and what we value across cultures. In our new annual spring festival, we will explore the historical, political, and economic complexity of style, from yesteryear to tomorrow; the runway to the street corner; the hoodie to the hijab. And we will venture beyond clothes into politics, music, literature, and more, to look at style as a force that can actually change the world, from James Brown’s dance moves to the lowly but adorable emoji. This spring, throw off your cares and come strike a pose at the Chicago Humanities Festival of Style!

Follow Along @ #CHFSTYLE

Stagg Court, Saturday April 30

~~SOLD OUT! Iris Apfel: Style Icon~~ We regret to inform you this program has been cancelled. For refunds or exchanges, please call the box office (M-F 10AM – 5PM) at 312 494 9509

Isabel and Ruben Toledo: A Marriage of Art and Fashion

(pictured; Photo by Karl Lagerfeld) 2:30-3:30PM

Isabel and Ruben Toledo combine an avant-garde approach to fashion with a commitment to making clothes for everyone, as evidenced by their designs for Target, Payless, and Lane Bryant, the first plus-size designer collaboration. The Cuban-American husband-and-wife team do everything together, including coming up with the distinctive yellow-and-green ensemble Michelle Obama wore at her husband’s first inauguration. Join the Toledos for a romp through some of their designs and thoughts about fashion.

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Alicia Garza: Black Lives Matter

4:30-5:30PM

Alicia Garza, co-creator of #BlackLivesMatter and Special Projects Director for the National Domestic Workers Alliance, represents a new school of activism focused on combating state-sanctioned anti-Black violence. Garza’s movement challenges us to celebrate the contributions of Black queer women’s work within popular narratives of Black movements and reminds us that while hoodies may have replaced berets, the Black radical tradition is long, complex, and international, and continues with the youth activists of today. Join us for this important conversation on the style and progress of today’s activism.

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