D. Graham Kostic of CS hosts Victor Alfaro

Victor Alfaro with his designs

Victor Alfaro's fall 2008 line

Victor Alfaro with Factio's Grace Bahk

There’s something so enchanting about summer in Chicago. It’s as if the heat brings the city to life, and all the flair that hibernated throughout the winter explodes in the form of gorgeous print dresses and linen suits.

On Tuesday night, the rooftop of Zed451 embodied just that as CS magazine’s D. Graham Kostic transformed the swanky lounge into a fashionable fête in honor of Victor Alfaro’s comeback creations. After a long hiatus from his celebrated career as designer extraordinaire, Alfaro signed a deal with Bon-Ton Stores for the launch of the Victor by Victor Alfaro women’s collection, which will hit the floors of Carson Pirie Scott in September.

“It was the right opportunity, the right synchronization,” Alfaro told us. “They wanted a contemporary sportswear collection, and that’s what I wanted to do. It’s a big launch.”

In the ‘90s, women went wild for the Mexican designer’s sexy silhouettes. His dresses were featured regularly on Cosmopolitan covers, and the CFDA presented him with the Perry Ellis award in 1995 for new talent. Alfaro’s new line of contemporary sportswear is certainly a departure from his runway couture: softer lines, subtler sexiness, and a friendlier price tag.

“Nothing out here is over $200, and the quality looks so great,” said Alfaro. “That was the challenge, and we met the challenge.”

The event had all the components of the perfect summer fling: a glaring sun, endless cocktails, chilled gazpacho with shrimp, and of course, style. Alfaro used clean silhouettes and bright jewel tones accented with bold, gold accessories to create chic fall looks. Yet there were conspicuous marks of his love for the sexy and feminine everywhere: luxurious animal-print cashmere, fuchsia wool bolero, emerald crepe de chine blouse. The standout piece was Alfaro’s personal favorite, a bright confetti-print silk dress.

“Victor’s designs are willfully seductive and extremely body-conscious, really just a must-have for any woman,” said Kostic. “In past collections he’s always been very aggressively pursuing an appetite for the avant-garde, and I think it’s great that he’s moving into something where woman of all ages can shape their bodies with these clothes.”

Alfaro joins the ranks of Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang, Elie Tahari and Dana Buchman, who are all part of the trend of designer diffusion lines within department stores. “The great thing is that most of us who are doing it have 15-20 years of experience, so we know what we’re doing,” he said. “I know how to pick a fabric, and I know what works and what doesn’t work.”

Alfaro doesn’t have current plans to return to the runway, and calls his new line the perfect situation. “You design it, and it goes right into stores. Editors don’t have to like it, other stores don’t have to like it, I don’t have to hustle it out, and it’s bought,” he said, laughing. “This is ideal.”
-Grace Bahk

To view more pictures from the event last night click here!

D. Graham Kostic with Victor Alfaro
Photos by Alyssa Blanchard