Two Hours in Chicago

August 24, 2018

Earlier this month I travelled to Chicago from Toronto for a business meeting with a potential licensee and found myself with 2 hours to spare after flesh had been pressed and deals done and won.

 Flying into Chicago was a joy in itself, getting a bird’s eye view of the iconic skyline that hugs the shores of Lake Michigan.

 

After the meeting I first headed downtown to Macy’s Marshall Field’s store where my product range celebrating Chicago and the store itself had just arrived.  It’s always a thrill to travel around the world and see my work in stores particularly when they are displayed so beautifully as at Marshall Field’s. I love how they have incorporated the Tiffany style lighting and ornate ironwork into the merchandising.

 The design features the landmark Marshall Field’s store and iconic clock that acts as a beacon to tourists and shoppers alike. It’s drawn in Marshall Field’s brand colours of green, mint and chocolate brown. I love the two polar bears at the Lincoln Park Zoo. 

After my visit to Marshall Field’s I booked myself in on an Architectural River Tour, which was a good choice given the searing heat on a hot August afternoon.  From creating my Cityscape of Chicago I realised that it was home to an amazing plethora of architectural treasures, which sprang out of the disaster in 1871 where a Great Chicago Fire raised much of the city to the ground, paving the way for new ambition and buildings to take hold in the city.  

It was a real indulgence to saunter along the river and see some of Chicago’s finest examples of Beaux Art, Art Deco and modernist architecture including the Wrigley Building, Tribune Tower, Chicago Board of Trade, Merchandise Mart and Marina City. I was agog!  I also loved to find out about Chicago’s history and was intrigued to find out that the flow of the river was changed in order to better manage water pollution!

Just a mere 2 hours gave me a tantalising taste of the wonderful city of Chicago and I can’t wait to return to discover more ...

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