It was a night full of surprises at this year’s Fresh Faces fashion show presented by Gen Art. The event, which showcases Up-and-coming Chicago designers, served as the grand finale for the city’s Fashion Week. There were glorious highs and a few lows that made for an interesting affair.

Starting off the show was C/FAN, a pop-inspired brand led by Christina Fan (who’s also modeled for TOC). Her collection featured a lively play with silk ensembles varying in skirts, dresses, blouses and vests. Her aesthetic was impressive, considering the difficulty in manipulating this particular fabric, and the cuts and shapes of the garments were unusual. Mostly monochromatic melodies, they possessed a flowy-yet-fitted quality that represents stylish leisure.

Kristin Hassan brightened things up with a delicious spectacle of shimmering fun. Cupcakes, candy, and confection took the shape of dresses and girly shorts with trimmed tops, reminiscent of frosting, and accenting hats that added a little more spice to the party. Kristen Hassan proved itself to be a label that represents sweet flirtation and audacious spunk.

The fashion show did hit a speed bump midway when the stylings of DORSIA took over the runway. The menswear line got off to an awkward start when an over-confident model took a considerable amount of time to pose for the cameras, strut for the audience, and look for his reflection in the universe. He received some snickering but the circus continued as another model charged forward to the end of the runway and seductively threw a Polaroid photo into the audience. I guess he thought that was… cool?

As for the actual clothing, it’s nothing new. Any attempt at innovation was masked by ego which was disheartening—considering the low number of Chicago’s menswear designers.

Saving the evening was JLee Silver who completely changed the room’s atmosphere. The Silver models had incredible swagger to match the alluring pieces they were wearing. The fresh collection used a beach-inspired color theme that literally had members in the audience gasping at its beauty. Garments included beautifully draped summer gowns, tribal printed skirts, and bitchin’ accessories that added luxury and a new level of sophistication. JLee Silver may be a new line but it demonstrates years of skill, knowledge, and more importantly, imagination to pull off a sexy introduction to the brand.

Imaginary People presented beautifully crafted wear that requires a confident woman to pull it off. Some of its notable pieces included a series of high-waisted opaque leggings with wild black and white print and a gorgeous short black skirt that seemed to glide angelically as it cleverly concealed the model’s rear. Uniquely, Imaginary People took risks in pairing items for the show. Various prints and colors kept the audience on its toes and at the conclusion of their presentation, two models walking side by side in butterfly halter dresses merited applause and cheers.

Concluding the show was Red Doll by Tatyana. The dresses were elegant and had a playful quality that was both youthful and mature. They told the story of a Romantic child-like fantasy that morphs into the tale of a diva’s reality. A jaw-dropping moment came when a bright red gown appeared on the stage. The long dress, which had two big red flowers on the shoulders and a black satin belt, was only to be outdone by the show’s finale which was an equally long black dress with cutouts on each side to expose the back and abdomen. The two dresses were epic and perhaps the most enlightening of the night.