{Sexy Spotlight} ......Sitting on the Lap of Luxury

     A great way to spend a fun evening checking out awesome local names and services is to get yourself out on the town for a Ladies Night Chicago event. Yep, this includes Jenny Taylor Boudoirs, and is incidentally where Jenny and I had just missed each other the day before we interviewed! (Miss the story? You can read about it here.)

     Ladies Night, 220 Communications, and Cutting Edge Events held a fabulous evening on April 4 called the Lap of Luxury, an evening celebrating beauty, well being, and fashion — all things we know and love! It was a fantastic opportunity to shop, get pampered, and see some local up-and-coming fashions while sipping cocktails. It was held at the Grossinger Autoplex in Lincoln Park — an interesting venue considering Ladies Night networking events usually take place in bars or nightclubs, but it worked out perfectly, as it was spacious and welcoming, with tall, white ceilings and so much to explore.

     When my best friend and I got to the Autoplex, I was greeted at the front tables to check our tickets. (Portions of the proceeds went to supporting One Hope United, Autism Speaks, and Y-Me Race at Your Pace for Breast Cancer Research.) They gave us wristbands and tickets for a complimentary drink at the bar (as thanks for being guests), and then it became this big wonderland of health and beauty. Unfortunately, I missed the hors d’oeuvres (but did run into a friend who coincidentally was working that night as a waiter for one of the restaurants catering the event!) . . . but I did manage to snag some free chocolate. Other guests who’d gotten VIP passes would receive an additional cocktail on the house, a swag bag, and apparently, additional “secret surprises” including no-wait priority for the free spa services. The first 100 guests to arrive also got complimentary valet parking!

     The place was filled with tables. The first floor boasted new collections that were to come in the big fashion show that would take place later on in the evening, and led to a big escalator that took us to the main floor of the event, where it showcased a variety of goodies and services, from offering massages, manicures, acupuncture, free samples, and raffles.

     When we arrived upstairs, I was nearly intimidated by how many people there were, and things to see . . . and worried it’d be hard to find Jenny! But fortunately, Jenny was in the perfect location, and after we got sucked into an initial vortex of jewelry (haha) and freed ourselves, we looked left and there was the Jenny Taylor table, set up right at the middle of the wing.

      They were busy! I had to wait a bit to say hello to Jenny and Whitney, who helps out at these events — the hot pink Boudoir Wheel and the gorgeous shots she puts on display certainly pulls in a lot of interest, because there were people practically lining up to win some boudoir goodies and talk to Jenny.

     Once I got to Jenny, I introduced her to my friend, and Jenny presented me one of her friends, also a photographer, who sometimes helps Jenny out for her shoots. (You might have been wondering if Jenny is the only one wielding a camera in her company, and it turns out she actually has a number of other photography pros on hand!) We talked briefly and exchanged info (I might guest blog for her in the future?), and I asked Jenny if she needed a hand at the table or if she wanted me to go off and do some wandering. Whitney was doing a great job talking to new guests approaching the table, and Jenny is a whiz at multitasking, so she let me loose to explore a bit more for you.

The full-service bar was pretty much dead center, a circular black counter that offered cocktails and wine, which I think only cost $5 if you’d already used your free drink ticket. I ordered a rum and Coke, which I nursed until the fashion show that took place downstairs.

     When we got to the seats on the first floor for the show, I was a little confused. Why were they all pointing toward the elevators we’d come down on? There was a narrow sliver of a path in front of the seats, but it hardly looked enough to act as a runway.

     One of Chicago’s own television personalities came out to kickstart the show, giving props to the designers and sponsors. Then, it all made sense: The runway was the elevator itself! Models donning clothing from lines that ranged from elegant to eclectic (and eventually, even Vegas-style sparkle!) rode the elevator down in front of the audience and strutted down the slim pathway across the front row. I was transfixed by some of the beautiful designs (I used to study fashion design, actually!), but also found myself coveting the models’ hairstyles. They sported teased pompadours with unique details, like tucked in braids or knots at the back — sure, it’s different from the voluminous curls that we sport in bombshell boudoir shots, but it didn’t make it any less fabulous. (Kudos to the stylists at Ulta who did the models’ hair.)

     As I obsessed over their ’dos, my friend obsessed over the purses they paired with their outfits. The cool thing about the show was that it wasn’t as far removed as the odd stuff you can see on the haute couture runways in New York and Europe, but it was mostly clothing I could see myself wearing to a cocktail party.

     When the show wrapped, my friend and I snaked back upstairs through the maze of tables to check out some racks of clothing and both left with new purses, which we adore!

     At the end of the event, I stopped by to show off my new merchandise to Jenny and Whitney, who’d had a pretty successful evening as well. I told Jenny her table was probably the most unique (“And coolest,” she said with a smile, “because of you guys!”). There were a lot of jewelry and clothing displays, but Jenny Taylor was the only photography service I’d seen that evening. The table was, just like her studio, clean and inviting, without clutter, but tons of draw (must be the come-hither nature of boudoir!)

     Overall, I really had a blast (should’ve brought a shopping tote, though). Ladies Night is an opportunity to meet cool local businesses and check out what they’ve got to offer you — you can check them out on Facebook. Next time Jenny Taylor’s at one, come enjoy it and meet her! You can take a spin on the Boudoir Wheel (where every spin is a winner) or book a shoot with Jenny. C’mon, you know you want to.