This Thursday, famed Chicago-based designer, Barbara Bates, will host her foundation’s annual fashion show and fundraiser. Barbara Bates has dressed celebrities such as Oprah, Michael Jordan, WIll Smith, and Whitney Houston, and started the Barbara Bates Foundation in 1999. The foundation currently provides formal gowns and tuxedos to Chicago youth, and has long-term goals of providing scholarships, job-training programs, and youth empowerment workshops for young adults.

Thursday’s event will feature a reception, a silent auction, and fashion show of Bates’ designs and those of up-and-coming local designers. If you’ve never seen any of Ms. Bates’ designs, you don’t know what you’re missing! My BFF wore a Bates-designed outfit for our HS homecoming. She was fierce!

Tickets are $50, and you can get yours by calling 312-427-0284 or emailing batesdesign@sbcglobal.net.

-kb