The Shrink Boutique Saves Anna
The Shrink Boutique organizes an attendance of The September Issue: Anna Wintour and the Making of
Vogue reminiscent of the Fluxus Movement.
CHICAGO, Ill. August 31, 2009—Media coverage for documentary film The September Issue: Anna
Wintour and the Making of Vogue is in full swing and in anticipation. Shrink Boutique offers a public
activity and a matching product to boot. The ‘haute happening’ will occur Friday, September 11 thru
Sunday, September 13 during the AMC River East 21 premier weekend but the result remains a
marvelous mystery.
In April of ‘09, Shrink Boutique was pleased to add iconic t-shirts by Christopher Lee Sauvé, a New
York based designer. Shrink Boutique carries Sauvé’s most famous design, the Save Anna t-shirt with
Anna Wintour’s image on the front. The Save Anna print campaign began late last year when rumors
began to circulate that Wintour was being replaced as editor of Vogue. The now infamous t-shirt has
created a media sensation and cult following around the world. Shrink Boutique also sells Sauvé’s t-
shirt with the image of Andre Leon Talley, the flamboyant editor-at-large of Vogue.
Deliberate or by coincidence, the Save Anna campaign compliments the release of The September Issue
about Vogue’s revered and feared editor and what goes into making the most important issue of the
year. Having sold out of the t-shirt twice, Shrink Boutique felt it was only necessary to reach out to
Chicago’s fashion community to celebrate the opening of The September Issue as a performance.
Shrink Boutique will coordinate groups of style mavens to the theater and document their wardrobe as
they arrive and at the after parties.
Shrink Boutique considers this a “happening”, a term coined by the Fluxus movement. Fluxus is an
international network of artists, composers and designers noted for blending different artistic media and
disciplines in the 1960s. They have been active in Neo-Dada noise music and visual art as well as
literature, urban planning, architecture, and design. Fluxus is often described as an intermedia.
A happening is a performance, event or situation meant to be considered as art. “Happenings”,
developed by Alan Kaprow, take place anywhere, are often multi-disciplinary, often lack a narrative
and frequently include audience interaction. Key elements of happenings are planned, but artists
sometimes retain room for improvisation. This performance could be a meaningful infiltration of
everyday fashion industry folk, entertainers, fashionistas, etc. Some attendees are even planning to
dress up as Anna.
Eventually Kaprow shifted his practice into what he called “activities”, intimately-scaled pieces for one
or several players and devoted to the examination of everyday behaviors and habits in a way nearly
indistinguishable from ordinary life. Fluxus, experimental performance and installation art was, in turn,
influenced by his work.
However, Shrink Boutique will channel their “happening” in Kaprow’s initial form bringing high
fashion into a tangible medium; a participatory street event entertaining the public as they arrive on an
implied red carpet. This will all be photographed and video recorded in true Fluxus form.
And Nobody Dances Here will be there!
CONTACTS:
Nicole Briggs
Tel. 312-953-7931
Email: nicole@shrinkboutique.com
Sadie Woods
Tel. 773-387-8560
Email: whitelabelchicago@gmail.com
