Mood Fabrics opens in Chicago
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Mood Fabrics Chicago. Photo: Carrie Shepherd/Axios
The textile mecca born in New York and made famous on "Project Runway" is now open in Chicago.
Why it matters: Mood Fabrics expands into Chicago a year after chain retailer Joann's Fabrics closed, and it joins a stable of locally owned options.
Between the lines: The store's Loop location is near the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Columbia College — two local schools with fashion design programs.
State of play: Mood Fabrics' Chicago store marks the brand's sixth U.S. location and joins Atlanta as the second showroom.
- Mood is also in New York, Los Angeles, Houston and Miami.
- The Chicago store will soon offer sewing and design classes.
Flashback: Jack and Janet Sauma opened the first Mood Designer Fabrics in New York's Garment District in 1991.
- The store received a big boost of fame in 2004 when contestants on Bravo's reality competition show "Project Runway" shopped there. Host Tim Gunn's "Thank you, Mood!" became a signature slogan of the popular show.
What they're saying: Axios caught up with Augustine Christensen outside Mood Fabrics this week after they purchased some fabric to make a birthday gift for their sister. Christensen said they're mainly self-taught, but they plan to stick with it.
- "Once you start sewing, you can like see people's clothes; you can see the pattern of the clothes; you can see, 'Oh, the squares and that's the bias.' … Like a blueprint almost," Christensen said.
Zoom out: Mood Fabrics joins a roster of locally owned options, such as Vogue Fabrics, Chicago Fabric Yarn & Button Sales, Fishman Fabrics, the WasteShed and the multistory Textile Discount Outlet.
- Rather than lugging huge bolts of fabric around the store before carrying them home, Mood's samples each display a QR code, and shoppers can have the fabric shipped to their home.
If you go: Mood Fabrics is open daily from 10am-7pm at 109 S. State St.