Chicago Fashion Week spotlights local designers
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
"Threaded Stories," presented by Cloth and Home. Designer: Lola Elan. Photo: Courtesy of Blake Swanson
The third annual celebration of Chicago's emerging and established fashion talent starts this week.
Why it matters: While fashion capitals like New York and Paris target established players, Chicago Fashion Week provides new creators a space to showcase their work, network and learn essential business skills.
The big picture: The event aims to be more inclusive, both in its programming across neighborhoods and the suburbs and also in the fashion it celebrates, from streetwear to vintage to higher-end brands.
Flashback: The current iteration isn't Chicago's first foray into fashion week.
- In 2005, then-Mayor Richard M. Daley tapped "fashion czar" Melissa Gamble to lead initiatives such as Chicago Fashion Focus and the Chicago Fashion Incubator at Macy's.
- The New York Times viewed Chicago style back then as "baseball caps and extra-large sweatshirts."
- Chicago's Fashion Focus ended in 2015.
Catch up quick: Entrepreneur John Leydon launched Chicago Fashion Week in 2024.
What they're saying: "When we created Chicago Fashion Week, the goal was not to define Chicago fashion, but to give the people shaping it a platform," Leydon said in a release.
- Leydon told WBEZ last year that accessibility remains a focus for the event. "Other events focus on exclusivity; we're making it more accessible. Depending on your interest, there's different shows you can visit. It's not all about runway," he said.
- Designers show off work that's available now rather than previewing an upcoming collection that may or may not trickle into the retail market.
Context: Chicago has an ecosystem for up-and-coming designers, with four-year degree programs at the School of the Art Institute, Columbia College and Dominican University. The College of DuPage offers an associate's degree program in fashion studies.
- College of DuPage students will present their work Friday in Lombard as part of Fashion Week.
What to expect: Several events explore fashion as art and as a vehicle for storytelling, including:
- The Reinvention Edit: Chicago — The Stories We Wear. The Women We Become on Oct. 12
- The Chicago Streetwear Expo on Oct. 17
- Stories We Wear: Fashion as Visual Narrative on Oct. 18
Inclusivity remains a theme on this year's schedule, with independent women-led brands selling their designs, queer designers hitting the runway and young budding creatives from the West Side learning about the fashion business.
If you go: Chicago Fashion Week kicks off Thursday and runs through Oct. 18.
- Many events are ticketed, but some are free.
- Check out the full schedule.