Chicago’s first fashion week kicks off

Chicago Fashion Week kicks off Wednesday, Oct. 9 and runs through Oct. 20, the first time the design and fashion industry will have a large-scale citywide event of this kind.

A previous version, called Fashion Focus Chicago, last happened nearly 10 years ago.

Before Chicago Fashion Week officially starts at the Chicago Cultural Center, 10 different designers displayed their work at the Semicolon Bookstore & Gallery in the Loop on Monday, Oct. 7.

Seven Columbia students attended with invitations from their various teachers who are involved with CFW. One of these students, Michelle Flores, a junior fashion merchandising major, was invited by Melissa Gamble, an assistant professor in the School of Fashion. She is a member of the CFW steering committee.

“I’m mainly here just to get a new experience, a new intake and for Chicago Fashion Week,” Flores said. “I know that it’s been a while since they’ve had Chicago Fashion Week, so it’s really cool to experience it firsthand and just to make new connections.” 

Chicago had a Fashion Focus from 2005 to 2015 under former Mayor Richard M. Daley, but it never really took off.

“The reason that it was called Fashion Focus instead of Chicago Fashion Week is because someone else owned the IP, the trademark for Chicago Fashion Week, and the city wasn’t interested in trying to negotiate with them to buy it,” said Gamble, who was the former director of fashion for the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs.

In 2009, the company Fulton Matthews purchased the trademark, and its owner, John Leydon, got together a group of organizations and leaders, some of which included Ian Gerard and Maggie Gillette from the Curio and the Apparel Industry Board, to launch Chicago Fashion Week. 

“We all got together and agreed to sort of do this thing. So the programming for Chicago Fashion Week is mostly programming that has already existed,” Gamble said.  

Despite the dominating presence of giant fashion weeks like ones in Milan and New York, Leydon told the Chronicle that they are determined to create a space that is unique to Chicago.

“The people behind this organization are proud Chicagoans,” Leydon said. “We have little interest in copying what is being done elsewhere. We will of course listen and learn the lessons of history, but put our own patina on CFW programming.”

CFW runs through Oct. 20 with a mix of private and public events, from open houses and fashion shows to after-parties and symposiums. In a decision that differs from many fashion weeks, CFW is one of the most publicly accessible, with 10 free events that include fashion shows and workshops, among many others.

“Traditional fashion weeks are to-the-trade only events,” Leydon said. “The people you see off the runway are primarily buyers, executives and celebrities. Consumers don’t traditionally have the opportunity to attend these events. Therein lies our point of difference and the opportunity for the city.”

In addition to this opportunity, the City of Chicago has always taken the stance that if they are to be a part of something, they want it to be accessible for all, Gamble said. Even during Gamble’s time for Fashion Focus, sections of the runway shows were always free and open to the public. 

CFW hopes to create business for those featured during the week as well as draw more attention to the city.

One of the 10 designers featured at the Semicolon event was Alisia Medina, who graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2023. Her look was selected as she felt it was synonymous with what she’s good at, such as textile manipulation and technical skill. Kaine Bautista, the designer behind KAINE, also graduated from SAIC in 2023.

“I primarily focus on leather work and handmade pieces. I really like dyeing my own fabrics too and making them my own,” Bauista said. “I want to plan on making more androgynous ware in the future.” 

Their latest collection, m i s t, explores leatherwork and knitwear, with inspirations from the sci-fi genre. For Kaine’s model, Veronica Medrano, this is her first fashion week. 

“This is actually my very first time modeling ever. So I just went to the open casting call for the Asian Fashion Show back in July, just because it’s always been on my bucket list,” Medrano said. “I feel like anything could happen from here on out.”

Other notable attendees included the president of the Chicago Makeup School, Nini Jenkis. Through a partnership between the Chicago Makeup School and CFW, Maria Samarina, and most other makeup artists for CFW, will be working alongside students of the Chicago Makeup School to help create the looks for multiple of the shows. 

At the end of the Monday show, Carrie Lannon, a member of the leadership team, and Leydon took the stage and congratulated the designers who were in attendance; each one was met with a roar of applause and a clinking of glasses. 

CFW organizers said they want to try to capture an accurate picture of the city. 

“It begins with questions. What do you need and how can we be of help is a great place to start. This is a massive undertaking and there are no simple answers. It requires dedication, focus and hard work,” Leydon said.  “I promise, we are going to make mistakes along the way.  But all our humble hearts are in the right place and we are committed to the task. All of us genuinely love the city of Chicago.”

Copy edited by Trinity Balboa

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