A Celebration of Chicago Style kicked off the city-endorsed Chicago Fashion Week on Oct. 9. Organized by The Curio, this opening runway show showcased eight designers, featuring both nationally recognized names and emerging talent from the Windy City. They included: Barbara Bates, Chelsea B., Christina Karin, Emmanuel Cabrera of Gente Fina, Alex McDermott of I Am Studios, Justin Dougan-LeBlanc of Justin LeBlanc Design, Maria Pinto and Sheila Rashid.
A highlight of the evening was the announcement of the inaugural winner of The Ceta Walters Fashion Content Creator Award. This annual $10,000 grant, honoring the late Ceta Walters, aims to support a rising star among Chicago-based content creators. The inaugural winner was Amy Anderson (of Style Credenza). Christine Griffith and Paris Parham discussed the award’s purpose before announcing Anderson as the winner.
A pre-reception was held in the G.A.R. Hall & Rotunda with fashionable attendees gathering in Preston Bradley Hall for the speaker portion that featured Ian Gerard (co-founder and principal of The Curio with Matt Woodburn), who welcomed guests, along with Maggie Gillette, and introduced Sangini Brahmbhatt, Deputy Commissioner DCASE .
The highly anticipated runway show, produced by ZZAZZ Productions with music by DJ Akib, showcased the unique styles of the featured designers. The evening concluded with a post-reception back in the rotunda.
To celebrate Chicago Fashion Week, nearly 50 events will be held all throughout the city in different neighborhoods through Oct. 20.