CHICAGO STAKES ITS CLAIM AS A LEADING FASHION CAPITAL WITH THE LAUNCH OF THE NEW OFFICIAL CHICAGO FASHION WEEK® IN OCTOBER 2024
Photo Cred: Alex Callejo
Chicago Fashion Week is a celebration of our city’s tapestry of creativity, featuring a thoughtfully curated selection of shows, presentations, retail events, exhibitions, marketplaces and educational panel discussions.
Leading figures from the Chicago fashion industry gathered at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago back in May to announce the launch of Chicago’s new official Chicago Fashion Week® (CHIFW). The 12-day lineup of special events will include fashion shows and presentations, award programs, retail marketplaces, gala celebrations, educational programs and more in partnership with local fashion organizations, retailers, and neighborhood business associations. Running Oct. 9-20 at locations across the city, the events will shine a spotlight on Chicago as the incubator of groundbreaking, critically acclaimed designers, home to fashion schools that attract global talent and a hub for world-class shopping.
“Chicago has long been recognized as a hub of creativity and innovation across various industries, and our fashion scene is no exception,” said Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. “From emerging designers to established labels, our city boasts a wealth of talent that deserves a platform for recognition and celebration. Amplifying Chicago fashion events through Chicago Fashion Week creates an opportunity to elevate our city’s status as a fashion capital.
The CFW calendar will aggregate a thoughtfully curated selection of shows, presentations , retail events, exhibitions, marketplaces and educational panel discussions. Existing landmark industry events, including the return of Fashion Group International Chicago’s Rising Star Awards and the Chicago History Museum’s Costume Council 50th Anniversary Gala, will be incorporated into the schedule to emphasize the breadth of offerings within Chicago’s fashion industry, from emerging designs to archived costuming.“Our intent is to draw attention to all aspects of Chicago’s fashion community and celebrate the innovative approaches local designers employ in every category — from streetwear to formalwear,” said Leydon. “This October, all of Chicago becomes a runway.”In contrast to other National and international fashion weeks, nearly 95% of the CFW events will be open to the public – many of them free with advance registration. This accessibility is intentional , with the goal of providing Chicago designers a platform for enhanced awareness, while simultaneously connecting industry notables and consumers alike to Chicago’s vibrant fashion scene.
Chicago Fashion Week programming highlights that were announced by the producers at the press conference include:
Chicago Fashion Coalition fashion show (Oct. 11) will feature local design talent-showcased in non-traditional manner in artistic collaboration with music tied the city’s 40th anniversary of house music: chicagofashioncoalition.org.
Local business association programming that includes a Fulton Market Outdoor Fashion Show (Oct. 11) hosted by the West Central Association, and Couture for a Cause hosted by the Oak Street District running the duration of Chicago Fashion Week.
Representing the brilliance and creativity of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) designers, Asian Fashion Show Chicago (Oct. 12) will present various collections that embrace AAPI culture showcased on models from the AAPI community: chiasian.fashion.
Surround Sound of Fashion, (Oct. 12) blending fashion and music experiences that include top national recording acts, will showcase creative talent from the Midwest:surroundsoundoffashion.com.
A special one-day Modern Vintage Fashion Marketplace (Oct. 13) produced by the team behind the Randolph Street Market.
A fashion photography exhibition opening on Oct. 16 and running into the winter at the NoMI Gallery at the Park Hyatt.
Minted Media productions, woman-owned and Latina-Indigenous proud, will present Chicago Fashion Showcase (Oct. 17) a platform for global emerging and leading fashion designers , with a spotlight on BIPOC designers, to showcase their Collection on the-runway and in a market: chicagofashionshowcase.com.
Runway Latinx (Oct. 19) will feature local Latinx talent, as well as some South American-designers: runwaylatinx.com. Additional programming is being finalized and will be announced ahead of the launch event in October , along with event times and locations. For a full schedule of events, visit Chicagofashionweek.com
