I had an assignment recently to make a 1200 word dispatch about Chicago fashion. An outtake shown above is a runway look from designer Kristina Sparks (courtesy City of Chicago, Patrick Psyszka photographer) at last year's Chicago Fashion Focus, plus an image I lifted from her website.
The Mayor's Fashion Council is trying to develop fashion as an industry and their version of a fashion week is less runway, more consumer events than in New York. The folks who have the name Chicago Fashion Week are, thankfully, not affiliated with CFF or MFC but still go around calling themselves the "The Official Fashion Week of Chicago." That name was taken by MW Productions , a fledging company that's gotta be dead in the water after canceling events planned for April and leaving several designers out to dry.
I wouldn't say the scene is about to blow up, but there's some great projects, stores and programs that reflect a growing interest in fashion. Then I spoke to San Diego based shoe designer Gordon Rush. He echoed my surprise about Chicago, then went on to say it was a major part of his business.
