Chicago is home to numerous fashion businesses that span the continuum of apparel and accessories production from textile suppliers, designers, pattern makers, stylists, models, event producers, boutiques, sewing contractors to full-scale cut and sew manufacturers. The Chicago Fashion Directory was created to lend visibility to the fashion industry in Chicago. This is, by no means, a comprehensive list. Listing your business here is free. You may request to add/edit/delete content for the Chicago Fashion Directory via an email to: info@alacartefashion.com.
Apparel Industry Board, Inc – fee-based counseling and workshops, line critiques, Made in Chicago shop
Business Affairs and Consumer Protection – check out the Small Business Center
Women’s Business Development Center – mentorships, fee-based workshops, business loans
SCORE/Small Business Administration – free mentorship, fee-based workshops
Chicago Artists Resources – Open Calls
City of Chicago – Chicago Farmers Markets Program – Non-Food Vendor
City of Chicago – Festivals with Fashion Markets (Jazz, Blues, Gospels…)
Randolph Street Market/Indie Design Market
Cut & Sew Manufacturers
Crown Sewing
Leo’s
YS Apparel
Fabric, Materials & Notions- retail
Hancock Fabrics (Chicago suburbs)
Fabric, Materials & Notions- wholesale
Master Tailors
Chris Despos
Pattern makers
Product Development
Sewing Contractors
Columbia College Chicago – Fashion Studies
Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago – Fulton-Carroll Business Incubator
Illinois Institute of Art of Chicago – Fashion Merchandising, Design, Marketing
Sanford Brown (fka IADT) – Fashion Design
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago – Fashion Design
Var’geez Productions: Fashion Styling & Events
ZZAZZ Productions
City of Chicago Fashion Focus: Chicago’s Fashion Week, October 14-19, 2014
Latino Fashion Week – October 1-5, 2014
Magnificent Mile Shopping Festival – August 22- September 1, 2014
City of Chicago Special Events
Metromix
Council of Fashion Designers of America
Fashion Group International of Chicago
Chicago Reader (Sun-Times)
Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago – Fulton-Carroll Business Incubator
Bridal Expo Chicago, October
Chicago Collective – January and July
Chicago Textile Expo, October
National Bridal Market Chicago, September
StyleMax, January/February, March, August, October
