Anyone who follows fashion in Chicago has a soft spot in their hearts for the Macy's Incubator program. The program, only in its third year of existence, has already proved its weight in gold in building and promoting the Chicago fashion design scene. It nurtures local designers from obscurity into household names, providing the resources and creative autonomy for them to let their dreams truly unfold. And for many of us, we have been able to watch our friends and family members take this incredible ride and emerge triumphantly as fully-fledged industry professionals.
Fashion Focus Chicago's first show of the year featured much of the amazing talent that has been bred from the Macy's Incubator Program in both the present and the past. Each of the designer's journeys has been different—some have moved on to expand into their own studio space, some have been picked up by local boutiques, some have opened their own boutique. Most have been revered for their collections in both local and national press. And all of them, despite what road they have traveled or have yet to, can always say they got their start in Chicago.
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Here are some of our favorite looks from the 'Macy's Presents the Chicago Fashion Incubator Designers Past and Present with CS Magazine' show:
Grey with flirty ruffles could be for work or play at Kate Boggiano
Color-blocking, cut-outs and sleek streetwear shapes reigned supreme at Anna Hovet
Pretty, perked up polka dots made us think of spring tea parties at Kristin Hassan
Nora Del Busto modernized 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' with caged overlays, black wrist gloves and sophisticated silhouettes
Menswear and womenswear shared the same clean, organic and totally wearable aesthetic at Nonnie Threads
Agga B. did not disappoint with a collection of vamped up pieces that looked half medieval, half modern, and all expertly made
Gorgeously patterned frocks and (new!) sweetly-cut separates made us so glad to be girls, thanks to Jessica Audey of Audey
And for the dashing gentleman, current Incubator line Killian Gui revamped the concept of the button down in impressively innovative ways
Photo Source: Second City Style
Logo Source: stitchesfashionprogram.com
-Alia Rajpu
