News Flash! Melissa Gamble, Head of Chicago's Fashion Advisory Council, Resigns

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Melissa Gamble

It's unfortunate that we have to start the week off with some sad news. It was announced on Saturday that the head of Mayor Daley's Fashion Advisory Council for the city of Chicago would be stepping down from her post. Melissa Gamble has headed up the Fashion Advisory Council since its inception in 2006. An attorney with a degree in Fashion Marketing & Management, Gamble was at the helm of Chicago's premiere fashion projects like Fashion Focus Chicago and the Macy's Incubator program. But in a report filed over the weekend by Dorothy Coyle, the director of the Chicago Office of Tourism, Gamble's resignation was confirmed, although it was not stated whether or not she would be replaced.

Gamble's resignation is a heavy hit for the Chicago fashion scene, which was already unsteady from the news that the citywide fashion and arts initiative GenArt would be closing. So have we lost all of our fashion-themed resources completely? Luckily, the city says no. The Tourism Office did confirm that despite Gamble's departure, the Fashion Advisory Council would continue to exist. Coyle insisted the city is “currently looking at the next steps to address the growth of the fashion industry." In an investigation on the status of our beloved city's fashion week, Fashion Focus Chicago, the magazine New City spoke with another Office of Tourism spokeswoman who "promised that Fashion Focus will be going forward, with dates and details to be announced in its customary mid-summer press conference."

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A look from last year's Fashion Focus Chicago

As for Gamble, she's keeping mum on the reasons why she's leaving the office and the position she basically created. So far, her post-FAC plans will include teaching a fashion business class at Columbia College and and handling external affairs and internships for the newly formed fashion studies department. It should go without saying that Gamble will be missed, although we sincerely hope the city's fashion resources can continue their operations without her. The formal statement issued by the Office of Tourism on Gamble's departure is as follows:

Statement from Chicago Office of Tourism Director Dorothy Coyle:

Melissa Gamble has had an impressive impact on Chicago’s fashion industry and will be a great asset to Columbia College. Her five years of devotion to increasing the visibility and resources for local fashion talent has been instrumental in Mayor Richard M. Daley’s mission to elevate and educate emerging designers and independent retailers in Chicago. We’ve learned a lot over the past five years and we are currently looking at the next steps to address the growth of the fashion industry.

Article Source: Crain's Chicago Business
Photo Source: chicagobusiness.com, Steve Starr

-Alia Rajput

1 thought on “News Flash! Melissa Gamble, Head of Chicago's Fashion Advisory Council, Resigns”

  1. with a degree in Fashion Marketing & Management, Gamble was at the helm of Chicago’s premiere fashion projects like Fashion Focus Chicago and the Macy’s Incubator program. But in a report filed over the weekend by Dorothy Coyle, the director of the Chicago Office of Tourism.good

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