designers-in-residence

Meet our 2023 Chicago Fashion Incubator Designers-in-Residence (Left to right):

Jean Spellman, Christopher daus, Romance Anastasa, Holly Gararrd, austin dipadova & Mayuri baheti (not pictured)

CHICAGO FASHION INCUBATOR WELCOMES 2023 CLASS OF DESIGNERS 

The Chicago Fashion Incubator at Macy’s on State Street (CFI), a one-year residency focused on the business of fashion, welcomes two new designers-in-residence for the 2023 year. These designers join three continuing designers-in-residence to receive mentoring and training to take their independent fashion businesses to the next level. The CFI provides emerging Chicago-based designers with resources, including work space, mentoring and workshops, to help grow their careers in fashion. Workshops range in topics from media training, creating business plans, cost analysis, and building a brand strategy to more artistic sessions like preparing patterns for production to color and proportion theory. Throughout the program, the designers have the chance to establish relationships with a network of industry professionals including lawyers, accountants, fashion buyers, merchandisers and branding, marketing and communications experts.