Although Chicago is well established for the arts, the more niche fashion industry is less developed, but has steadily grown. With New York City being a hub for many iconic fashion institutes and companies, Chicago is a strong competitor, with three prestigious fashion institutes that have impressive fashion programs.
Chicago’s best fashion programs operate in a close knit community, working together to keep the fashion industry evolving.
There are three main fashion programs in the Chicago area: Dominican University, Columbia College, and School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Dominican University
Fashion Department Chair and Associate Professor at Dominican University, Jose Blanco, said their program differs from others as they offer both fashion design and fashion merchandising.
The department is part of the college of Arts and Sciences, so the students are exposed to a variety of subjects, including the business side of fashion, he said.
The class sizes are on the smaller side because it is a small liberal arts school. Normal classes have less than 20 students, while design classes and labs are usually only seven or eight students, Blanco said.
“We really are all about one on one teaching, ” Blanco said. “We call ourselves a ‘relationship oriented institution’, because we try to build strong relations with the students one on one, and we pride ourselves on knowing the students.”
Columbia College
Similar to Dominican University, Columbia College offers a degree in Merchandising or Product Development.
Lauren Peters, Assistant Professor in the Fashion Studies Department at Columbia College, said their department is different from other institutions because it offers students the opportunity to study fashion from multiple angles. People can design wearable items, but also study the business minded side of the industry, she said.
Columbia College recently hired several new faculty members, including herself, Peters said, who are very focused on three principal areas that make their program unique.
“Our department really focuses on diversity and inclusion,” Peters said. “And we have a strong focus on plus size fashion. Students who come to Columbia get exposure to the more pressing issues that the fashion industry is facing today. And we’re also really focusing on sustainability as we move forward.”
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, located in Downtown Chicago, has an interdisciplinary curriculum, allowing students to take classes in multiple departments and attain well-rounded skills.
Incoming senior, Eliana Batsakis, said the students are encouraged to work with different mediums, including ceramics, film, and photography. Having experience in a variety of mediums makes for a stronger designer, Batsakis said.
“Our program is definitely more conceptual and the fashion is more sculpture on the body, ” Batsakis said. “We see the body as a canvas versus commercial and wearable. Once you graduate, you’re out in the real world and people aren’t going to buy these crazy sculptural things, so take your freedom and be insane now.”
Although all these schools have different aspects that make them unique, they come together once a year to celebrate what they have in common: talent and the ability to create fashion.
Richard Driehaus hosts a runway show, celebrating young designers and their creativity, Batsakis said. The Richard Driehaus Design Initiative showcases the top student designers in Chicago. Students have the opportunity to earn a scholarship if they win the fashion show.
Unfortunately the showcase was cancelled this year due to COVID-19, Batsakis said.
“All three of them [institutions] are different and we do work together often,” Blanco said. “The Driehaus Design Initiative brought all the three schools together. And I have enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate and work on projects with the other two schools. And that continues to make Chicago very strong for fashion design.”
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