Fashion Files Magazine: FashionFiles Chicago
3 Fashion Focus Designers You Should Know
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- Published on Friday, 14 October 2011 00:00
- Written by Anna Marevska
Fashion Focus Chicago returns for its 7th year next week with a series of fashions shows, fantastic shopping events and parties around town. The tents at Millennium Park will welcome back many of the talented CFI alumni, as well as plenty of new and emerging designers.
FFMag is abuzz, however, with these three emerging talents all making their debut at Fashion Focus. They are someone you should know.
Eric Kipp is one of the 2011 Macy's Chicago Fashion Incubator designers in residence as well as the mind behind Eric Kipp Custom Clothiers. He brings a refreshing point of view to menswear with a superb dedication to the tradition of tailoring.
“This collection is a good representation of who I am as a designer,” Kipp told us about his upcoming collection. “My inspiration behind the collection was the colors of Chicago before the first blooms of Spring – the blues of the sky and the lake, the browns and tans of the trees and shades of grey of the concrete skyscrapers.”
The collection, he added, “…focuses on quality and versatility, which resonates with the Midwesterner sensibility.”
Needless to say, the young designer is thrilled to be a part of Fashion Focus lineup calling the experience "surreal."
"I feel this will not become real to me until my last piece makes it down the runway," he chimed.
Kipp is showing his collection opening night at the CFI runway Oct. 18.
Concetta Cipriano is a Chicago native and also one of the 2011 Macy's Chicago Fashion Incubator designers in residence.Her signature line, Cettina, is a contemporary line that focuses on cocktail dresses and separates, all the while balancing classic silhouettes with feminine details.
“I am extremely excited to be a part of Fashion Focus this year,” Cipriano told us Thursday. “Chicago is my home and being recognized as a part of the fashion community on such a large scale is truly rewarding.”
She added, “A photo I took, while visiting Venice, inspired the colors of this particular season. I was drawn to the unique combination of colors – the green algae tinted canals, the golden shimmer of the sun, and of course the orange terra cotta buildings surrounding it all. This collection captures the essence of summer by evoking fun and vibrancy while maintaining an effortless feeling.”
See Cettina’s debut during the CFI event Oct. 18.
Shernett Swaby is a Project Runway alum and an established designer in the Windy City. Her pieces and signature line, Swaby, have been wildly successful and can be seen at her storefront in Bucktown.
“I am very pleased that I was invited to take part of Fashion Focus Chicago,” Swaby told us via email. “I love what I do and I feel very privileged to be able to share my creativity. Chicago has been very supportive of my work … [and] I am very proud to be a part of the Chicago fashion industry.”
Always inspired by her surroundings Swaby's upcoming collection is exalted by architecture.
“…More specifically by stairs. We all use stairs in our everyday lives because they tend to always lead somewhere and life in itself is a constant journey,” she said.
Swaby is showing her Spring 2012 collection Oct. 21 at the Style Chicago event.
View all Chicago Fashion Focus 2011 events here.
