Alumni News
Refinery 29 recently covered a DIR alum, Christina Fan's  new spring/summer collection for C/FAN. Christina launched C/FAN in 2008, before coming to the Incubator in 2010. The article, "C/FAN's Spring Line Gives the Kaleidoscope A Run For Its Money," accurately captured Christina's striking play of color and light.


"Designer Christina Fan looked to the South American Quechua dialect, particularly their word "k'anchaypacha," to guide her creative vision for her spring/summer collection. The definition: light is a dynamic element with its own life force. The interpretation: Rainbow Brite designs that definitely take on a life of their own on flowing caftans, frocks, and tunics"


Yet the collection truly needs no explanation, for the pieces speak for themselves. Read the article and take a look at the new collection here!

New DIR 2012

Chicago Fashion Incubator is pleased to introduce its two new Designers In Residence!

Christina Monley

Christina Monley, designer for Christina Karin, is a BU graduate in business and art history and has studied fashion design at the Art Institute of Chicago. Christina Karin is a modern women’s dress label.  The company is a luxury lifestyle brand defined by classic American glamour, edgy sophistication, and attainable price point. The brand strives to make women shine through exceptional product, design, and its commitment to unrivaled customer service.  All merchandise is produced domestically in the USA. A portion of all sales go toward various charity initiatives to help women and children around the world lead safer lives with greater opportunities to thrive. 

Pictured center, Christina Monley

Lagilelei Nadeau

Lagilelei was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York and Michigan State University for fashion design. While attending FIT, she interned with Nicole Romano, later working as an assistant fashion designer at Tahari and then Ammara. In 2010, she launched the Lagi Nadeau jewelry collection which has been featured in Marie Claire, Sugarlaws, and has accessorized fashion collections such as Kay Unger and Phoebe Couture. Lagi Nadeau label will expand into an inaugural womenswear line with the launch of her Spring 2013 collection. Nadeau is a strong proponent of American made products and makes each piece in the US. 

Lagi Nadeau Spring Preview Sketch

CFI Welcomes Our 5th Class of Designers In Residence

Join us in welcoming our 2012 DIRs.  We are excited for the year ahead!

Sarah Church
Sarah Church’s fashion career began in Ohio in 1999, when her custom garments were featured in boutiques that catered to many subcultures. In 2000, Church moved to Chicago to attend the Illinois Institute of Art Chicago where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Design. In 2009, she designed custom tour outfits for bands such as Janus and Heart Set Self Destruct, while creating a women’s collection on the side. Sarah started www.churchxoxo.com in 2011, which features several different collections, including her custom designs and ready-to-wear as well as vintage pieces.

Brooke Conrady
Brooke Conrady moved from Kansas to Chicago to get her degree in Fashion Design from The Illinois Institute of Art – Chicago. Upon graduation, she worked with a local clothing designer for several years and decided it was time to branch off and create her own line, blank nation, a contemporary women's ready-to-wear clothing line. Conrady’s pieces are easy to wear, knit dresses that work for various body types. Her main focus is utilizing fashion and creativity to give back to the communities who are supporting her business. She chooses a new charity each month and donates a percentage of sales to help those in need. Blank Nation Website

Britney Devaris
Britney Devaris studied fashion design and merchandising at Dominican University. Her ready-to-wear collection is innovative, trendy and eye-catching due to her manipulation of fabrics which allows her to be very technical on the inside but still very functional on the outside.

Rachel Frank
A graduate of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Fashion Design Program, Frank has always had a flair for the dramatic. Her work is constantly changing, along with her inspiration, but always contains an aesthetic of detailed juxtaposition. From silk and leather, to lace and chains, Rachel Frank’s evening avant-garde apparel is not for the meek, but is intended for the bold, dramatic woman. RFD by Rachel Frank Website

LaTonya Williams
LaTonya Williams attended Tennessee State University and earned a degree in mathematics and worked for over a decade in the IT field. In 2007, Williams moved to Chicago and enrolled in the fashion program at the International Academy of Design Technology. In 2010, she was the second runner-up in Kenmore's So You Wanna Be A Designer reality show. Williams’ latest venture is a women's clothing line of white blouses known as Elizabeth Smith fashions. Elizabeth Smith Website

"Made in Chicago" T Shirts - The Perfect Holiday Gift!

Have you ever noticed that Chicagoans are full of pride for their city?  Yes we do have utterly freezing long winters and not so honest politicians, but don't let us catch you saying anything badly about Chicago or else!  We are born, bred, and "Made in Chicago."

Majority of the Designers at the Chicago Fashion Incubator pride themselves on the fact that their garments are created and manufactured locally.  CFI itself focuses on supporting Chicago designers and giving them resources to help create successful businesses.  CFI has taken that effort one step further and created an organic "Made in Chicago" T shirt that not only allows you to show your pride for the city you love, but also helps support the Chicago Fashion Incubator and our mission to support local fashion designers.  

Dare we suggest that this could be the perfect holiday gift for that special Chicagoan in your life?  These limited addition shirts are available for purchase in our Etsy store (CFI Etsy Store), get one before they are gone!  Look fashionable and help support your local community of fashion designers!

Buyer's Event and Media Presentation

The Chicago Fashion Incubator recently held an exclusive buyer's event and media presentation at Macy's on State Street in our 7th floor event space. Buyers and media were invited to view the spring 2012 collections of our resident and alumni designers, who were showcased at our Fashion Focus Show last month. To those who joined us - thank you, your presence was much appreciated!

See below for highlights from the event!

The fabulous designers of the Chicago Fashion Incubator.

The DJ kept everyone dancing with his innovative mix of oldies and pop music.

Modahnik by Kahindo Mateene.

Cettina by Concetta Cipriano.

Gidi by Teneasha Prunty.

Eric Kipp.

Siobhan by Shavonne Dorsey.

Crystal B. Designs by Crystal Simms.

C/FAN by Christina Fan.

ZAMRIE by Ashley Zygmunt.

Miriam Cecilia.

The Style Tribe Sports C/FAN and Zamrie

Young fashion darlings of local Chicago blog The Style Tribe indulged in a shopping spree at our LAUNCH/CFI pop up shop---and came out covered in C/Fan and Zamrie, lines of our beloved past DIR members Christina Fan and Ashley Zygmunt, respectively.  Take a peek at what Nicole, one of the 5 Style Tribe girls, chose to play dress up with!

Image via The Style Tribe

Incubator.....Ingenius!

The Chicago Fashion Incubator is taking the world by storm!  With our sartorial machine's success gaining steam, we are pleased to see that the media has taken an interest in us---call us the einstein of the fashion and retail industry!  We were the subject of an article written by an organization called Changing Gears.

Changing Gears is a public media project interested in exploring the economic transformation of the industrial Midwest, through the stories of people driving and experiencing this change.  Our Executive Director Lara Miller was interviewed for the article, as was past DIR Stephanie Kuhr (creative mind behind her line Dottie's Delights) and Donaldo Smith (main man of his brand Killian Gui).    

Happy to have been recognized---read up!