FashioNext is an ongoing, ground-breaking fashion design competition featuring established Chicago designers. Participants are challenged to design garments inspired by select pieces from the costume collection of the Chicago History Museum.

Follow the Competition

In the second year of the competition, FashioNext participants face a new challenge. In conjunction with the upcoming exhibition I Do! Chicago Ties the Knot, opening May 2010, designers will each create a wedding gown constructed solely with fabric provided by Brentano, a Chicago-based interior design textile company.

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Multimedia

Chicago’s Fashion Story: Then and Now

In this video, curator Timothy Long and experts from Chicago's contemporary fashion scene look at the city's design and retail history.

> View Then and Now

FashioNext Designers

The 2009-2010 FashioNext design competition features the following designers: James de Colon, Caroline DeVillo, Elda De La Rosa, Anna Fong, Holly Greenhagen of Dame Couture, Jane Hamidi of Palazzo Bridal, Carla Hwang from Vwidon, and Katrin Schnabl.

Learn more about this year’s designers.

• James de Colon: http://www.chicagofashionresource.com/designers/73
  
• Caroline DeVillo: http://carolinedevillo.com/
  
• Elda De La Rosa: http://www.eldadelarosa.com/
  
• Anna Fong: http://www.anna-fong.com/
  
• Holly Greenhagen of Dame Couture: http://www.damecouture.com/
  
• Jane Hamidi Of Palazzo Bridal: http://www.palazzobridal.com/
  
• Carla Hwang from Vwidon: http://www.vwidon.com/index2.html
• Katrin Schnabl: http://www.katrinschnabl.com/
  
  

FashioNext Judges

• Tim Long, Curator of Costumes, Chicago History Museum
• Noren Ungaretti, President, Costume Council of the Chicago Historical Society
• Iris Wang, Vice-President, Design and Marketing, Brentano
• Andrea Kalish Reynders, Sage Studios Endowed Chair, Department of Fashion Design, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
• Roger Price and Tommy Walton, Price Walton, FashioNext 2009 winners
• D. Graham Kostic, Style Editor, Modern Luxury Magazines, LLC
  
  

Sponsors and Partners

Ovation TV, the presenting sponsor of FashioNext, is a multi-platform network devoted to art, culture, creativity and making art more accessible to viewers in their daily lives. The network showcases the world's greatest artists in theater, dance, opera, literature, film, visual and fine art, music, design, photography and architecture.

The Museum has partnered with Brentano Fabrics, a Chicago-based textile company that manufactures fabrics according to their philosophy of beauty + performance. Their design team pushes the boundaries of patterns, materials, weaves, and color while maintaining usability. Additionally, they produce a range of eco-fabrics under their Brentano Green label. Brentano is the exclusive fabric provider for this design competition.

The Museum also recognizes the Costume Council of the Chicago Historical Society, Chicagoland Mercedes-Benz Dealers, Mario Tricoci, and Chicago Magazine for their support of FashioNext.