Every year, international fashion weeks re-invent themselves and define the industry for the upcoming seasons. This exciting time is most notably represented in New York, London, Milan and Paris. However, Chicago is awakening its long-slept-on fashion scene to bring the very first 2024 Chicago Fashion Week. What ensued is a city-wide celebration of craftmanship, diversity and style. Everyone from university clubs to independent designers makes their debut on chic runways and pop-up events. To get an inside look at Chicago’s blossoming fashion week, Niles West News attended RENEWAL by MODA—a sustainability-themed fashion show put together by MODA, UChicago’s primary student-run fashion organization. The show is a prime example of the city’s thrilling, eclectic energy in this historic premiere of its fashion week.
For MODA, their show is an important stepping stone in bringing inclusivity and awareness to Chicago’s somewhat undiscovered fashion field. Setting an example for other organizations, they focused their efforts on bringing concepts of accessibility and community outreach to the forefront of the program.
“Chicago has always been overlooked when it comes to fashion and overshadowed when it comes to saturated [big] cities. Chicago is so culturally rich that hosting a fashion week here allows traditionally underrepresented groups to showcase their talent and diverse perspectives. It provides a space for community engagement, which RENEWAL organizers were trying to accomplish with South Side programming. By hosting this event, we are not only contributing to the inaugural Chicago Fashion Week but actively uplifting the work of student designers and providing a space for local engagement with both fashion and sustainability, which are spaces that have been historically inaccessible to certain communities,” co-editor of MODA Digital, Elizabeth Desir said.
RENEWAL attendees echo the sentiment about Chicago’s cultural diversity. The city’s fashion scene has the potential to be a beacon of heterogeneous creativity, whereas Euro-centric standards of beauty have historically ruled the fashion world. In ways akin to the Harlem Renaissance, it seems Chicago stands at the pinnacle of a larger fashion renaissance, embracing black art. This new era in fashion is prospering and can be seen across the United States, specifically with the 2025 MET Gala theme and the rise of black creative directors at Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, and even from a former fashion icon hailing from Illinois, Virgil Abloh.
“When you’re talking about the diversity in the city, there’s a massive black population here. I think [of] fashion shows as a reflection of the community, the diversity of the artists and their ideas. You will see a lot of black history and art being reflected in the fashion scene here. [Places like] Paris are the ‘upper center’ of fashion everybody looks towards, where you make it as a designer. But if you look at the designers behind it, there’s not much diversity. It’s very [Eurocentric] coded. People like Pharrell Williams and [formerly] Virgil Abloh, are paving the way by hiring these diverse people to work these shows and put their designs, culture, and ideas forward. I think you’re going to start to see a change in the future with that,” UChicago junior Gavin Reid said.
Themes of sustainability have been popping up all over international fashion weeks, with CFW being no different. As the world becomes increasingly aware of the intertwined effects of fast fashion and climate change, brands and creatives have pivoted to upcycled and reusable materials. For RENEWAL, UChicago students promoted thrifted outfits, clothing upcycling stations and hosted a clothing swap at the show. Younger generations of designers are taking the lead in spreading eco-conscious fashion, hoping to build a brighter future for our style and world.
Reid manages a station while teaching people how to sew, and reflects on upcycling.
“The rise of sites like Shein and Temu, that’s a problem in terms of consumption, waste, and the planet we’re trying to protect. When you’re having fashion shows centered around sustainability, the premise of taking old clothes and upcycling them [we’re] showing people, you don’t have to go out and buy a $40 pair of pants on Shein. You can take pants from Goodwill, pants that you already own and change them to suit your style now. Fashion shows promoting [this] idea is great for the world,” Reid said.
The first Chicago Fashion Week has left a high standard for other cities to follow and we’re excited for next year. Between its embrace of diverse designers and sustainable efforts, CFW is shaping to be a formidable event in the fashion world. For MODA, the premier of fashion week gives aspirations for the future of Chicago’s fashion scene.
“The existence of this year’s first CFW shows there is a fashion movement developing in Chicago. Chicago is the home of many creative, passionate designers and fashion lovers. We have a huge vintage scene and innovative creatives such as Sky Cubacub. Fashion gets associated with elitism and feels out-of-reach, which is something that Chicago in particular has the opportunity to dismantle. We sincerely hope that MODA and Chicago continue to be accessible spaces for young people to engage with fashion and express their creativity,” co-editor of MODA Digital, Maryam Shariff said.
As fashion continues to evolve, Chicago is along for the ride, in the driver’s seat. See you next year, CFW!
