Blog Assignment 5

NUMBER ONE:

Mayor’s Fashion Council PR Information:

What exactly are the goals of Mayor Daley's Fashion Council?
The City of Chicago Office of Tourism, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, manages Mayor Daley's Fashion Initiative. Melissa Gamble is the Director of Fashion Arts & Events for the City of Chicago. The goal of this initiative is to promote and enhance Chicago's fashion industry and designers.

The Fashion Initiative launched September 2005 with Fashion Focus Chicago. In April 2006, the Mayors Fashion Council was formed. In January 2007, year round programming was added.

The Mayors Fashion Council Chicago is committed to elevating and educating local Chicago designers and boutiques. Launched in April 2006 by Mayor Richard M. Daley, the Council aims to identify the current challenges facing designers who live and work in Chicago as well as advise on ways the city and industry can work together to overcome those challenges.

What are the plans for meeting these goals?
A working Council, members meet at least once a month and are divided into three committees based on the issues designers face. These committees include: programming, resources and sponsorship. The committees determine short and long-term goals at the beginning of each year.

What do programs such as the fashion council seminars hope to accomplish?
Establishing Chicago as a fashion destination and develop and pool resources needed to partner leading local designers and boutiques with fashion-centric Chicago consumers. All goals are on par with the Mayor's Fashion Initiative.

Mayor's Fashion Initiative Events include: the City's Fashion Week the cornerstone event of the Mayor's fashion initiative, Fashion Focus Chicago (FFC); the Chicago Sidewalk Sale on Daley Plaza; Glitter: A Holiday Shopping Event at the Cultural Center; Shopping tours of the City's neighborhoods, children's fashion fun, Do-It-Yourself fashion events, free educational seminars for designers and retailers; a fashion website, www.chicagofashionresource.com ; and development of the Mayor's Fashion Council.
Fashion Focus Chicago, one of the key programs of the Mayor's Fashion Initiative, have helped elevate the City's profile in the fashion community. FFC has garnered national attention from the media, industry and consumers. The program has heightened awareness of Chicago's emerging fashion design community as well as the rising global position of the City.

Is a major goal to develop a fashion industry comparable to that of New York's?
Not to create an industry comparable of New York's because Chicago and New York are very different, but to establish an international name for Chicago fashion and provide the resources needed for the community to continue to thrive.

Who sets up fashion shows around the city? Can you give me contacts or web sites with more information on this?
Besides Fashion Focus Chicago's runway shows(2007 included Allure of Couture, Gen Art's Fresh Faces, Chicago Sister City's World Fashion Chicago, AIBI's Chicago Is...Red Hot!!! and Macy's Designers of Chicago) various organizations and committees including Gen Art, Chicago Fashion Foundation, Apparel Industry Board Chicago, Fashion Group International, The Merchandise Mart, Department Stores, the Fashion Colleges and modeling agencies among others. They are produced by in fashion show producers such as Zzazz Productions.

In what was can you verify that there has been increased in interest in fashion in Chicago due to the mayor's fashion initiative?
Creation of website to provide information on industry, designers, boutiques and resources that are available to a broader group. FFC has garnered national attention from the media, industry and consumers. The program has heightened awareness of Chicago's emerging fashion design community as well as the rising global position of the City. Fashion Focus Chicago 2007 drew approximately 35,000 attendees. The program received the advertising equivalent of approximately $1 million dollars in editorial coverage.


What I discovered: Basic background information about the Mayor’s Fashion Council. There is not much information at all available on line, so much of the information gathered here is new to me and will be useful in my article, for example, I got the list of programs the mayor has started in light of his fashion initiative.

A few assertions/facts: Fashion Focus Chicago 2007 drew approximately 35,000 attendees. The program received the advertising equivalent of approximately $1 million dollars in editorial coverage.

Besides Fashion Focus Chicago's runway shows(2007 included Allure of Couture, Gen Art's Fresh Faces, Chicago Sister City's World Fashion Chicago, AIBI's Chicago Is...Red Hot!!! and Macy's Designers of Chicago) various organizations and committees including Gen Art, Chicago Fashion Foundation, Apparel Industry Board Chicago, Fashion Group International, The Merchandise Mart, Department Stores, the Fashion Colleges and modeling agencies among others. They are produced by in fashion show producers such as Zzazz Productions.

Mayor's Fashion Initiative Events include: the City's Fashion Week the cornerstone event of the Mayor's fashion initiative, Fashion Focus Chicago (FFC); the Chicago Sidewalk Sale on Daley Plaza; Glitter: A Holiday Shopping Event at the Cultural Center; Shopping tours of the City's neighborhoods, children's fashion fun, Do-It-Yourself fashion events, free educational seminars for designers and retailers; a fashion website, www.chicagofashionresource.com ; and development of the Mayor's Fashion Council.
Fashion Focus Chicago, one of the key programs of the Mayor's Fashion Initiative, have helped elevate the City's profile in the fashion community. FFC has garnered national attention from the media, industry and consumers. The program has heightened awareness of Chicago's emerging fashion design community as well as the rising global position of the City.

NUMBER TWO:

Mayor Daley Announces Creation of Fashion Advisory Council: Press Release:

http://www.ci.chi.il.us/city/webportal/portalContentItemAction.do?BV_SessionID=@@@@1539004716.1208454449@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccdadedlhhljejcefecelldffhdfhg.0&contentOID=536940847&contenTypeName=COC_EDITORIAL&topChannelName=Dept&blockName=Mayors+Office%2FJune%2FI+Want+To&context=dept&channelId=0&programId=0&entityName=Mayors+Office&deptMainCategoryOID=-536882034

What I discovered: This press release listed the names of the mayor’s fashion council industry members and mentions the appointment of Melissa Turner as Director of Fashion Arts and Events. It also includes a brief official goal of the council and quotes from the mayor. Although the mayor's quotes date back to 2006, I can definitely use them as proofs to describe what the mayor planned at the beginning of the program and where the Fashion Council is now; what has changed/happened in the meantime, etc.

Assertion: The Fashion Advisory Council will identify ways to retain and support new and established designers in Chicago and assist design students in transitioning from school to career. Members of the Council represent diverse aspects of the fashion industry and the design community. Each will bring a unique background, business strategy and area of expertise to the council, and unite their resources, talent and knowledge to improve the industry.
“The Fashion Advisory Council will help Chicago continue to grow as a fashion center by nurturing new and emerging designers and providing the necessary resources for established designers based here,” said Daley. “Through the Council and programs such as an expanded Fashion Focus this fall, we are developing new ways to connect designers with essential industry resources and people who can support them in their work. “
“With four college fashion design programs, Chicago is continually being presented with new talent,” said Turner. “Emerging and established designers are among our city's great cultural assets. We look forward to working with the Council to enhance the profile of these artists.”

NUMBER THREE

TIME ARTICLE: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1206278,00.html

Summary: This article provides facts and information about the Mayor's Fashion Council and it is a trusted source. It also mentions the concern of Chicago-based fashion designers, which I plan on including in my article. Granted, Daley's program is only 2 years old, I would like to find people who have benefited, or not, from Daley's fashion programs. This article also mentions the barriers faced by many aspiring young fashion students, which is also very interesting.

A few assertions/ideas I will use for my article: In the long run, the council wants to make Chicago a hospitable haven for new designers. The city boasts four design schools, but since there are no large clothing headquarters, many graduates quickly flee to New York or Los Angeles to find jobs as assistant designers; some, like Cynthia Rowley and Wendy Mullin, have gone on to great success. "If someone wants to design right out of school, their best option is to start their own label," Turner says. That, of course, takes capital that many young grads do not yet have.

Can Chicago Become a Fashion Capital?
The city of Chicago is famous for many things — frigid windy winters, fine architecture, the hapless Cubs, to name a few — but high fashion is not one of them. For most people, what usually comes to mind when thinking of fashion in the City of Big Shoulders is baseball caps and khakis. But Mayor Richard M. Daley thinks he can change all that. Daley recently announced the creation of a Fashion Advisory Council, a city-backed coalition of local designers and industry champions who will promote fashion growth. By nurturing designers, the city hopes to bolster its retail economy, gain tourism dollars and heighten its image as a world-class city.

To help realize that dream, Daley has created the position of director of fashion arts and events in his administration. Melissa Turner, who recently took that job, will act as liaison between the council and local fashion organizations, design schools, designers and the community, and will prepare for September's Fashion Focus, a 10-day fashion blowout based in Millennium Park.
In the long run, the council wants to make Chicago a hospitable haven for new designers. The city boasts four design schools, but since there are no large clothing headquarters, many graduates quickly flee to New York or Los Angeles to find jobs as assistant designers; some, like Cynthia Rowley and Wendy Mullin, have gone on to great success. "If someone wants to design right out of school, their best option is to start their own label," Turner says. That, of course, takes capital that many young grads do not yet have.
Yet Turner is not entirely starting with a blank canvas. Over the past few years, high-scale boutiques showcasing local talent have been cropping up everywhere, and the organization Gen Art moved into town, creating buzz with New York-style fashion shows. Several experienced local designers who sell nationally, such as Orlando Espinoza, Lara Miller and Michelle Tan, have been garnering attention on the pages of glossy fashion magazines. "Down the road I believe many jobs will become available, particularly in areas such as fashion merchandising, modeling, fashion photography, fashion show production and pattern makers," says Espinoza, co-chair on the 19-member council. "I think you're going to see a drastic change."
Ilissa Shefferman, who graduated from Chicago's International Academy of Design and Technology last September, says it was a conscious choice to start her label, I.S. Designs, in Chicago. Was she concerned about setting up shop in a town known more for its pizza than its pret-a-porter? "It does kind of have a dorky reputation, but I think it's undeserved," she says, laughing. "Chicagoans are pretty open-minded, and they love to branch out wearing local designers — there's a feeling of pride."
That same pride is starting to actually lure some designers to relocate in Chicago from the coasts. Orlando Espinoza moved his business here from Los Angles six years ago. And Joëlle Minassian, who designed for Versace and Gianfranco Ferre in Italy, returned to her hometown in December to launch a handbag business. "Chicago has a lot to offer," she says. "New York is a great city, but I think Chicago is more forgiving and there's more space to grow. There's so much talent here that's been overlooked."
Some established designers, however, are skeptical of the city's attempts to help them much in the next few years. "I love Chicago, but the industry is quite challenging," says Maria Pinto, a council member and life-long Chicago resident. "The resources are in other places, the buyers are all in New York; it's been tempting [to move] at times." She says she hasn't noticed things getting smoother for her business lately, but she hopes the Fashion Advisory Council will help start-up companies. "They might have a little easier time getting launched, and the city can surely have an impact on that." If all goes as planned, it could soon be the other way around, with the designers leaving their mark on Chicago.

NUMBER FOUR:

Chicago Shopping Map: Print Version

Summary: I discovered a list and a very helpful map of many shopping centers and boutiques located in Chicago.

Assertion: This map will be of good use when it comes to my Google map and provides me with a list of places I can actually go to or look up on line to contact designers.


Funkshion Clothing: funkshionclothing.com
Funkshion Clothing boutique is located in Wicker Park and is open as of Novermber 2007. According to their web site, Funkshion Clothing offers shoppers with a unique shopping experience through their staff, style, and our innovations. Located in the Wicker Park area Funkshion bring traditional yet edgy mix of clothing and designers from across the world. With a DJ spinning music in the front, black leather couches to comfortably lounge on, and free drinks, Funkshion makes the consumer feel right at home. Funkshion Clothing Brings there clothing from everywhere including Italy, Turkey, Chile, Germany, England, Montreal, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and even some local Chicago designers.

Assertion: I had seen ads for Funkshion Clothing in mini-magazines such as Image and Chicago Scene. Apparently there is a purple color theme to the designs, music is played at the location and free drinks are served to customers. Funkshion also claims they sell one of a kind pieces, meaning they sell one piece in each size in each design. This is as unique as it gets for a new fashion spot based in Chicago, and will definitely be featured in my Google map. The boutique basically provides me with an interesting location to mention in my story and on my Google map. This is an interesting/supporting mention.



And here is the rest of it.