Jessica Herman

Two years ago, a group of nine women eager to create a sense of community in and around the local fashion industry started getting together to swap advice on everything from finding pattern makers to fabric sources. Six months later, the unofficial fellowship of fashionistas launched the Chicago Fashion Foundation (www.chicagofashionfoundation.com), a networking organization that unites local journalists, jewelry and textile designers, buyers and boutique owners.

"If we don't know the answer, we know somebody who does," says board member Karrie Blackburn.

The group is more than a massive business-card swap or avenue to promote fashion-related events and businesses (though it does that, too). The CFF board members focus on educating students and young professionals about the industry and helping them land jobs and internships through the members-only directory. Founding board members regularly lecture about networking at Columbia College and constantly field email inquiries about internships and jobs for members and nonmembers alike.

"We connect so well because we're smaller," says Blackburn. "There's a lot of one-on-one time. It's kind of like going to a small college versus going to a public university."

CFF may operate small, but it thinks and acts big. After Lollapalooza invited CFF to select designers for a fashion showcase at this month's concert, board members organized a contest for upcoming textile and jewelry designers to submit their wares. The CFF board is also selecting a panel of major players in the fashion industry to speak at Chicago's fall Fashion Week.

So where is CFF headed? "We're quietly bubbling," says founding board member Dana Anderson. "I see it going national. Other cities need something like what we're doing."

(2005-07-19)

Also by Jessica Herman

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What's old is new in home décor
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Gardening 101
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Swimming in Sephora
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Sexy Appeal
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Fashion Salvation
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Open for business
(2005-03-01)

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