Like NYC and Paris, Chicago was once a hub for fashion designers

Editor's note: This story first published April 23, 2025.

When teacher Emily Porter showed up at Mount Sinai Resale Shop in Lakeview, she was looking to shake up her classroom wardrobe of simple blouses and slacks. She happened upon a woven sweater that “fit perfectly”; the label read “Maria Rodriguez Chicago.” This piqued Porter’s interest, as she hadn’t heard of many designers from Chicago.

“You know that Chanel is from Paris and you know that Prada is from Italy,” Porter said. “But Maria Rodriguez, like, she had her moment, and she’s from Chicago.”

Given the Magnificent Mile, Ebony Fashion Fair and the giant that was Marshall Field’s, it’s no secret that the City of Big Shoulders has always been a global fashion hub. What is less known is that the 1970s and ’80s were a golden age for fashion designers who were based in Chicago. This period could be a roadmap for the efforts to revive the industry for designers in the city today. Read and listen to the full story here.