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Sponsors

The Chicago Fashion Incubator has many sponsors who support the CFI and the designers with either In Kind or Monetary donations.

CFI Curriculum

From brand development to trademark and copyright the Designers in Residence have many topics that are addressed through-out the year. Take a look at the curriculum to see more of what the designers learn at CFI.

Resources

In the city of Chicago the designers have many resources at their fingertips. Check out the Community Partners and Designer Buyer Match-Up Participants that make up the CFI resources.

Apply to CFI

If you are interested in becoming one of the lucky designers chosen to be part of the Chicago Fashion Incubator apply now! There are only six spots available each year, so don't wait until the last minute!



Curriculum

Each January, the upcoming group of Designers in Residence (DIR) and Associate Designers (AD) come to CFI for a Self Assessment/Strength and Weakness Analysis Workshop. The framework for this workshop was donated by the Belmont Business Enterprise Center of Western Australia at the International Conference of Fashion Incubators in 2009. This workshop allows each designer to get to know one another while taking a look at where they excel and where they can use additional resources and assistance. This workshop is an essential tool in helping the Executive Director and Curriculum Advisory Board plan the CFI Curriculum each year.

Following the assessment, the CFI Executive Director works with the Board of Directors and the Curriculum Advisory Board to create a curriculum specifically structured to the needs of the designers' responses.

Below please find a list of topics that are addressed throughout the year.

  • Media Training
  • Business Plans & Development
  • Marketing Plans and Strategy
  • The Fashion Calendar
  • Time Management
  • Product Development - Sourcing
  • The Importance of Fit
  • Costing
  • Corporate Filing from a legal and accounting perspective
  • Intellectual Property - Trademark & Copyright
  • Accounting
  • Business Licensing
  • Brand Development
  • Fashion Show Production
  • Direct Marketing and Sales
  • Market Prep
  • Production
  • On-line Business
  • Large Volume Orders
  • Export
  • Working with Department Stores
  • Financing