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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!
Executive Director
Lara Miller is the Executive Director at the Chicago Fashion Incubator. She is more than qualified to mentor and guide the CFI designers as the designer and owner of her own fashion business. Her pieces have been called "sultry, sophisticated, and as endlessly variable as the woman who wears them" by elle.com.
Born and raised in Chicago, Lara Miller's work is strongly influenced by the city's architectural and cultural landscape. Ecological sensitivity and fascination with both the built and moving form flow through each piece. Her modular designs are created with a playful geometry that connects to the personalities of the women who wear them. Both joyous and sophisticated, Lara's work has attracted international acclaim.
Since exhibiting her student work as a "Featured Artist" at the Chicago boutique p.45 in the fall of 2002, Lara has made repeat appearances in GenArt's Fresh Faces as well as the Macy's on State Chicago Designer Shop. She has been named "Top 40 Under 40" by Crain's Chicago Business as well as "Indie Designer of the Year" by Chicago Magazine.
An Eco Domani semi-finalist, Lara's work has been featured on Elle.com, DailyCandy.com, The Today Show, the CBS Evening News, and in publications such as Italian Vogue, Cookie, Lucky Magazine, Vanity Fair, W, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, WWD, and Newsweek, among many others.
As a Lexus Hybrid Living Sustainable Partner, Lara participates in a number of events showcasing her garments while promoting environmental awareness. The most recent event was hosted by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to support the Waterkeepers Alliance. Lara also appeared on the Sundance Channel's "Big Ideas for a Small Planet" as a spokesperson for the Lexus Hybrid Living program. Her work has been gifted to a number of celebrities including Sarah Jessica Parker, Maggie Gyllenhaall, Marion Cotillard, and Angelina Jolie.
Lara sits on The Mayor's Fashion Council where as the resources committee chair she has helped support and promote fashion designers living and working in Chicago through events, seminars, and city programs.
Her line is carried in over 50 stores throughout the world including the UK, Australia, and Japan.
Lara Miller is represented by The Four Hundred, New York's first sales and press showroom exclusively dedicated to contemporary sustainable design.