CHICAGO FASHION WEEK® ANNOUNCES DYNAMIC LINEUP OF CITYWIDE EVENTS FOR ITS UPCOMING THIRD EDITION

CHICAGO FASHION WEEK® ANNOUNCES DYNAMIC LINEUP OF CITYWIDE EVENTS FOR ITS UPCOMING THIRD EDITION

Taking Place October 8-18, the Citywide Fashion Celebration Returns With 80+ Events Showcasing Local Designers, Creatives and Fashion Talent

CHICAGO – Chicago Fashion Week®, an 11-day citywide celebration of Chicago’s vibrant fashion community, today announced a dynamic slate of events and activations for its third edition, October 8–18. The calendar includes more than 80 events and activations in partnership with local fashion organizations, retailers, and fashion designers.


“When we created Chicago Fashion Week, the goal was not to define Chicago fashion, but to give the people shaping it a platform,” said John Leydon, founder of Chicago Fashion Week. "From October 8 through 18, more than 80 events across the city will bring their work directly to the public.  We invite Chicagoans and visitors to explore the calendar and experience something unexpected."


Chicago Fashion Week offers a variety of public events in six categories: education, exhibition, in-store, markets, runway and social. All events are open to the public, and many are free of charge with advance registration.


The full Chicago Fashion Week event lineup for its 2026 edition can be found HERE. Highlights from the curated slate of events for 2026 include:


New for 2026

•             A Walk Down The Fairway: Golf Outing and Fashion Show (October 10) Venue: South Shore Cultural Center, Chicago

A community clothing drive anchors golf, fashion and a celebration at Chicago's historic South Shore Cultural Center. Prospè Designs presents “A Walk Down the Fairway”— a 9-hole golf outing, runway fashion show, and after-party on Chicago's historic South Shore lakefront.

 

•             Stories, a Fashion-in-Motion Event (October 14) Venue: Fishman’s Fabrics, Chicago Experience the unconventional runway event “Stories” by indyvin founder/designer Stephanie Nugent. The event includes pre-runway show socializing and shopping Fishman’s unique deadstock fabrics. Nugent’s fall 2026 collection features one-of-a-kind garments crafted entirely from repurposed and deadstock materials. Garments are available for sale after the runway show.

 

•             Time X House Of Tempo X Tomcat Trumpet - Immersive Fashion & Music Experience (October 15) Venue: aliveOne, Chicago

Discover Chicago independent watch design through an immersive evening of fashion, craftsmanship and live music. Tempo Time, the brother-built watch brand founded by Tom and Tim Burke, joins House Of Tempo and Tomcat Trumpet for a curated timepiece showcase and live performance.

 

•             Archival Fashion with Marco Sqrd and Stylist/Photographer Josh Ray (October 16) Venue: Sofitel Chicago Magnificent Mile, Chicago

Join Max and Sam, co-founders of the Chicago-based archival luxury shop Marco Sqrd, alongside stylist and photographer Josh Ray of SVRN, for a captivating panel discussion on building a distinct visual world through fashion. Archival fashion focuses specifically on high-fashion, designer provenance, storytelling and an intimate knowledge of fashion history.

•             Extreme Embroidery presented by Mood Fabrics (October 18) Venue: Mood Fabrics, Chicago

In this immersive and experimental course, you will go beyond the stitch and explore what else can be sewn onto fabric. No matter your embroidery experience, you will dive into using unconventional materials and creative techniques. This is one of several workshops presented at Chicago Fashion Week by the newly arrived Mood Fabrics in Chicago.


Returning Events

•             Beauty Standards: A Salon Discussion presented by School of the Art Institute (October 13) Venue: Murphy Auditorium, Chicago

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago's Department of Fashion Design, in collaboration with the Driehaus Museum, presents a salon-style panel discussion on the ever-changing world of beauty and beauty standards. Panelists will examine how ideals of beauty and silhouette shift across time and how designers continue to challenge, redefine and expand these notions.

 

•             The Chicago Fashion Summit with Keynote Speaker Elie Tahari presented by the Apparel Industry Board (October 13) Venue: mHub, Chicago

The Chicago Fashion Summit 2026 welcomes legendary designer and entrepreneur Elie Tahari as keynote speaker, best known for founding the Elie Tahari ready-to-wear fashion brand and co-founding Theory. The summit is a one-day event dedicated to elevating the Midwest fashion ecosystem through keynotes, sessions, brand showcases and community activations.

•             The Dominican Fashion Edit: An Evening of Fashion, Art & Shopping (October 15) Venue: Dominican University, River Forest, IL

Join the Dominican University Fashion Department to explore a curated marketplace featuring fashion, accessories, beauty products and lifestyle goods created by Dominican University students, alumni, faculty, staff and local makers.

•             Kone Ranger Fall 26' Runway Show “MID-WEST (October 17) Venue: Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club, Chicago

Chicago-based fashion brand Kone Ranger presents the “MID-WEST” runway show at Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club, followed by a 21+ after-party where guests can shop the runway looks.

 

•             Surround Sound of Fashion (October 18) Venue: Zhou B Art Center, Chicago

Known as “The Fashion Motion Picture,” Surround Sound of Fashion delivers an immersive runway experience that blends designer collections, live entertainment and creative visual production into one unforgettable event.


For more information about Chicago Fashion Week and to stay updated on the latest news, programming partners and the official schedule, visit www.chicagofashionweek.com or follow @thechicagofashionweek on Instagram.

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