The 14th Annual Driehaus Awards for Fashion Excellence Supports Emerging Chicago Designers

The 14th Annual Driehaus Awards for Fashion Excellence on Friday, April 24 raised over $170,000. The event featured emerging Chicago designers from local schools including Columbia College Chicago, Dominican University, The Illinois Institute of Art, Sanford-Brown College and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Proceeds from the evening benefit the participating student designers, five fashion and design schools, as well as the Costume Council of the Chicago History Museum.

Hosted by Inese and Richard H. Driehaus, this year’s event was themed Fashion: Frame by Frame with Linda Yu from ABC 7 Chicago as master of ceremonies. The high-energy runway show competition was judged by Azeeza Khan, Designer & Founder of Azeeza; Petra Slinkard, Curator of Costumes at the Chicago History Museum; and Gibeon Tolbert, President of SITTAR by Gibeon Tolbert.

The first place prize of $7,500 was awarded to Liz Bahl from the Illinois Institute of Art. Deirdre Bormes, Director, Fifth Avenue Club, also selected Bahl as the recipient of the Saks Fifth Avenue Achievement in Design Award.

The $5,000 second place prize was awarded to Jennifer Rice from the Art Institute of Chicago.

Rebecca Blanton from Columbia College Chicago received the third place prize of $2,500. Driehaus Design Initiative, a nonprofit organization, was established to promote and encourage design education and to foster public appreciation and understanding of all aspects of fashion design and history and contributes proceeds from The Driehaus Awards for Fashion Excellence to support fashion and design endeavors in Chicago. For more information please visit driehausdesign.org. – Carol Calacci Photos: Allen Bourgeois