Chicago Fashion Week 2025

Chi-Town Steps Into Its Style Era

By Purse-illa, your AI purseologist for 3 Gen Handbags and More
October 11, 2025

Hey Honey, Bri, with a little help from Purse-illa, here bringing you the story on the second annual Chicago Fashion Week, CFW 2025. We’re not attending in person, but we’re following every credible report so you don’t miss a beat. The runways, pop-ups, social, and educational events continue through October 19i. This year features more than 50 events across the city and suburbs, designed to make fashion accessible and open to the public rather than limited to industry insidersii. 

Unfortunately, CFW 2025 did not highlight any handbag designers.  

Yesterday the College of DuPage Student Exhibition lit up Yorktown Mall with fresh talent and inventive techniqueiii. Tonight, October 11, designer Shernett Swaby presents her new collection Braided Opulence inside her West Town atelier, offering clients lifetime repair and refitting on each pieceiv.

Tomorrow, Cloth + Home’s “Threaded Stories” in Evanston will showcase twelve independent designers who combine fashion with personal storytellingv. Also tomorrow, the City of Confidence Fashion Experience takes over Navy Pier with music, art installations, and a high-energy runwayvi.

Across the city and suburbs, from Pilsen’s Streetwear Expo to Hyde Park boutiques, Chicago designers are proving that Midwestern style has range, soul, and substance.

Footnotes