Students from four of Chicago's top design schools need your vote if they're going to make it to the top of FashioNext: The Charles James Project, a design competition presented by the Chicago History Museum. This year’s competition asks students to create a design inspired by a Charles James original piece from the Museum’s costume collection. While we're sure it's not been an easy task for these students, it's also pretty damn hard for us to choose a favorite among the entries. Voting is officially open to the public, and the winner will be announced on October 19 at Dress Code, a student runway show showcasing designs from students at Columbia College Chicago, the Illinois Institute of Art–Chicago, the International Academy of Design & Technology–Chicago, and School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Pick a winner (if you can!), and snag your tickets to Dress Code here. If you've been waiting for a chance to support local, up-and-coming designers, this is it.
Photo: Design by Cynthia J. Roman, courtesy of Skoog Productions.