Alice Berry has worked exclusively as clothing designer for twenty five years, earning her degree in fine art in 1980 from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. After school, Alice spent four years working in Paris for private clients, creating collections for small boutiques, showing textiles and clothing art in galleries, learning the business --developing a style of her own.  See a stunning magazine photo essay featuring Alice's creations in her studio and garden also featuring her poems, (It's easiest to  open the magazine, then go  to table of contents second page and click on "Into the Garden"). http://jettisonquarterly.com/issues/jq3. Enjoy!

In 1984 Alice returned to Chicago an opened her first studio where she designed and manufactured one of a kind clothing, which was sold privately and at boutiques such as "City" in Chicago. From 1984 to 1998 Alice worked with fabrics from designers and companies such as Junichi Arai, Japan; Memphis Design Group, Italy; La Soie de Paris, France; and Fisac, Italy furthering her style and craft. In 1989 Alice married her husband Tom and began to expand her business and her line, creating and manufacturing  a line of knitwear. The first line of scarves based on interactive color theory and texture emerged in 1993. Alice gave birth to her son TJ, in 1995. During 1995 and 1996 responding to the changing times, Alice transitioned from one of a kind clothing to a line of scarves and simple, interesting clothing shapes. Her scarves with their unique use of fabric, transparency and color began to gain popularity.

In 1997, Alice began to distribute her scarf line wholesale, selling to boutiques and museum across the U. S. and internationally. As a continuing investigation of her interest in color, texture and composition in design, Alice began works that were meant for interior and window treatments and these pieces were shown in galleries and homes. This more artistic direction of her work has become a separate medium to explore this developing interest. Most recently, Alice has been working with translating concepts from Abstract Expressionist painters such as Josef Albers, Mark Rothko and others and this work has been recognized by various museums around the country such as the Philadelphia Museum, National Academy of Design, and the Weisman Museum, among others. Photos from the most recent gallery show and installation may be seen through this link:  http://aliceberry.com/WOMspace/index.html

Now entering another phase of her career, she is returning to the clothing world to create a line of separates from fabrics and textures of interest to her as well as shapes and cuts she's known for.

Jackets, tops and simple well fitting bottoms that will answer the call for interesting and well designed garments for women not currently well served in the marketplace.

Whether designing a feminine power suit for a couture client, or a unique collection for a store, Lauren’s signature style is recognized by eclectic blends of luxurious fabrics and textures. Each piece is complete with her artful touch… feathers, beading, fur trim, a simple bow or hand-made flower. These avant-garde couture pieces, as well as her classic ready-to-wear collections, have been commissioned by Nordstrom, Marshall Field’s, Macy’s, and boutiques nationwide.

All of Lauren’s creations are designed, constructed, sewn or knitted in the Chicagoland Area utilizing sustainable production, including living wages and conditions.

Her custom creations are worn by women nationwide and Chicago notables, including: Maria Pappas, Cook County Treasurer; Dorothy Fuller, Apparel Industry Board Inc. President; Dorothy Brown, Clerk of the Circuit Court Cook County, IL, Loretta Durbin, wife of State Senator Dick Durbin, Judy Barr Topinka, past Illinois Treasurer; and Cookie Cohen—-socialite and fashionista.

Most recently Lein was named “fashion’s other Lauren” by national columnist Rick Kogan in a feature story for the Chicago Tribune Magazine. In November 2007, Lauren was singled out by Reggie Wells (Oprah’s personal make-up artist) as one of his Fashion Divas during a tea at Macy’s State Street where Lauren was wearing one of her originals. Her ensembles have also been featured on the Oprah show.

Honoring Lauren’s ever evolving business savvy and commitment to her community, the Network of Women Entrepreneurs awarded her as the “2003 Entrepreneur of the Year”. Lauren’s collections have been carried at Marshall Field’s ever since she won the highly coveted Marshall Field’s “Distinction in Design” award in 2001. Lauren’s line was then picked up by Macy’s for the past two years.   She is a contributor and supporter of the American Cancer Society, Parkway Foundation, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, National Association of Women Business Owners and countless other charitable business and service organizations.
 
Lauren resides in Chicago with her husband Rick Santos and her two children, Andreah Violet and Andrew Harold.  Lauren was born in Buffalo, NY on a large dairy farm and moved to Michigan at a young age.  She began designing her fashions for paper-doll inspired dogs in her first meticulously illustrated book “Dana of Dogsville” at age 8.  She kept up her love of fashion through the years working for major retailers JC Penny Co. and The Limited Stores, Inc. as women’s apparel buyer, store manager, visual and advertising manager and special events coordinator.  She graduated with high honors from Central Michigan University with an Applied Arts degree.

Lauren Lein has been in her own business for nearly twenty years and truly has a passion for fashion! She can also be heard around town speaking to local business groups on fashion topics with a humorous flair. Stop into her design studio for a truly unique and fun design experience!

The charismatic, focused, and extremely artistic fashion designer, Tennille D. White, was born in Chicago, Illinois, July 1980.  Her family has always been very supportive of her creativity.  As a young child, she studied various dance styles from ballet to liturgical dance.  Tennille’s commitment to dance won her a spot with a performance company that toured the U.S.  She discovered her true calling during a visit to her sister’s high school.  Tennille became mesmerized while attending a fashion design class and this fascination has dominated her focus every since.  

The year after sitting in on the fashion design class, Tennille became a student at Whitney Young High School.  She promptly enrolled in one of the two fashion design classes offered.  Not satisfied with the limited fashion design curriculum, Ms. White and another fashion focused student urged the principal to add two more classes.  Successfully persuading her principal was an early demonstration of Tennille’s commitment to fashion and her innovative leadership ability.

The next step in Ms. White’s journey was attending the International Academy of Design & Technology where she studied under industry professionals.  After college, like so many other fashion design graduates, Tennille was anxiously anticipating starting a fashion career in New York; but she endured an injury that caused her to undergo eight months of physical therapy.  During her rehabilitation she made the decision to stay in Chicago, where she feels a true belonging.  

Tennille was determined to make an imprint on Chicago’s fashion industry.  Her yearnings for success were immediately nourished at a Women’s Conference where her apparel sold out and resulted in numerous orders.  A year later she launched Tennille White Chicago, her fashion label, and received her first order with a popular Georgia boutique and 14 boutiques followed.

Tennille found her niche from regularly receiving specialized orders from woman size 14+.  She has the knack for designing luxurious contemporary clothing for the fluffy woman; her designs are multipurpose, classically lined, and unique, “I design pieces for everyday women that want to get noticed when they walk into a room,” Ms. White tells.  “I am so sick of hearing about the fabulous accessories that these women are settling for because they can’t find the right clothes, so they just accessorize a pair of black slacks and a white blouse.”  Clients find Tennille White Chicago paradisiacal because the company’s designs are realistic, colorful, and dynamic.  

Most fashion designers, no matter how talented, are at the mercy of their seamstress.  The seamstress “materializes” the design ideas.  For custom orders, Ms. White performs the sewing for her fashion label, allowing her to bring breathtaking life to her own ideas.  Tennille’s giant-step, rapid rise in the fashion world is attributed to not only her designs but also her gifted sewing ability.  

Tennille White is well on her way to setting Chicago’s fashion design industry on fire.  Some of her accomplishments include being the designer for the Chicago Bulls organization since 2005, as well as one of the choice designers for the Apparel Industry Board Inc. “Chicago is Red Hot” 2006 -2008 fashion shows.  In just four years, the world has taken notice.  The Fashion Group International honored Tennille White with its 2007 “Rising Star” award, for setting the standard for luxury apparel.   In September 2007, Tennille was asked to lend her fashion expertise to the Chicago Tribune’s Red Eye newspaper as a bi-weekly fashion critic.  It wasn’t long after that Macy’s heard about Tennille White’s collection and requested 4 trunk shows with Ms. White during the holiday 07 season and an additional 4 for Spring 08 and 09. The Pre-Spring Collection is now currently available at on the Neiman Marcus website and will be available at Macy’s State Street in Chicago on March 16th.
    
Tennille serves as the President of the Apparel Industry Board Inc.’s Young Designer Network.  Through the Apparel Industry Board, Tennille helped to develop and facilitate a program in conjunction with the Chicago Public Schools Education to Careers program for an inner-city high school with a fashion department.  During this year-long program, she teaches the students what it really means to be a fashion designer.   She exposes them to the “real” culture of the fashion industry through interactive activities, lectures and field trips.  Tennille also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for both the Apparel Industry Board and Fashion Group International and is the youngest member of Mayor Daley’s Fashion Council in Chicago.

Tennille White is one of the countries up and coming young fashion designers.  In a short time she has accomplished much, including impressively taking on an exclusive niche market.