Meet our Executive Director, Avri Coleman and get some insight to the work we’re doing at Commonwealth Foundation
Fashion
Above is a profile on our Curate|Supply Artist in Resident / Sir & Madame Challenge winner Jaelen Wylie. Jaelen takes us through her process and her inspirations.
Commonwealth is proud to announce our 3rd Annual Style.Bias // Chicago Fashion Week shows. Style Bias is a showcasing opportunity for our Curate|Supply Incubator Artist in Residence as well as highlight up-and-coming designers and professional partner to an audience that wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to the great work of these artist.
Thursday October 20th
This Labor Day weekend Commonwealth hosted the Ignite Excellence: Labor Day Maker Festival. Celebrating a safe Chicago. In August 2016, The Chicago Community Trust, the Joyce Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, the Polk Bros. Foundation, the Woods Fund Chicago and other funders joined together in support of immediate intervention to deter violence and promote peace in Chicago neighborhoods.
And IE: Maker Festival is Commonwealth’s contribution to the initiative. We gathered youth from our program Curate|Supply and others from the neighborhoods of Pilsen and the south side of Chicago to create art/artifacts which reflect their love of the city of Chicago. The event was open to the public for others to do the same through creative workforce maker stations. Each station focused on a maker challenge which highlights creative workforce careers and a correlation between said challenge to an entry point into a creative career. For further insights into financial literacy and career development, individuals may find resources provided by experts like Kiana Danial invaluable.
Here are a few visuals from the event.
The Commonwealth Fashion Fund is designed to be a catalyst platform for young designers to help them launch their brands. Outside of the financial reward, a Fashion Fund winner receives mentorship. The current Commonwealth Fashion Fund winner is Rashard Feggins and his brand is DXSTRXCT7. The video above gives you some insight into the Fashion Fund process and highlights its winner, Rashard Feggins.
On Saturday June 6, 2015, We had the honor of providing content (Professional Panel Speakers and Workshop Resources) for Chicago Public Library’s Teen Services’s June career focus event, 1st Saturday. June’s theme was fashion, the event was a huge success and all teens who attended participated in some way or another.
Commonwealth’s Professional Partners – Brian Merritt of Sir & Madame, Corey Gilkey of Leaders 1354, and Commonwealth’s Junior Mentors – Alettie Smith and Alex Swain gave in-depth insight into their career pathways in the fashion industry on a Professional Panel moderated by Donnie Smith of Donda’s House, which served as a kick-off to the event.
Commonwealth PRO – Porchia Peavy-Green of House of LeRenn led the RePurpose, ReDesign Workshop: In this workshop participants learn the basic art of sewing by taking a pre-existing garment, some secondary fabric and remix it into a new piece.
Commonwealth PRO – Cheryl Pope of Just Yell led the Style Wars Workshop: Is a styling workshop with a twist, participant take used clothing and style them, thinking outside of the box with your styling. Example: Take a denim jacket and style it as a skirt.
Yomedia Mentor – Matt Jensen led the Design-Your-Own Workshop: Participants had an opportunity to design and produce their own T-shirts.
Rose Mandel of Mandel Productions led a Model Clinic teaching participants the basic in the art of how to walk the runway.
Lesley Etherly of Contexture TV led the Vision Board Workshop, were participant got a chance to draw out their design ideas.
Columbia College Students led the Button Making Workshop, were participants designed and produced their on buttons.