Business Counseling
The Apparel Industry Board, Inc. (AIBI) is proud of the Creative Counseling Program, a one-on-one mentoring opportunity for industry entrepreneurs to assist in improving their bottom lines and gaining insight to the apparel business.
AIBI was founded in 1987 by the late Mayor Harold Washington and is a delegate agency of the City of Chicago, Department of Planning and Development. Our mission is to nurture and grow the fashion, apparel and sewn products industries in the Chicagoland area. For 28 years, we have worked with literally every resource company in the Greater Midwest that is used by our industry and have assisted hundreds of young designers as they have learned the art of creating a successful business.
Fashion Business Seminars
The 'Business of Fashion' is a comprehensive educational seminar series, led by top industry professionals. These professionals give hands-on instruction on how to jump-start a new company or supercharge an existing business. The goal of these professional seminars is to help designers create and polish their management, marketing, and business skills.
Purchase Order Loan Program
Due to the extreme generosity of Richard H. Driehaus, the Apparel Industry Board, Inc. (AIBI) and Mr. Driehaus have created a specialty-financing program (the only one of its kind) which assists Greater Chicago area designers and manufacturers that have obtained orders from credit worthy customers, but lack the working capital to produce the merchandise. This program allows companies to obtain financing through AIBI.
Through this program, the Borrower is able to obtain financing at a lower rate than what is generally available.
Tuition Scholarship
The Stanley Paul - Raelene Mittelman Fashion Design Scholarship Fund was established in 1990 by Stanley Paul in honor of his sister, Raelene Mittelman, who was a great lover of fashion and had a strong belief that we must aid the future of fashion by aiding in the education of its students. The scholarships are awarded annually to students from greater Chicago and/or Illinois who are enrolled in a Chicago area college that has a Fashion Design program. The scholarship money must be used as tuition in college for the study of fashion design.Since inception, Mr. Paul has awarded more than $250,000 with plans to continue to broaden the scope of the Fund for Illinois' students.