Executive Director Nicole Ruiz Published in the Chicago Tribune: Chicago Needs a Garment District
- 2 days ago
- 1 min read
"Chicago does not have a fashion talent challenge. It has an infrastructure problem.
Every day, I see this at the Apparel Industry Board Inc., where designers, makers, manufacturers, students and entrepreneurs are working to build something real here in Chicago. They have the ideas, the skill and the work ethic. What they often do not have is an ecosystem built to help them stay, scale and produce locally.
That is why I believe Chicago needs a garment district.
Not as a vanity project. Not as a branding exercise. Not as a charming idea for people who like fashion. Chicago needs it as economic infrastructure. Chicago needs it as workforce infrastructure. It is about growing small businesses, creating local jobs, and keeping more of the value chain and talent in Illinois."
Read the rest of the article in the Tribune..
