About the Event

EHC invites professional and non-professional fashion designers, costume designers, technicians, tailors, stylists, and creators from Chicagoland to take their inspiration from a curated selection of objects from our extensive, historically significant costume collection and create a new look of their own.

Winning creations will be awarded and showcased on the evening of Thursday, June 27, 2024, beginning at 7:00 PM. Guests will be treated to a preview of our new fashion exhibition, followed by a fashion showcase that offers the opportunity to hear directly from featured designers about their processes and interpretations. All while sipping and noshing on our historic lakefront terrace. Proceeds go towards supporting our mission and collections care.

About Evanston History Center

With more than 20,000 garments, textiles, and accessories dating from the early nineteenth century to the present, the EHC’s Costume Collection is one of the largest in the state of Illinois. The Collection spans the breadth of Evanston’s history, including garments and accessories for men, women, and children. Collection materials focus on clothing and accessories worn by Evanston residents from all walks of life.

The Collection includes objects from significant designers, such as Dior, Callot Soeurs, Lucien Lelong, House of Worth, Jon Weston, Pucci, and Liberty’s of London. However, as befits the sensibilities of Evanstontians, the majority of the Collection includes objects from other sources. These include the works of lesser-known European designers, the works of American designers including Evanston designers, the products of local department stores and businesses, and clothing made at home by Evanston residents for themselves and their families. Our Costume Curator has selected a number of garments and accessories from a range of periods and styles for entrants to view, as a basis for their own creations. Select pieces include both men’s and women’s wear, from formal to everyday.