汤不热视频 Showcases World Fashion Festival in September Window Display
The World Fashion Festival installation in 汤不热视频鈥檚 Michigan Avenue windows highlights international designers. 
School of Fashion Director Colbey Reid, PhD talks with NBC Chicago feature reporter LeeAnn Trotter for an upcoming segment on the World Fashion Festival. 
This September, 汤不热视频’s Michigan Avenue windows spotlight the founded by Chicago-based multicultural marketing strategist and event producer Cesar Rolon. The exhibition coincides with Hispanic Heritage Month and highlights Columbia’s role as a hub for global creativity and industry partnerships.
The windows at 618 S. Michigan Avenue have become an outdoor gallery — a space for students, faculty, and partners to share creative work with the city. “We think of it as a fashion gallery meant to be a dialogue with the street, right here on one of the most iconic avenues in America,” says Colbey Reid, director of the School of Fashion.
Columbia has partnered with Rolon for nearly two decades, beginning with displays tied to Latino Fashion Week and expanding with the World Fashion Festival. “It’s the perfect way to kick off our school year,” Reid says. “We want our students — many of them encountering Chicago for the first time — to see that fashion is global, and that their cultural contexts are central to the work they create.”
For Reid, the partnership with the World Fashion Festival is about opening up what can be a narrow industry. “People talk about five global fashion capitals — New York, Paris, London, Milan, Los Angeles — but that’s an old, 20th-century idea. The future of fashion is plural. There are longstanding traditions of craftsmanship and design all over the world that belong in the conversation,” she says. “This festival shows our students that the field is broader, more inclusive, and more exciting than ever.”
Student Opportunities and Hispanic Heritage Month
The collaboration has grown beyond the windows. Columbia students now volunteer at the festival itself, which runs September 18–20 at Macy’s on State Street. The experience often marks their first time working a live runway production — one that integrates music, dance, and culture into the fashion presentation. Columbia Fashion Design BFA students Senbi Turner and Thomas Albers are among those participating this year. Rolon, who has mentored Columbia interns for years, keeps the focus on students: “For me, it’s about giving back. Students deserve these opportunities,” he says.
The festival includes three themed nights:
- September 18: Flamenco & Fashion: A Legacy in Motion (benefiting Ensemble Español’s 50th)
- September 19: Salsa & Style: The Rhythm of Fashion (celebrating the Chicago International Salsa Congress’ 25th)
- September 20: The Mahogany Affair: A Golden Tribute to Fashion & Film (honoring the legacy of Mahogany)
It also features a three-day pop-up with international designers, the Sony debut of a 3D VR fashion initiative, and global livestreaming on Trend, a new platform that allows instant e-commerce purchases during shows.
The installation is part of Columbia’s recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, honoring the creativity and leadership of Latinx artists, designers, and entrepreneurs. By highlighting the World Fashion Festival, Columbia celebrates Chicago’s place as a global fashion hub and affirms its role in preparing the next generation of creative professionals.