The company’s purpose is simple but powerful: to help emerging designers develop their brands, gain recognition, and grow their sales. Yet Schutz’s mission extends far beyond individual success stories. She is deeply committed to positioning Chicago as a recognized fashion capital.
Through her work on the Runway7 New York Fashion Week core team twice each year, she has seen firsthand how global fashion cities operate—and how often Chicago’s creative scene goes overlooked.
“Chicago has extraordinary diversity and talent,” she emphasizes. “Our mission is to show other fashion cities what Chicago can do.”
The FFC offers a comprehensive suite of services, including brand development, social media development, photo shoot production, website development, editorial features, marketing, manufacturing, event production and fashion show production.
A cornerstone of the company is its e-commerce platform, where customers can shop independent designers directly through The Fashion Foundry website. Designers also benefit from product placement partnerships, including FashionBar Chicago at Water Tower Place, where brands can sell garments in-store as Resident Designers.
The company’s presence in the Chicago fashion community has already been felt through a series of recent projects. This year, The Fashion Foundry has produced the Exhibition Vol.1 Fashion Show, which featured designers BettyVonChic, Anastasia Elektra and GLOBABIES; as well as the Carmilla Fashion Show for Peach x Palace, a queer-focused lingerie show with a gothic theme.
Upcoming projects include The Fashion Foundry’s anniversary celebration on May 2, featuring local jewelry brands, artists and designers’ guests can shop.
September will feature their Annual Runway Show, themed “Gothic Couture,” spotlighting student designers and emerging talent.
Another highly anticipated show in October will feature designers from diverse cultural backgrounds—including African American, Indian, and Mexican creators—while partnering with United Colors of Pink to highlight breast cancer awareness and invite survivors to walk the runway and share their stories.
Her long-term vision for The FFC is to become Chicago’s premier destination for emerging designers, while expanding partnerships with fashion capitals around the world—from New York and Los Angeles to Paris, Milan, and London.
Through editorial storytelling, strategic marketing, and production expertise, Christina Schutz is forging an ecosystem—one designed to ensure that Chicago’s designers are not only seen, but remembered.