Kiran Advani: On Must-Haves, Favorites and Advice for Up-and-Coming Designers

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Our girl on the go, Shelby Steiner sits down for coffee at the Chicago Cultural Center for a one-on one with Chicago's own Kiran Advani, the working woman, the mom, and the brains behind one of the most innovative city-run programs in the nation.

Kiran Advani, Chicago’s Fashion Programming Director, has a fascinating career that we were fortunate enough to hear about. From fashion advice and favorite stores to a typical day in her shoes, we got all the details.

Throughout her college career, her aspirations for working in the corporate office at Nine West Group in New York began to change. As a public relations and marketing major in college, Kiran has always been fascinated with fashion from an early age and became intrigued by the process that upcoming designers experience along the way. By scheduling events, meeting directly with designers, and working collaboratively with the fashion design schools and local organizations devoted to the industry, Advani reaps the most rewards where she can watch the designers grow and recreate their visions season to season.

After spending over a decade behind-the-scenes doing PR, branding and marketing for local designers and independent boutiques, Advani was originally hired a year and a half ago to handle media relations for The Mayor's Fashion Initiative. A fresh face at the forefront of Chicago fashion, a typical day includes offering professional development to designers and retailers, while staying on top of the latest trends and fashion blogs.

Looking good comes with the job title. Must haves for the summer season on Advani’s list include: the maxi dress, a versatile pair of wedges, and anything you want! She is a strong believer in individuality and expressing yourself through whatever you want to wear. We totally agree with her. Even her year and a half year old is as stylish as her trendy mom. Psycho Baby and Sam and Coop are two of her favorite stores for dressing up her little one. As for Advani’s own style, she loves to support local designers. She has been seen wearing Agga B., Lara Miller, and Anna Hovet. Eskell is another favorite shopping location for the supportive and fashion advocate.

As a sound off to young and upcoming designers, Advani recommends getting industry opportunities in as many different fields within fashion to get a better understanding of your passion. She reiterates on having a clear vision for branding yourself and maintaining clear objectives. Kiran Advani’s advice is obviously working and we could all learn a lot from her example. - Shelby Steiner