While Chicago Fashion Week may be winding down, junior marketing major Kate Adler’s modeling career is just taking off. On Thursday Oct. 17, local Chicago fashion brand NICZKA had their Obsidian fashion show displaying their fall/winter 24/25 collection at the Roof on theWit. Adler got involved in modeling when she was younger, but Niczka was the first show she had ever walked.
“I’m super excited, I wasn’t really expecting it,” said Adler, whose experience previously had been mostly in commercial shoots for brands, but her opportunity to do runway would soon come after joining Columbia’s modeling Club, Picture Perfect.
Lucy Conway, a junior design major, interned for NICZKA from February to August 2023 and had recommended a casting call to Picture Perfect. “I was asked to help recruit models for an E-commerce shoot,” said Conway. When CFW had begun approaching, NICZKA had posted another casting call, and Conway made sure to vouch for Adler.
Conway had been responsible for producing and promoting some of the promotional materials for NICZKA over the summer, and returned to help for fashion week. “It’s definitely given me a lot more opportunities to network with industry professionals in Chicago, and introduced me to more of the fashion that is here,” said Conway.
Also helping out at the show was Sasha Jumao-as, a senior fashion product development major, who first heard about NICZKA last year through Handshake, when she was looking for internships and “desperately wanting to just be involved in the industry in some way,”.
At first, Jumao-as never heard back from Tania Mackey, founder of NICZKA. “So I went onto her website, saw that she had a show, and then decided to email her what I think was a well written two paragraphs championing my desire to be her intern.”
Jumao-as has helped manage the social media surrounding fashion, cut and sew details, as well as style a few models for a different event since she started working with NICZKA around a month ago.
“I’m just so excited because when I first transferred to fashion school, what I wanted to do was manage and run runway shows. It’s just cool that I get to see this all behind the scenes,” said Jumao-as.
As models enjoyed services provided by the Chicago Makeup School, guests began to arrive around 7:00, and enjoyed a bar and lounge, equipped with pizza ovens and a complimentary drink.
One of many taking photos of the event was Alex Callejo, of AC Photography Chicago. He had met Mackey through mutual friends and have remained friends ever since. “We all have evolved and stepped up our games, and here we are,” said Callejo. “I think what this is doing is, it’s gonna create some attention to the city, like, hey, Chicago actually has fashion, we are doing things here.”
Also in attendance was Maggie Gillette, principal of The Curio. “I’m excited for some of her jackets, her outerwear is one of her signatures and I got to see a few pieces backstage,” she said.
After guests found their way to their seats, a mixture of couches, booths and chairs, NICZKA took the stage. A stark white runway in the heart of the Rooftop on theWit, illuminated by technicolor lights divided the two sections as models made their way down the runway, one of them being Adler.
As Adler confidently walked down the stage, one audience member smiled a little brighter, her mother, Jodi Adler, who “ seriously teared up.”
“I started crying a little bit because she’s been working towards this for a long time,” Jodi Adler said.
“Things kind of started through her dance career, actually. She loved to dance, and then take photos. But then once she got to Columbia, Chicago, the networking just kind of took off.”
The runway closed as futuristic beats escorted the models down the runway to a cheering audience, Mackey coming out to thank everyone. Guests enjoyed an after party where a merch stand worked by Conway and Jumao-as sold limited edition NICZKA merchandise.
“I could not feel more grateful,” said Jumao-as.
Copy edited by Manuel Nocera
