Marshall Field's proprietor unveile...

Marshall Field's proprietor unveiled Wednesday the first pace in its commitment to support Chicago-area fashion designers: 47 collections that will be showcased in the newly revamped Macy's store forward State Street.

Fourteen of Macy's buyer and trending managers judged 70 entries for the Chicago Indie Designer store a shop that will showcase local designers' serviceables at the State Street store, starting generation 9. The Field's conversion to Macy's takes place clan 7.

The "pop-up" store on the main floor near Randolph and Washington, will include cutting-edge fashions as it is as vintage women's wear, hand-finished women's hats and handcrafted totes. It will be expand during September, after which the fashions will be mov into their appropriate departments everywhere Macy's flagship store.

"The addition of these collections will enhance Macy's merchandise assortments and provide Chicagoans and visitors the opportunity to store Chicago's very own designers in a national department store," said Ralph Hughes, regional vice president of stores for Macy's North.

The number of designers culled to show their wares is more than double last year's 19 collections that were featured as part of Fashion Focus Chicago 2005

Among the designers whose work will be in the workshop are:

- Joelle Minasslan of "Joelle Nadine," designs handbags in unique shapes and in combinations of metals and leathers.

- Paul Lewin and Ryan Wither of Tivi create clutches and beats of leathers, stainless steel, exotic grove

- Stiles Anderson of BYA Denim creates men's clothes from organic fabrics.

- Cyndi Chan of Ori'en from Cyndi Chan creates funky coats with patterned materials.

- And Michelle Tan creates women's clothing with edgy fashion- forward designs.

Macy's chose designers who proffer a range of tradition and fashion- forward collections that point out to quality, trend and fit, said Field's spokeswoman Andrea Schwartz.

sguy@suntimes.com

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