LEARN FRoM A PRøFESSIøNAL TEAM oF FASHIøN DESIGNERS
Our Team
blair goldman
Blair Goldman is the “Trashion” expert! Taking inspiration from second hand treasures, Blair’s passion lies in creating and teaching sustainable and upcycled fashion. She’ll teach you the skills to make a mean thrift flip!
Her designs have won her first place in two competitions, and have been worn by artists such as Lizzo and Dorian Electra. She is also currently the Designer in Residence at AIBI Chicago. When she’s not working on show stopping show pieces, she is building her line of loveable, huggable plush frogs named “Chongus”.
Blair is a self-taught sewist of over 15 years, with disciplines ranging from pattern making, cosplay, plush doll design, embroidery, alterations, and many more. You can find Blair’s catalog of work on her website.
goli parvinian
Goli Parvinian can sew even the slinkiest fabrics. She helps our students pattern and sew all kinds of garments. Fueled by her love of travel, culture and a nomadic lifestyle, she launched her bridal brand, Goli June in 2019. Goli June is a non-traditional, aesthetically wearable bridal brand that seeks to empower, support and value women as well as facilitate a fun and painless process of finding a wedding gown.
She received her BFA in Fashion Design from Columbia College Chicago in 2015, and went on to work for renowned bridal brands in New Zealand, New York City, and Melbourne, Australia. She completed her MBA at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology at the end of 2018 and returned to her hometown of Chicago in order to launch her own bridal brand.
Liz Williams
Liz Williams is our pattern-making expert. She can help you construct the building blocks of your design.
Founder of The Checkroom, Liz designs classic inspired statement coats for modern women. A former Instructor of Fashion Design at Columbia College in Chicago, Liz has educated students in fashion design, patternmaking, sewing, and fashion theory and practice. Liz’s education was forged at Parson’s School of Design where earned an Associate’s Degree in Fashion Design and at The University of Colorado where she received her Bachelor’s degree while studying Costume Design.
Liz worked as a fashion designer in New York City for several years for the brand, Martin and Osa where she focused on outerwear and women’s woven apparel. She has also worked as a Costume Technician in Chicago for numerous theatre companies including The Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre.
Anna Hovet Dias
Named one of Newcity's top 50 design professionals to watch in 2020 and 2022, Anna Hovet Dias is a fashion designer, entrepreneur, and educator with 16 years experience in corporate and small business fashion. Anna had her own athleisure fashion line, HØVET Apparel, for 10 years before she transitioned the business to Hovet Fashion Studio. As Executive Director at the Chicago Fashion Incubator, Hovet continues to be a leader in Chicago fashion.
Her passion is fashion illustration, which she teaches at her alma mater the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Anna loves to draw and design, but doesn't love sewing! She's currently learning Clo3d software to design virtual clothing.
She lives in Logan Square with her husband Nate and two pups, and they were recently featured on an episode of HGTV's House Hunters.