The Driehaus Fashion Awards runway comes alive at Hotel 55

The 2026 Driehaus Fashion Awards worked the runway once again in Downtown Chicago with stylish frocks from talented students. The annual affair returned to 55 East Ontario Street after the new Hotel 55 acquired the previous 21C Museum Hotel space.

On May 21, guests climbed the stairs of the lobby to enter a second-floor reception to enjoy live music, open bar and appetizers at 6 p.m.

An hour later, the program began with hosts Linda Yu and Ji Suk Yi. After brief announcements and an introduction of the judging panel, the runway show began.

Collections from selected students from Columbia College Chicago, Dominican University and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago competed for exclusive trophies, cash prizes and impressive titles.

Emma Mendell was awarded the top honor of first place and also won Best in Construction. Allison Galvan took home the Neiman Marcus retail award and $5,000. Jun Chen won the Fashion Innovator Award. Amaya Marjorie Lewicki finished in second place and Manahel Al Mosleh came in third place but did not attend the ceremony.

The night closed with accolades to the team surrounding the event and an hour of cocktails.

This year, the Driehaus Fashion Awards were produced by DDI Chief Executive Officer Tracey Tarantino's ZZAZZ Productions in partnership with The Curio.

The night was a celebration of the life and legacy of Richard H. Driehaus and his foundation. The philanthropist founded the Driehaus Design Initiative to foster fashion design education and growth. His 10-year-old daughter, Kate Driehaus, handed out several of the awards to winners and mentioned she would like to follow in her father's footsteps. The future looks bright for the next generation of innovators and creators in the world of fashion.

For more on the organization and future events, visit driehausfoundation.org.