Last week I had the opportunity to stop by Anna Brown’s studio in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago to meet the designer. I was immediately struck by how down-to-earth she was and how she has more to offer the fashion world than I think even she knows yet.

Her first small collection that she did for school (Columbia College Chicago) was selected for Fashion Focus Chicago 2009 Dress Code and immediately people starting expecting great things of Anna Brown. Post school she settled into a Pilsen area studio and started working on her own.

Right now Anna is currently working on a 15 piece capsule collection that she will be unveiling late summer / early fall. The collection is inspired by aerodynamics – the way the wind flows over an object and the pattern created after the air is disrupted.

When I first looked at Anna Brown’s pieces, my immediate thought was, “architectural draping.” It seems contradictory, but the draping Anna does has structure. She achieves the structure through the positioning and construction of her seamlines – rather than force it with extra fabric. So her designs end up with structure in a soft silhouette.

Asymmetrical elements also have a strong presence in Anna’s designs. And in a show of confidence, the materials Anna chooses to work with are simpler fabrics such as men’s woolens and shirting fabrics. She also avoids using lining in her designs, preferring to let her garments stand alone.

For now Anna is still doing all of her own sewing, and the details in the looks show her commitment to her designs. If you were to turn an Anna Brown piece inside out, you will find the interior seams done with the same details as what you see on the outside. To Anna everything is important – what you see and what you don’t.

Put down Anna Brown as a designer to watch.

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