Someone You Should Know: Tailor Instructor Richard Brown
CHICAGO (CBS) – He loved the craft of tailoring and found a way to pass it on to young people.
Richard Brown, founder of the school Trendsetters Fashion Institute, is someone you should know, CBS 2's Harry Porterfield reports.
Brown created his school two years ago to give young people an extra boost at breaking into the field of making and designing clothes. The University of Illinois alum also designs and makes window drapes for the city's public schools.
Raised in the projects, he became interested in the craft as a kid after seeing a tailor at work. He used his own money to begin his school.
"In the beginning, there's a little resistance because this is new to them, and they fight change," Brown says. "But after the first garment is completed, then it's almost like a competition – 'Oh, he or she did that, I could do that, too.'"
Trendsetters began in a location on Roosevelt Road. One year ago, it moved to a 5,000-square-foot space on Wabash Avenue.
Brown's students are grateful for the opportunity to learn the tailor trade.
Takara Jones wants to add to her education, which includes degrees in fashion design and fashion merchandising.
"I love the process of learning, and I love feeling that I'm learning more," she says.
