Frei Designs

What it is Organic, sustainable womenswear by Annie Novotny of Frei Designs

Who she is Growing up on the South Side, Novotny dabbled in design as a kid by making Kleenex dresses for her Barbie dolls. But it wasn’t until she attended the School of the Art Institute’s early college program for high schoolers (the same program where she’s now a teacher) that Novotny decided to pursue fashion as a career. After graduating from SAIC with a focus in fashion design in 2004, she made the move to New York City to work with designer Gary Graham. Returning to Chicago two years later, she started working at Bucktown boutique Robin Richman where she sold her debut collection of Frei Designs, using Graham’s overstock fabric, on consignment in 2006. Since then, she’s come out with a collection every season, and her line is now sold in 15 boutiques across the country. This past winter, feeling the hurt of the wholesale business, Novotny made a ballsy move—deciding to launch a storefront under the name Workshop as the front half of her new studio space in Pilsen. Opening this week, the store will feature her own garments as well as accessories by a rotating cast of other eco-minded designers, such as Tania Bowers’s necklaces and Gina Pannorfi’s scarves, and a handful of housewares such as Chicago Honey Co-Op’s beeswax candles. In addition, Novotny intends to use Workshop as a community space and plans to offer one-day and multiweek courses on everything from sewing 101 to ornament making.

What she makes “In the past 3½ years, I sort of fell down a rabbit hole [of sustainable clothing],” Novotny says. “I started to find out about dyes and got obsessed.” To that end, she uses a combination of organic, fair trade and sustainable materials for all of her clothing, produces everything locally and uses only natural resources such as Brazilian bark and pomegranate juice to dye fabric. Citing parables and made-up stories as the basis of her collections, Frei Designs’ fall looks derive from Novotny’s imagined funeral and loosely evoke the look of Victorian mourning attire. While the palette errs on the dark side—mostly black, gray, brown and cream hues—soft, flowy looks such as a shawl-collar wool jacket (around $500), a batik shell with a transparent back (around $200) and a reversible wool and silk blend paisley poncho ($650) mix a touch of hippie chic with a sophisticated, feminine aesthetic. Not to mention, occasional pieces, such as the hemp and Tencel-blend bloomers ($240), offer an element of surprise. You’ll also find a few of her most popular styles from past seasons made with vintage fabrics and only available at Workshop. “A lot of what I do is so education-centric,” she says. “I end up explaining that price tag to a lot of people, what goes into making that garment,” so having direct interaction with shoppers on a daily basis makes sense.

Why we like them Every garment comes with a story, such as the Amelia Earhart–inspired spring 2010 collection, and “the fact that they’re ethically produced, sustainable garments is icing on the cake,” Novotny says. That said, she packages every shipment she sends to stores with a packet of information about her products so shopkeepers can share it with their customers.

Where to find them Workshop (818 W 18th St, 312-226-9000); Lissa on Maxwell (729 W Maxwell St, 312-563-9470); Pivot (1101 W Fulton Mkt, 312-243-4754)

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