Wanda Cobar

Biography

Wanda Janice Cobar was born and raised in Chicago. Her passion for fashion sparked when an unexpected knee surgery left her bed-ridden for 6 months and all she can do was look through Fashion magazines to make time pass. She was greatly inspired by Gianni Versace’s ads and knew that she would then base her life around fashion.

Already having an art background from elementary school and studying drafting in High School it only made sense that these skills would help her at William Rainey Harper College where she took 2 years of fashion design in 1996. In 1998, with only having 1 year sewing experience she was selected to compete at the “Jeunes Createur de La Mode” Competition in Paris. In 1999, she received a 1 month scholarship to study at the American Intercontinental University in London. While in London she took a weekend trip to Amsterdam where she was introduced to the owner of Black Market Chicago, an underground fetish boutique in Chicago, where she helped design and sew fetish wear.

She then began working for Alyce Designs a prom dress manufacturing company, and then later worked as a Technical Designer for Amerex Kids Group who had the license to design under the children’s wear label Osh Kosh. In 2000 she was commissioned to design dance costumes for Stevenson High School and Highland Park High School which lead to design for other dancers and dance companies in Chicago.

These work experiences have greatly inspired the styles that Wanda Cobar creates. Wanda’s designs are a variety of funky unique pieces combined with a sexy flair and is best known for her thread / yarn weaving technique used on some of her designs. Each piece has a striking personality.

Today Wanda works one on one with personal clientèle and sells her work at gallery art shows and other fashion events.