Ilissa Shefferman

Biography

The bio of a fashion designer usually reads something like: started sewing clothes for dolls at age 6, designed a prom dress at 16, received a degree in Fashion Design by 22, etc. etc. Not so, for Ilissa Shefferman. The 2006 launch of her women’s ready-to-wear label, i. sheff, is more of a recent dream-come-true.

Ilissa, a Chicago-area native who holds an advanced degree in International Affairs, worked as an international trade specialist in Washington, D.C. for seven years. While she loved traveling around the world and experiencing different cultures, Ilissa felt that she had not given her love of fashion a chance to flourish. After much soul-searching, and a gentle nudge from her husband, she decided to quit her job and move back to Chicago in 2003 to realize her dream of becoming a designer.

After receiving a degree in Fashion Design from Chicago’s International Academy of Design and Technology in September 2005, Ilissa worked as an intern for Chicago designer Lara Miller. It was then that Ilissa knew that she was ready to dive right in to Chicago’s fashion world and create her own label with designs based on her outlook on life. Armed with valuable knowledge and support from Miller, friends, and family, she launched i. sheff, a label that strives to define contemporary chic for women who enjoy looking fabulous while having fun.