Q&A: New Columbus Fashion Council Director Keira Chatman Wants to Boost Collaboration

As the new executive director of the Columbus Fashion Council, Keira Chatman is charged with leading the organization in its mission to grow the fashion community in Central Ohio. Chatman is the first person to hold the position since founder and former executive director Thomas McClure resigned in June to pursue other endeavors. Columbus Monthly spoke to Chatman about her plans for the organization. 

When did your interest in fashion start? In third grade, I used to draw animals with different outfits on them, and I used to sell them in class for 25 cents a page. I just had so much fun being creative with that. Then I realized, “I can make a business out of this. I can actually make some money.” I started to try to figure out what that looks like. How do I make money drawing clothes? I ended up going to a fashion trade school [for high school]. That was where I really honed in on design and getting more acclimated with my skills in drawing and sewing. 

What are your goals for the council? I would like to have another program that we're also known for outside of the fashion shows. How can we get recognized more nationally? I think that we have a little bit of [national recognition], mainly because Columbus is known for being the third-largest city for fashion designers. A lot of people don't know [that], but I want to make that very clear nationally. I think a lot of times with people in fashion, they feel the need to go to New York, like I did, or Atlanta, or LA. I want to create an environment [so] they know they can stay here in Columbus and keep feeding the economy here. 

What role do you see CFC playing in the community? I think that the misconception for Columbus Fashion Council and Fashion Week Columbus is that it looks a certain way, when behind the scenes, it's so much more diverse than most people would think. I want to bring that out so that everybody can see that. In doing that, I think we're going to attract a lot more people in the communities to be a part of this organization. Not just [to] come to the fashion shows, but also to be members, to become corporate sponsors, or just sponsors period. The more people we have on board supporting the mission, the more we're going to get everybody else in the community involved.  

What do you hope your legacy will be with the organization? I really want it to be more collaborative. We have Columbus Fashion Council. We have Columbus Fashion Alliance. And then you have other small groups that are also trying to make their name in the fashion industry in Columbus, which is great. But what I'd really like to do is blend all of those worlds and make it so nobody feels like they're in competition with each other, but that we're all helping each other out to grow this brand together. 

To learn more about the Columbus Fashion Council, visit columbusfashioncouncil.org. 

This story is from the November 2023 issue of Columbus Monthly.