Welcome back to A Day in the Life. Last week, we took you through a day with 555 Designs' Karen Herold. Today, we're going behind the scenes with local designer Lara Miller. Known for her gorgeous hand-loomed and sewn earth-friendly pieces, Miller isn't just getting noticed by Chicago fashionistas; she received the leadership in emerging business award on Capitol Hill from the Greater Washington Fashion Chamber of Commerce, which speaks volumes for her commitment to the craft of making women look gorgeous while respecting Earth in the process.

Miller uses the city's architectural and cultural landscape as her muse and eco-friendly fibers (think organic and recycled cotton, bamboo, hemp and vegan silk) to create multifaceted pieces that any woman can wear. We love the fact that most of the garments can be wrapped or reversed to create an entirely different look (sounds like the perfect companion to our suitcases when traveling this Summer!) As if devoting blood, sweat, and tears to her label weren't enough, Miller also serves as the executive director of the Chicago Fashion Incubator at Macy's on State Street and is a founding member of The Mayor’s Fashion Council, which supports and promotes other fab Chicago designers.  How does she get it all done? A day in Lara Miller's life proves that there is no rest for the weary.

  • 6 a.m. — Alarm goes off, snooze for 10 more minutes.
  • 6:10 to 7:10 a.m. — Get ready as fast as I can. I love getting ready in the morning with my husband; his jokes make getting out of bed easier!
  • 7:15 to 8 a.m. — Head next door to the studio to get things situated for the day for my manager, Janine, and assistant manager, Melissa.
  • 8 to 8:30 a.m. — Red line to Macy's, fingers crossed that a seat will open up so I can read and relax. The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat is a great book for the train!
  • 8:30 a.m. — Head into Macy's (111 N. State St., 312-781-1000) and up to the Chicago Fashion Incubator. Depending on the day I may have a board meeting, a Mayor's Fashion Council meeting, Designer in Residence One-on-One meetings, or will be catching up on office work.  
  • 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — Designer in Residence workshop at CFI.  Our workshops focus on the business of fashion, and we're so lucky to have experts donate their time! Workshops could cover anything from business and marketing planning to being best prepared for production or sales and everything in between.
  • 12:30 p.m. — Quick lunch at my desk while I work with my CFI interns to make sure they're set for the rest of the day.
  • 12:30 to 1 p.m. — Meeting to solidify resources as we develop the resource center at CFI.
  • 2 p.m. — Continue with office work and prepare for an evening associate designer workshop.
  • 3 p.m. — Lead a school or business group tour of the CFI space.
  • 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. — Associate designer workshop and designer round table.
  • 7:30 p.m. — Run home. The distance is perfect for speed training mile repeats, tempo runs, or just a nice easy run home depending on the day.
  • 8:45 p.m.. — Jump in the car and head to my knitter to pick up the latest samples or special orders.
  • 9:45 p.m. — A quick run into Whole Foods before they close to grab dinner and anything we weren't able to get at the farmers market over the weekend.
  • 10:15 p.m. to 12 a.m. — Back to the studio to drop off the knits and do a little work. Depending on the day it could be catching up in QuickBooks, responding to emails, or finalizing designs for the next season.
  • 12 a.m. — It's so nice to live next door to the studio — what a commute! Time to get ready for bed.