NICZKA — Local services in Chicago

Tania made my wedding dress and it shaped my bridal experience.

I walked into her studio a few months after being engaged on a whim. I had tried on dresses, found some I was okay with, but was curious about her “design with me” sign in the front window. I showed her a picture of a dress I liked, suggested three changes, and the experience took off from there.

Form start to finish, I feel truly graced that Tania designed my dress. I was able to pick out fabric and was involved in every step. We communicated regularly between fittings. I always felt comfortable asking for changes while she gave her expert feedback on my ideas. And she had wizard type seamstress/design skills. She created a dress that fit me in a way I have never had any piece of clothing fit me before and somehow fit was comfortable. It became my armor for me wedding day, helping me laugh through those crazy and tense moments. And my now husband was blown away, hopefully to the point we frequent her regularly...

I’m NY based with strong ties in Chicago. One of my main complaints about Chicago as a big city is how deficient it is in terms of personal aesthetics- lots of frumpy dumpy street style and very little in terms of local talent and accessibility. I work in fashion, so I’m always looking. I met Tania several years ago as she was just starting Niczka, a total bootstrap operation driven by very cool aesthetics, quality, and sustainability- keeping raw materials in circulation for as long as possible. Tania can do anything. I’ve sent multiple colleagues to her shop for stuff as specific as recutting an entire wedding dress into a new design to more general shop this Chicago designer. Everyone leaves happy. I’ve always been impressed by Tania’s industriousness, but Niczka is truly a tall glass of water in what can feel like a desert of...

I went to pick up my order from Niczka, which was a crop, silver metallic jacket. It fit like a glove and is an absolute staple in my wardrobe now! You can dress it up or down. (BTW: this is the second piece I’ve purchased from her. The first was a set.) Not only that, but I was able to browse around her shop and she helped me find other items that I might like, as I am a HUGE fan of her work. I ended up purchasing some other pieces. Her kind nature was amazing, as there was no pressure to buy and you can tell she really enjoys her craft. Her skills are one of the best in Chicago. Her asthetic of casual, upscale, texture mixture and color blocking is phenomenal.

I can’t wait to go...