GOLD COAST — When 28 year old veterinarian Jennifer Stecher learned that her father’s cancer had returned, she turned to fashion design as a peaceful distraction from the stress.
Despite having a career that demands a 40-plus hour work week, the Gold Coast resident made time for sketching.
“I found out that my dad’s prostate cancer had spread to his spine, and it was a really hard thing to have to deal with,” she said. “I love what I do as a veterinarian, but it’s not as if I can completely forget everything when I’m [in the clinic] because I have to be very intuned with everything. So I started to design just as an outlet and it was exactly what I needed.”
She’s launching Humane Envy Friday, where she’ll showcase her first collection, “Untamed Couture,” a spring and summer 2016 fashion line for women in their 20’s through 40’s. She has also been chosen as one of the seven designers to be in FashionBar Chicago’s show Thursday at the Drake Hotel, 140 E. Walton. Tickets can be purchased online at www.fashionbarchicago.com.
FashionBar’s CEO Tony Long said one of the reasons they added Stecher to their portfolio this year is because of her ambition, love for animals, “the uniqueness of her collection and the nonprofit organizations she’s working with.”
“The overall process of being a fashion designer has been very exciting,” Stecher said. “I feel like everything has just been set into place. I feel like God wants me to do this.”
Stecher, originally from Iowa, learned in the fall of 2013 that her father’s prostate cancer had returned and spread. He went through chemotherapy. A month after the discovery, she was told that he had an intestinal tumor. He had surgery to remove it. He started chemotherapy again in fall 2014 for the cancer.
While Stecher was in college, she wanted to help her father save money.
“My dad’s goal was to put us all of his children through college,” she said, “but he wouldn’t let me help. To undermine him, slightly, I decided that I was going to graduate in three years.”
Stecher did. She graduated from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa with a degree in biochemistry in 2008. While in college, she worked part time at a veterinary clinic in her hometown. Once she graduated, she attended Iowa State University for veterinary school. She has been practicing in Chicago for three years now.
Until recently, Stecher hadn’t used a sketch book since the fourth grade. After showing off her work to close friends and family, she said she had enough confidence to launch a fashion line.
“We are so thrilled,” said her mother, Marilyn Stecher, over the phone. The family still lives in Iowa. “I’m so proud of Jenny. In the beginning we didn’t know how she was going to do everything, but she’s so self motivated, very independent and hard working. We knew that whatever Jenny sets her mind to, she excels at.”
Because Stecher’s an animal lover, she has decided that a portion of Humane Envy’s profits will go to charities like the Chicago Canine Rescue and the Trio Animal Foundation. And it’s no surprise that her clothes have a jungle theme. The new line is inspired by animals so there are lots of vibrant colors, animal prints and animal outlines in each of the pieces.
“I don’t want anything bluntly animal so it’s more of an abstract animal inspiration,” she said.
The giving doesn’t stop with the animal rescue organizations. She’s also donating to Imerman Angels, an organization that pairs cancer fighters, survivors and caregivers with people experiencing similar situations.
Stecher isn’t shy when it comes to talking about her dad’s cancer. She said she hopes to use this platform to educate people on how to interact with cancer fighters and their loved ones.
“A lot of people, they don’t want to deal with cancer,” she said. “They don’t want to deal with the realizations and maybe the awkwardness they feel is associated with it.
The ultimate goal for Humane Envy is to end up in stores across the world. Stecher said she can juggle two careers.
“I love what I do as a veterinarian. I love treating animals, but I also love what I’m doing right now with fashion design. I really want to do both.”
Tickets to Thursday's show can be purchased online at www.fashionbarchicago.com for $20 and up. Friday's launch party is free, but space is limited. Register online here.
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