Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
For Tracey Tarantino, fashion is a constant, an integral part of daily life that naturally evolves with her activities and environment.
“For me, fashion isn’t about adhering to ‘high’ fashion trends,” she explains. “It’s about expressing a personal, elevated and curated sense of form, fit and function that aligns with my lifestyle.”
Tarantino is the founder and executive director of Zzazz Productions, a Chicago area company that produces fashion shows. The company produced the domestic traveling fashion show for United Health Care and the original live and video fashion shows for JourneyCare, Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind, Ingalls Hospital, Service Club of Chicago and Infant Welfare, among many others.
“Our goal is to entertain the audience by creating an experience that supports the end client with an exciting live experience,” she says. “This can be a corporate show, a philanthropic fundraiser, a design talent competition, custom choreography and custom costuming to greet guests at an event.”
Earlier this year, Tarantino was appointed CEO and director of the Driehaus Design Initiative after serving as executive producer of its fashion show for over 20 years. The DDI promotes design education to foster public appreciation for fashion design and its history. It also supports the fashion departments and academic programs at Columbia College Chicago, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Dominican University, and their respective alumni networks.
In her new role, her vision is to “bring a breath of fresh air to emerging designers by helping launch their careers in a professional and impactful way,” Tarantino says.
“We are currently in the planning phase of new initiatives aimed at promoting DDI alumni and celebrating the continued success of their careers in fashion design.”
With roots tracing back to Calabria and Abruzzo, Tarantino grew up in the western suburbs of Chicago and graduated from Nazareth Academy. She studied fashion merchandising, fashion design and physics at Dominican University, with whom she continues to collaborate by providing classroom presentations and internship opportunities.
“My interest in fashion was inspired by my mother, who had an exceptional eye for style and proportion. Before I was born, she sewed many of her own clothes, and during my years in grammar school, she passed those skills on to me,” she recalls.
Tarantino began making her own clothing — mostly pants and tops — in high school, but started off with a focus on teaching dance, which eventually led her to design costumes for her students.
“When asked why I love it (fashion) so much, the answer is simple: I’ve always embraced the arts, and fashion is a meaningful extension of that passion — one deeply rooted in my cultural heritage.”
Tarantino and her husband, Joseph DiBuono, owner of Tufano’s Restaurant, have twin daughters, Disa Simpson and Darci Pinello, and five grandchildren ranging from ages 2 to 22.
“Like many traditional Italian households, Sunday dinners are a cherished tradition, and I make it a priority to carve out time each week to be with family. My baby-sitting skills are always being requested!”
Her passions include wellness, with daily yoga and strength training classes, and philanthropic work as an active member of the Service Club of Chicago (where she is a past president), the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii, the Infant Welfare Society and the JCCIA Women’s Division.
As for her plans, “I look forward to each new fashion season and the creative opportunities it brings to craft something unique for every client,” she says. “Our team remains committed to advancing our mission by identifying and showcasing emerging fashion talent and promoting top designers and retailers while fostering a vibrant, inclusive fashion community throughout Chicago.”
