Draft:Barbara Bates (fashion designer)

Barbara Ann Bates (born June 27,1955), is an African American fashion designer and philanthropist. She is founder of the fashion brand Bates Designs.

Early life
Barbara Bates was the eldest of five children born to homemaker Vera Bates and educator Elvin Hicks. She did not meet her father until she was 22 years old. Bates spent her first six years in Pittsburg with her aunt, an entrepreneur who exposed her to fine shops and fashion. At age six Bates returned to Chicago to live with her mother and siblings.

At age 15, Bates became pregnant and attended an alternative high school. After giving birth to her son ,Eugene, in 1971, she returned to her high school and graduated one year early with honors. In 1972, while attending Marshall High School she was crowned "Best dressed Senior" after wearing a custom piece she designed herself.

Career
After graduating high school, Bates started working in clerical jobs, where her sense of style draw the attention of coworkers. She soon began selling her designs to her colleagues.

In 1986, Bates founded Bates Designs. That same year, she opened her first boutique specializing in custom and ready to wear garments for men and women. Early in her design career, Bates's specialized looks infiltrated the Chicago area and word of mouth led to business success. Six months after opening, she was introduced to the young Micheal Jordan, who at the time played for the Chicago Bulls. She began making his custom leather coats and suits, and shortly after her celebrity clientele grew large within the sports and entertainment world. Bates Designs has since worked with figures such as Oprah Winfrey, Steve Harvey, Sinbad and Whitney Houston.

In 2012, Barbara Bates made her way into reality tv as a contestant on season one of NBC’s Fashion Star. Bates appeared on 6 episodes  and two of her designs got picked by Macy's. Bates was one of the first body positivity designers amongst her contemporaries in Chicago.

In 2022, Bates was included in the Chicago History Museum's exhibit "Treasured Ten: Selections from custom collection”.

Philanthropy
In 1999, she founded the Bates Foundation to provide free customized prom dresses and tuxedos to underprivileged young women and men from inner city schools in Chicago. The foundation seeks to empower underprivileged teens to rise above their circumstances, and become successful individuals in their chosen field of study.

The foundation has also worked to raised money for breast cancer treatment, through events such as fashion shows and walks. The foundation raised over 600k in donations to Mount Sinai  to renovate the hospital's imaging center. As part of renovations, the center, which was renamed in honor of Bates, was able to install its first 3d imaging machine.

Personal life
Bates was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2009.

Awards

 * 2014: TCW's "100 Women of Inspiration"
 * 2017: BWe "Phenomenal Woman honoree"
 * 2022: iHeartMedia Chicago “Brilliantly Black Business Award”