03/31/09

Accessories Galore in Pilsen

Story Time
Last fall, Chicago native AnneMarie Garza wanted to create a boutique centered on the idea that every item should tell a story. So the former real-estate development director purchased retail space, recruited designers via Craigslist and Etsy, and, within months, opened Bella Chica (1253 W. 18th St.; 312-927-3535). The new Pilsen shop sells handmade designs from about 15 Chicago artists, carrying everything from...

Posted at 11:24 AM in Sales Check | Permalink | Comments (0)

03/24/09

Online Card Company Expands

Express Yourself
Shortly after launching an online create-your-own photo holiday card company, Sacha Katz decided to use her self-taught computer illustrating skills to the fullest. So the 30-year-old Lincoln Park resident redesigned the product line and, last month, re-launched U Stationery (ustationery.com; 773-942-7657), which now offers...

Posted at 12:13 PM in Sales Check | Permalink | Comments (0)

03/17/09

Custom Fashion in Pilsen

Out of the Mouths of Babes
Within a month after graduating from the Chicago Fashion Incubator, Chicago native Kate Coxworth, the 27-year-old designer of the Kate Boggiano clothing line, moved her inventory from the 11th floor of Macy’s to Pilsen. Now a studio and retail space, Kate Boggiano (2150 Canal Port Ave., Suite 3A3; 866-388-3501, kateboggiano.com) opened earlier this month and carries a line of shirts, tops, and blouses that focuses on...

Posted at 12:28 PM in Sales Check | Permalink | Comments (0)

03/10/09

SoKo Fashion Escapes Shutter

Stayin' Alive

Like many businesses this past holiday season, SoKo Fashion (1925 W. Chicago Ave.; 773-592-1089, sokofashion.com) took a hit in sales. As a result, owner Sheri Roney had to make a decision: keep going and possibly take on more debt—or close. Going with the latter, Roney announced her plans to shutter her Ukrainian Village boutique in early February. “If something was gonna happen, it was gonna have to happen fast,” she says. Luckily, the change happened in less than two weeks. “Our inventory was bought out [at 40 percent off] and our sales went...

Posted at 01:23 PM in Sales Check | Permalink | Comments (0)

03/03/09

Mother and Son Open Vernon Hills Salon

Spa On
Chicagoans in the northern suburbs have a new destination for spa services—Zaza Salon and Day Spa (1101 S. Milwaukee Ave., Suite 101, Vernon Hills; 847-793-1111, zazasalon.com). “We’re not here to only make you look good. We want to enhance your quality of life,” says co-owner Leo Zarovsky, who opened the salon with his mother, Helen, last December. Zaza features both basic services—such as haircuts and styling (from $55 for ladies, from $30 for men), manicures (starting at $20), pedicures (starting at $36), and spray tanning ($40 for full body)—as well as more intricate...

Posted at 11:05 AM in Sales Check | Permalink | Comments (1)