Underground Hideout
After 14 years of running the Only She boutique (onlyshe.com), owner Terri Vizzone decided to “shake things up.” She had enjoyed selling clothing and accessories to women but wanted to expand. “We wanted it to be not just fashion but art of…
Tween Scene
Previously only available to Chicagoans via catalog and online, PBteen (2111 N. Clybourn Ave.; 773-525-8349, pbteen.com), the latest affiliate of Pottery Barn, recently opened a store in Lincoln Park. The new shop, which shares an address with Pottery Barn Kids, is designed specifically for…
Our mini-review of Chicago’s fashion week
Austerity is the word these days, and one way to stay within your budget is to get stuff fixed. But where to go? Turn to our guide to Chicago’s best fixers in 36 categories.
Posh Pair
While growing up in Winnetka, sisters Jennifer and Maggie Gelber always joked about opening a boutique together in Chicago. “It wasn’t a serious plan. We’d just say, ‘Yeah, one day we’ll open a boutique.’ We came up with names [for the shop] and talked about designing clothes,” Maggie says. But the plan became real after Maggie graduated from the University of Iowa in May 2008 and…
Karl Lagerfeld makes hay with a show inspired by Marie-Antoinette’s Hameau (the pastoral retreat where she used to take her lovers), and Alexander McQueen offers a cerebral take on evolution, playing with alien, insect, and sea creature themes…. Plus the most bizarre shoes I’ve ever seen…
Season-Free Styles
Knowing she wanted to spend her life designing clothes, Shernett Swaby (her last name rhymes with baby) launched her first collection, a line of underwear for men and women, at age 19. “I did it as a way to make money to create the stuff I wanted,” she says. Within a year, the underwear sold in…
Paris Fashion Week ended last Thursday, which means that Chicago retailers from boutiques like Ikram, Blake, and Chalk are on buying appointments placing orders; our Fashion Director Stacey Jones is planning her upcoming shoots; and I’m here with a roundup of the show highlights. Overall, the recession was palpable in what was a safer and very chic season. There are still terrifying shoes on…
Music to Our Ears
While working as a massage therapist for a handful of big-name spas, Chicago native Lizzie Harris decided she could do it better. The entrepreneur waited a year and a half for “the right moment,” and, despite the economic recession, recently opened her first business venture, Spa La La (2300 W. Armitage Ave.; 773-772-5252, spalalachicago.com), in Bucktown. “I figure if I can…
All in the Family
In the early ‘90s, Susan Lurie opened her first boutique in the northern suburbs. Named ENAZ (444 Central Ave., Highland Park; 847-433-6466, enaz.com), which stands for energy, nature, attitude, and zest for life, the shop catered to the busy mom. Within time, however, Lurie’s three daughters—Melinda Kaplan and Lena and Samantha Lurie—joined her management team, and the shop expanded its collections to include…
