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…
A new crop of shops springs up on this luxe lane
A roundup of this April sales, store openings, and shopping news
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…
March 2009: A roundup of this month’s sales, store openings, and shopping news.
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…
Well, sports fans, we have made it to the end of something exhilarating, maddening, frivolous, and momentous: another fashion month has ended! I plan on taking a restorative weekend in which I will stay far away from high heels, but I’ll be back here next week with input from…
Fashion Week involves much back and forth across the city, and when shows aren’t held at the Louvre or Tuileries (blessedly uncomplicated central locations), it means more planning. But sometimes the distant venues are so gorgeous you forget the extra time it took to get there…
It seems black is the reliable bet during this economic crunch. Why should designers pretend it’s not what women go for most of the time? But this is still Paris Fashion Week—we want a little drama, right? Well, the Chanel show yesterday provided a good mixture: a little theatricality with a lot of practicality…
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…
