Easy as Pie
The pizza-company owner Audrey Fosse is drawn to minimalist designs, but she insists on flexibility
Ad Categories: Style
Shopper: Caste
A Western Style furniture boutique with an elegant twist
Handbags for All
The Man’s Bag
The Chicago handbag designer Christopher Augmon launched his eponymous handbag line this fall, and his sophisticated designs are now available online at augmon.com. Augmon’s rich leathers lend themselves to his simple and sophisticated shapes; check out the red patent leather London clutch ($460) and his exotic Boa-embossed purse ($985). African, Asian, and Indian influences are subtly…
Girl Talk
What real girls have to say about American Girls
Designers’ Collective in Pilsen
Come Together
The new design collective No Coast (1500 W. 17th St.; 312-636-0971, no-coast.org) features both local and international artists in a retail space that brings together one-of-a-kind creations, most selling for less than $50. The store’s inventory is curated on a rotating basis by six to eight members of the collective, who also work full-time from the in-house studios. The space also includes a small performance area frequented by visiting lecturers and musicians. Among the goods, you’ll find…
On a New York Buying Appointment with Heiji Choy Black
The days following a fashion show are a relief for the designer and
his or her runway production team, but the busiest time for retailers
and sales reps. After all, the clothes would never make it past
editorial spreads if someone didn’t work hard to bring them to local
fashion emporiums. Curious to see fashion week from a different angle,
the retailer’s point of view, I tagged along with Heiji Choy Black of
Hejfina on a buying appointment for…
Sales Check
A roundup of this month’s sales, store openings, and shopping news
Spiffy Salvage in Bucktown
Antique Appeal
Two of the city’s salvage experts— Architectural Artifacts and Urban Remains—have joined in a newly opened retail venture, Mongo Home (1753 N. Damen Ave.; 773-486-6200) in Bucktown. The resulting home décor boutique takes goods from the two parent stores and shines them up for consumers who may not want to refinish antiques themselves. “We have free rein with their items,” says Marisa Swystun, a design consultant who works at the shop. Unlike many of the items at the parent stores that are untouched treasures, the…
The Best for Less
In a recession, the old adage “Time is money” gets flipped on its head in favor of the other, more useful mantra: “Why pay more?” Why, indeed? Read our comprehensive guide for getting top-notch stuff at dramatic savings.
Maria Pinto Opens in West Loop
Political Style
Most designers hope against hope that one day their designs will appear on a red carpet and launch their brand into the stratosphere. Well, it seems as though the killer combination of a purple dress, fist bump, and a political stage that announces the Democratic nominee does the job just as well. Maria Pinto (135 N. Jefferson St.; 312-648-1380), a beautiful new boutique in the West Loop, is the retail home of the designer behind Michelle Obama’s purple dress. Pinto is hardly a secret to Chicago’s socialite set, for whom she has been designing since 1991; but with a little help from Obama (who, when…