This week is the official kickoff to holiday shopping season. Chain stores on the Boul Mich? Yawn. Indie markets with booze? Yay! Here are the ones on my list; if you have a tip for others, drop me a note.

1. The Merchandise Mart's One of a Kind Show and Sale from Dec. 6 to 9. Yes, it costs money to get in ($10), and, yes, there are an abhorrent number of people selling kitten-themed potholders. But because there are literally hundreds of indie designers who attend, you're bound to find a few whose wares jibe with your taste...

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This week is the official kickoff to holiday shopping season. Chain stores on the Boul Mich? Yawn. Indie markets with booze? Yay! Here are the ones on my list; if you have a tip for others, drop me a note.

1. The Merchandise Mart's One of a Kind Show and Sale from Dec. 6 to 9. Yes, it costs money to get in ($10), and, yes, there are an abhorrent number of people selling kitten-themed potholders. But because there are literally hundreds of indie designers who attend, you're bound to find a few whose wares jibe with your taste...

" />

This week is the official kickoff to holiday shopping season. Chain stores on the Boul Mich? Yawn. Indie markets with booze? Yay! Here are the ones on my list; if you have a tip for others, drop me a note.

1. The Merchandise Mart's One of a Kind Show and Sale from Dec. 6 to 9. Yes, it costs money to get in ($10), and, yes, there are an abhorrent number of people selling kitten-themed potholders. But because there are literally hundreds of indie designers who attend, you're bound to find a few whose wares jibe with your taste...

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To Market, To Market

This week is the official kickoff to holiday shopping season. Chain stores on the Boul Mich? Yawn. Indie markets with booze? Yay! Here are the ones on my list; if you have a tip for others, drop me a note.

1. The Merchandise Mart’s One of a Kind Show and Sale from Dec. 6 to 9. Yes, it costs money to get in ($10), and, yes, there are an abhorrent number of people selling kitten-themed potholders. But because there are literally hundreds of indie designers who attend, you’re bound to find a few whose wares jibe with your taste…

Me & Ro Opens on Oak Street

Be Jeweled
Me & Ro (61 E. Oak St.; 312-957-8181), a jewelry line frequently seen in the pages of Vogue, has opened a Chicago store, only the fourth in the country. Prices for the silver and 10-karat gold line start at $150 for earrings, rings, and pendant necklaces, with precious jewelry running up to $40,000. Known for stackable rings and hammered metals, the line uses organic materials and precious, semi-precious, and rare stones in designs that reflect nature, so it’s appropriate that the graceful shop is decorated with dark wood and red Venetian glass walls and an in-store pond. Look for the set of three Lotus Dish stackable silver rings ($240) and a beautiful 18-karat gold rutilated quartz drop pendant ($845). Some pieces are carried exclusively in the Chicago store, such as the 18-karat gold…

Clandestine Destination

Fall Out Fashion
Clandestine Industries (952 W. Newport Ave.; 773-857-3525, clandestineindustries.com) may not be a household name yet, but its chief designer certainly is: Wilmette-born Pete Wentz, the bassist for a little band called Fall Out Boy. The line just opened its first stand-alone store in the space formerly occupied by the Lakeview Manufacturing Co., a boutique that sold the clothing-and-accessories line. Stephen Westman, who ran the former store as an offshoot of his bar, Lakeview Broadcasting Company, now owns and operates Clandestine Industries. “When I opened the Lakeview Broadcasting Company, I partnered with Clandestine and used their clothing for our uniform,” Westman says. “The opening of the Lakeview Manufacturing Co. was merely a response to the overwhelming interest people had in our…

There Goes the ‘Hood

Kudos to Nanette Lepore. There was a lot of talk about which New York boutique would be the first to pierce Damen Avenue’s indie veil. It was supposed to be Marc by Marc Jacobs, but, Lord, they’re slow (they were supposed to open in August, then it was October, now who knows when?) Others are on the horizon, including BCBG.

But when it came down to getting the lease, stocking the store, and flinging open the doors, Lepore did it first. Her store, which opened…

BLOG: Paris Fashion Week – Spring 2008

Chicago‘s associate fashion editor Elisabeth Fourmont takes you from the front rows of the runway to behind the scenes at the designer ateliers and parties of Paris Fashion Week. She also chats with Chicago retailers and models in town for the shows, and posts snapshots of the runway, the streets, and all things aesthetically pleasing.

Nanette Lepore Opens in Bucktown

Amore, Lepore
Chicagoans have been shopping her feminine, bohemian apparel for years, and now Nanette Lepore opens her first Midwestern boutique in the former Jolie Joli space in Bucktown at 1623 North Damen Avenue (773-489-4500). Opening on Nov. 1st., just in time for cool weather, the boutique offers Lepore’s luxurious fall line, which features gorgeous jewel tones and lush fabrics such as velvets, satins, and tweeds. The collection offers a range from more formal eveningwear—a sequin shift dress ($370) and a sparkly brown cocktail dress ($410)—to more casual items such as a purple satin top with a keyhole front ($215) or a tweed bubble coat ($495). The store’s décor combines…