Bridget Maiellaro

Flower Power
After stints in other industries, including fashion photography, Nancy Krause opened Nancy Krause Floral Design & Garden Antiques (1101 W. Webster Ave.; 773-248-1516, nkfloraldesign.com) earlier this month. In the 1990s, Krause shifted her focus from photography to flowers when she opened two floral boutiques in downtown Chicago... Read more

Mile of Style
In-Fashion: The Magnificent Mile Shopping Festival, a two-week event, launches Friday, August 26 with celebrity appearances, designer meet-and-greets, discounts, trunk shows, concerts, cooking demonstrations, and more... Read more

Star Quality
Oliver Peoples (941 Rush St.; 312-266-9000, oliverpeoples.com), an eyewear company that makes high-end glasses frames and sunglasses that are often spotted on celebrities (including Madonna and Kanye West), opened its first Chicago boutique in July in the Gold Coast. It is the ninth stand-alone store for the brand, which was established in West Hollywood, California in 1986... Read more

Kickin’ It
Kickin’ (2120 N. Halsted St.; 773-525-2120, kickinmaternity.com), a locally owned boutique in Roscoe Village that offers maternity active wear and contemporary maternity apparel, opened its second location last month in Lincoln Park... Read more

Sales Only
Get ready for some competition, eBay and Amazon. Lesley Tweedie, owner of Roscoe Village Bikes, recently launched an online marketplace of sale-only items from independent boutiques. Appropriately named Little Independent (littleindependent.com), the site is dedicated to helping shop owners better market their hard-to-sell items... Read more