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Fall 2010
Head of the Class
By Stephanie Soong
These four designers are making names for themselves in New York, Paris, and Milan—and they all trained at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago Read more
Beard BeGone
By Lena Singer
Jim Wetzel, co-owner (with former Jake partner Lance Lawson) of the upscale general store Space519, searched high and low for an inexpensive product that could deliver a close, irritation-free shave. Men, meet Cremo Cream ($10), an air-free formula that lets nothing but highly emollient lubricating conditioners get between you and the razor’s edge. Read more
Rat Pack Fever
By Kaitlin Petersen
When the 125-year-old Chicago-based retailer (and Obama suit maker) Hart Schaffner Marx wanted to refresh its look, its designers took cues from the company’s own history. Once the brand of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, HSM brings back their timeless silhouette (think thinner lapels and flat-front trousers) with the launch of the American Modern suit collection. Read more
All Teched Out
By Kaitlin Petersen
Balani Custom Clothiers (balanicustom.com) goes high-tech when its second Loop location celebrates its grand opening on September 15th. The new storefront at 55 West Monroe Street lets walk-ins take all the what-ifs out of the designing process: Customers can manipulate digital “lookbooks” at iPad stations to uncover what works best for them. Read more
Auction Packed
By Stephanie Soong
On September 16th, Leslie Hindman Auctioneers (1338 W. Lake St.; lesliehindman.com) kicks off its largest-ever vintage couture and accessories auction, featuring more than 700 lots of rare designer pieces. The big-ticket items? A covetable wardrobe selection from the late Eunice Johnson, cofounder of Ebony magazine, including the fashion icon’s sharp Mario Valentino faux leopard pony-hair coat. Read more
Strutter
By Lena Singer
The shoemakers Trafton Cole, William Rood, and Edward Haan opened shop in 1928 to bring style and polish to Chicago gents with their high-quality, handcrafted footwear. Cole Haan pays homage to the Jazz Age silhouettes of its founding cobblers with Cole, Rood & Haan, a capsule collection for men featuring dressy loafers ($325), refined work boots ($395), and natty ankle skimmers ($350). Read more