Clyde sans Bonnie

Flood damage forced the Wicker Park men’s and women’s avant-garde clothing boutique Bonnie & Clyde’s to shutter back in March. Since then, the owners have been searching for a new storefront. After operating out of an appointment-only hideout in a high-rise condo, the shop finds a new home in the Gold Coast. The doors to the dark, sexy fourth-floor showroom, rechristened Gallery Aesthete (46 E. Oak St., 312-265-1883, galleryaesthete.com), are scheduled to open Saturday, October 20. The store still carries edgy, high-end pieces for men by designers including Comme des Garçons, Rick Owens, and Ann Demeulemeester. But women’s clothing is nowhere to be found. Bye-bye, Bonnie.

 

Top Sales This Week

The women’s clothing shop Cerato Boutique (3451 N. Southport Ave., 773-248-8604, ceratoboutique.com) offers $25 in “Cerato cash”—aka store credit—for every $100 spent, pre-tax, through Saturday, October 20.

Shop for clothes and accessories from national brands and local designers—including Imaginary People, Zamrie, and Killion Clothes—at or below their wholesale prices during RE.STOCK SHOP’s Flash Sale (restockshop.com) on Thursday, October 18, from 5 to 10 p.m. at Fiat Chicago (645 W. Randolph St.).

 

The Best of the Rest

  • If Chicago has a fashion week, this is it: Fashion Focus Chicago takes place through Sunday, October 21, with events across the city. Highlights include runway shows at Millennium Park, including the Designers of the Chicago Fashion Incubator on Wednesday, October 17, and the Art of Fashion 2012 on Friday, October 19. For tickets and a list of events, visit explorechicago.org.
  • Before opening her eponymous boutique in 1997, Robin Richman (2108 N. Damen Ave., 773-278-6150, robinrichman.com) was known for her unusual hand-knit designs. Richman releases 25 newly knit accessories at her store on Sunday, October 21, from 1 to 5 p.m.
  • Learn how a custom wedding dress is created—and see a runway presentation of some of Chicago’s best custom bridal designers—at Bridal Brunch: From Fabric to Fit on Sunday, October 21, at 11 a.m. at Supreme Novelty Fabrics (2156 W. Fulton St.; 312-226-1030, supremefabrics.com). Featured designers include Mignonette Bridal, Sarah Lowry, and Amanda Archer. Tickets ($10) may be purchased at chicagobridalbrunch.brownpapertickets.com.
  • The jeweler Eve J. Alfillé Gallery and Studio (623 Grove St., Evanston, 847-869-7920, evejewelry.com) celebrates 25 years in Evanston with an anniversary party on Saturday, October 20, from 12 to 6 p.m. Eve looks back with "Déjà Vu," a newly released collection that pays tribute to popular pieces of the past—but with a twist. E-mail contact@evejewerly.com or call the store to RSVP to the event.
  • Sometimes it takes money to make money. Through October 31 at the on-trend women’s boutique Sarca (710 N. Wabash Ave., 312-255-0900, shopsarca.com), the more you spend, the more you earn. Spend $200 to receive a $50 gift card; $500 for a $125 card; and $1,000 for a card valued at $250.
  • Housed in an Uptown parking garage, the market Vintage Garage Chicago (5051 N. Broadway, vintagegaragechicago.com) holds its final sale of the season on Sunday, October 21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission, $3, offers access to dozens of vintage clothing, accessories, and furniture dealers, as well as live music and local food trucks.
  • Also this weekend: Modern Vintage Chicago (modernvintagechicago.com) returns to the West Loop’s Plumbers Hall (1340 W. Washington St.) with vintage clothing and jewelry and new wares from local indie designers. Entry is $10 at the door or $8 in advance.
  • Virtu (2034 N. Damen Ave., 773-235-3790, virtuchicago.com), a gift boutique in Bucktown, hosts a trunk show for the accessories designer Dahlia Kanner on Friday, October 19, from 4 to 8 p.m. Score 10 percent off Kanner’s entire collection of 18-karat gold, sterling silver, and gemstone jewelry.

 

Openings

The third time’s the charm for Sofia (100 E. Walton St., Suite 106, 312-640-0878, sofialivelovely.com). The contemporary clothing boutique settles into its new Gold Coast location after moving three times in the last four years. Loyal fans have followed it for its lineup of labels including Rachel Zoe, Wildfox Couture, and Mara Hoffman.

The Armani Group’s new two-story boutique, Emporio Armani Chicago (25 E. Oak St., 312-337-3120, armani.com), stocks a line of upscale-casual pieces for women and men. The price-points fall somewhere between what you’d find at Giorgio Armani (800 N. Michigan Ave.), the brand’s higher-end offering, or at Armani Exchange (520 N. Michigan Ave.), its wallet-friendlier store.

Merrideth Kalil rebrands her home décor company—formerly known as Seltzer Studios—as the online shop Spark Living. The site carries unique home accessories from emerging designers and established names such as French Bull and Jonathan Adler.