There’s fashion, and then there’s style. Fashion is what’s available for wearing; style is how you sort through that daunting mass and decide what to wear. It’s about dressing for the world you think you live in–not just for the wind and the weather but for where you’re going, who you’re going to meet, and what you want them to think of you. You make up a story about the day ahead, you decide what your role in it will be, and then you dress the part.
For this issue, the first filter we applied was hometown pride: we presented a vast collection of garments and accessories by Chicago designers to four local stylists and asked them to concoct outfits for six models, all of whom are artists working in the city. The stylists did what professional stylists do, developing fantastical narratives for their models, thinking about who their characters were and what they might be up to, and clothing them accordingly. Which, if you think about it, is just an extreme version of what anyone with style does every day.
We’ve also included a directory of where to buy each designer’s goods (so if you wake up one morning feeling a little goddess-of-the-hunt and a little gothloli, at least you’ll have a place to start) and a roundup of select official and unofficial events happening this week in conjunction with the second annual Fashion Focus Chicago, a city-sponsored 12-day run of industry workshops, shopping events, student displays, and runway shows intended to bolster the local fashion business. We’re all for that, but we know that to support local fashion, you first need local style.
The Clothes
(1) This black cashmere skirt ($340) looks like a slightly stuffy basic with a twist–the two kick pleats loosen it up a little. But then you touch it and it’s a whole ‘nother world. Made of supersoft cashmere and lined in silk that’s the exact muted mauve of a Miu Miu shoebox, it’s a mix of high and low, like everything made by Siahou’s Danielle Weingarten, who interned with Calvin Klein. Weingarten is one of the designers featured in this year’s Gen Art Fresh Faces fashion show as part of Fashion Focus (see sidebar on page 25). At Handle With Care, Helen Yi, Gen Art’s Shop CHICago, and daniellasiahou.com.
(2) Recent School of the Art Institute graduate Abigail Glaum-Lathbury says her jacket ($290) was inspired by bugs, for instance “the way a beetle’s wings fold under themselves to form one oval shape.” The idea’s most visible in the finishing touches of this jacket–the raw-edged appliques of cotton and gauze layered on the chest lie flat but give a sense of depth. At Habit.
(3) There’s a cluster of Italian towns midway between Florence and Pisa where almost every local business is a tannery. That’s where Joelle Minassian, designer of Joelle Nadine handbags, gets her leathers. Minassian, a Chicago native, went to grad school at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, then spent six years in Italy designing for Versus and Versace Jeans Couture, Gianfranco Ferré Jeans, and Just Cavalli. Her Bologna bag (about $360), made of indigo stingray skin and soft semimetallic calfskin, can be worn as a shoulder bag or a clutch. Inside you’ll find Minassian’s signature double pocket (one envelope for a cell phone or PDA, one for secret things) and a silver brass hook on a leather strap to keep your keys out of the fray. At Elements, Mint, and joellenadine.com.
(4) Named after the small Indiana farming town that Staci Leatherland’s family is from, Mifflin jewelry has a farmhouse-industrial aesthetic, mixing wood, metals, and vintage bijous. The oxidized-brass chains of her Ines earrings ($60) swing low off sterling silver studs, anchored by polished ebony beads. Eskell’s hosting a Mifflin trunk show as part of the store’s one-year anniversary party and Fashion Focus Chicago (see sidebar on page 25). At Eskell, Habit, Macy’s Designer Shop, and Gen Art’s Shop CHICago.
(5) Courtney Nealis likes to mix exaggerated lengths with dainty cuts of precious and semiprecious gems for her jewelry line, Purple. This long purple jade and garnet scarf necklace ($150), worn around the wrist here, looks like caviar and baby octopuses. At purpledesigns.biz.
(6) Collage brooch (from a selection, $60-$90) made from antique cotton, crocheted lace, African beads, and brasschain by Robin Richman, at Robin Richman.
(7) Raw-cut leather holster-style belt ($35) from a selection by Mississippi Jackie Hurt. At Una Mae’s Freak Boutique.
(8) Shoes ($289) by Chie Mihara. At Robin Richman.
The Model
Jillian Valentino cofounded Avant Trill, a production company that’s booked shows by the likes of Peaches and Le Tigre’s JD Samson in Chicago. Every Tuesday night she cohosts Outdanced!, a superstylish queer-friendly partyat Funky Buddha Lounge. Starting October 6 she’scohosting New Indie Mafia night at Sonotheque thefirst Friday of every month.
The Stylist
“I know there’s supposed to be some kind of rule about mixing brown and black,” says Sarah Ponder, “but I don’t care.” She says she was thinking along the lines of the Japanese “gothic Lolita,” or “gothloli,” style when she put together this outfit. “The flowers in her hair brought a sort of delicate and feminine touch, while the rest has a hard, bizarre edge to it.”
A California girl, Ponder moved here about three years ago, after dropping out of the gender studies program at the University of California in Santa Cruz. She lived in Malaysia for five months, where she says she “fell off motorbikes and was chased by monkeys,” and is now studying fashion business at Columbia College and working at Language in Wicker Park. Recently she’s done styling for the NOVA Fashion Train and for Venus and Time Out Chicago.
The Clothes
(1-2) These Italian wool trousers ($235) by Kent Nielsen fit flat and snug with a bit of flare. Nielsen says it’s his most popular style: “I do ’em in seersucker, linen, even sweatpants.” The broadcloth shirt with French cuffs ($250) is one of his new ideas. “Contrast cuffs and collar, BFD,” he says. “But the white placket I haven’t seen so much in a dress shirt.” Nielsen, who has written software for the past ten years, is leading a seminar on using information technology in the apparel industry as part of Fashion Focus (see sidebar on page 25). At Jake and Macy’s Designer Shop.
(3) Lee Allison has been making simple, sharp-as-hell ties for a decade. The 123 Stripe tie ($90), handmade from woven silk, is purposely knotted short here. A green version of this pattern is the official tie of Gateway Green’s Green Tie Ball–20 percent of sales goes to the 20-year-old nonprofit, which plants pretty things along our highways. At Apartment Number 9, Macy’s Designer Shop, Truefitt & Hill, and the W Hotel Gift Shop.
(4) Fused glass belt buckle ($60) by Kiku, aka Laurie Freivogel, a self-employed crafter. At Fly Bird, Hazel, RR#1, Unique So Chique, and Wolfbait and B-Girls.
(5) A pouchless gun holster ($30) looks badass but can’t hold a weapon, exemplifying the mix of toughness and humor in all of Mississippi Jackie Hurt’s leather pieces. At Una Mae’s Freak Boutique.
(6) The rubber spacers that come with these brass and stainless steel rings ($85 each) by Gillion Carrara break up their otherwise ultrastreamlined formalism. At Elements, Hejfina, and June Blaker.
(7) Free Lauren Marsella makes tiny, inexpensive jewelry out of Shrinky Dinks; motifs include outdated technology, like giant brick phones and cassette tapes, and figures from high and low culture, including Shakespeare, Mao, Bill Cosby, and Michael Jackson. Here, Martin Luther King earrings ($13) are worn as cuff links. At Wolfbait and B-Girls.
(8) The fossils of trilobites, those nasty-looking prehistoric arthropods, make pretty jewelry–especially in this one-of-a-kind pendant ($110) by Dollybird, worn on a spider-silk-thin sterling silver chain. At dollybirddesign.com.
(9) Shoes ($500) by Marsell. At Robin Richman.
The Model
Randall Bailey makes comic books and noise music. His work is currently on display in the window of Quimby’s Bookstore.
The Stylist
Hilary Olson says she likes a guy in jewelry because it means he has “enough masculine qualities to contradict the ornamentation.” She imagined two such characters for this shoot: a Gypsy and a rageaholic gangster who eats Polish sausage for breakfast.
Olson is based in Chicago but currently living in Los Angeles. Her past work includes costume design for the Flying Griffin Circus, Redmoon Theater, and Bobby Conn and assisting expat latex designer Geoffrey Mac with his first fabric line. For the past few years she’s been working in the wardrobe departments of touring acts like Velvet Revolver and Cirque du Soleil.
The Clothes
(1) The best thing about Chicago’s BYA Denim jeans is that you can’t tell how much they cost or who made them–there are no obnoxious logos on the pockets or tags on the waistband. This particular style, the Emmett Supernova ($220), even comes without any prefabricated distressing–you get to make your own history. At Active Endeavors, Guise, Koros, Macy’s Designer Shop, and TK Men.
(2) Risky Business, the screen-printing company run by the artist Myles, is known for its badass aesthetic influenced by tattooing traditions. This T-shirt ($28) features a line-art rendering of a photo she saw in National Geographic, with flash-art roses in glittery, sunset-colored ink on the shoulders.
(3) On her way to the release party for her new line last March, Myles was jumped. “It was two unprofessional dorks–they didn’t even have a weapon,” she says. “It was slightly degrading and an inconvenience–I had somewhere to go.” So she made drawings of “douche 1” and “douche 2,” aka the “Mugger Fuckers,” and printed them on posters and bags ($20) as therapy. At Una Mae’s Freak Boutique and businessisrisky.com.
(4) Text on the inside of the right sleeve of this blue button-down shirt ($120), running up from the cuff in a small sans-serif font, reads: “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” It’s details like that that make Syndrome’s clothes so rad. There’s also a clean, sharp breast pocket, half top-stitched, half tacked on. The label–which now produces upward of 60 items per season–keeps everything but fabric local, from concept to production. At Penelope’s and Untitled.
(5) Jackie Kilmer, the designer behind Mississippi Jackie Hurt, remixed this beat-up leather jacket (about $60) with fur she cut off an old shawl and “junk from a basement warehouse on the south side.” The best part is the way she installed a sturdy new zipper on top of the pretty old one, which is exposed when you’re bundled up. At Una Mae’s Freak Boutique.
(6) Attached to the tote bag is a ginormous keychain (from a selection, $35-$45) by Litha, aka Kelly Breslin; made of driftwood, black rope, and gold-infused yarn, it looks like something you might craft if you were stranded on a desert island. Schooled in principles of ichibana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, Breslin incorporates ideas about nature, balance, and order into her dreamy art and jewelry. At Penelope’s or contact Breslin at lithacharm@gmail.com.
(7) At his day job moving and installing art, Ryan Davies noticed eight ornate wooden couch legs in the trash at an industrial complex. He took a couple of them home and cut the frills out to make pendants (prices on request), which he strung on tarnished bead chain. Lately he’s been working on stainless steel and wood mirror compacts decorated with images of trees and animals. At competitioneyes.com.
(8-9) Hat ($89) from Alcala’s Western Wear, with custom-made wreath (price on request) from Cattails.
(10-12) Antique dog-tag necklaces ($45-$75), crackle-leather skull-print belt by Leather Island ($60), shoes ($550) by Marsell. All at Robin Richman.
The Model
Andres Laracuente studies performance and video art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He’ll perform on October 13 at the opening party for Select Media Festival 5; the venue had yet to be announced at press time.
The Clothes
(1) This Lara Miller cowl-necked dress ($310) (the cowl’s worn here as a hood) is part Mobius strip, part kimono, and part 80s dancewear. Like most of Miller’s designs, it can be worn in a number of ways. At P.45.
(2-5) In the past year Shane Gabier’s pensive, moody designs have gotten slightly cheerier, incorporating folksy elements and a little more color. For his latest collection, including the leggings ($105), vest ($220), cape ($825), and belt ($155) shown here, he studied a 1970s hippie commune outside of San Francisco, which inspired soft pieces combining patchwork, applique, braids, and teardrop shapes. The cape can be hiked up higher around the neck for more of a bat-wing look; the vest also works as a scarf. At P.45.
(6) A kitten-ear-soft leather bib ($90) by Tania Bowers features a drusy onyx stone that’s rough on the front and polished in the back and a graceful crocheted tie. At Robin Richman.
(7) Necklace of turquoise, silver, and horn ($85) strung on sterling wire, worn here as a bracelet, by Dollybird, the company run by Wicker Park jewelry designer Katie Kordowski. At dollybirddesign.com.
(8) Cheese, jam, and butter knives ($500) by Gillion Carrara, made out of briar root, stainless steel, bone, and horn, are so gorgeous you almost don’t want to use them. Teensy sterling-silver knobs on the handle act as ergonomic thumbrests. At Elements.
The Model
Camille Dunham is a filmmaker and actress working on an autobiographical comedy called Cute Depression.
The Stylist
Camilla Ha is going for a light versus dark, good versus evil thing here. “It’s easier for me to work in themes,” says Ha, “because it narrows choices down for me and allows me to focus on an idea and follow through.” For this shoot she chose archetypal figures that seemed appropriate for fall: Jenny Kendler plays a Little Red Riding Hood-meets-Demeter figure “who’s sort of innocent but also the goddess of the harvest,” while Camille Dunham is part assassin, part Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, “who’s always alone, has never taken a man, who’s a complete whole in and of herself.”
Ha is a former fashion editor for Venus magazine; she’s also made costumes for Factory Theater and Plasticene. She was written up a couple of times in Jane magazine, and she’s outfitted New York’s high-concept Christian rock band Flaming Fire for a handful of live shows. Currently she’s styling and doing hair and makeup for Kristie Alshaibi’s soft-core porn site, noisydaughter.com, and playing gothy noise music under the name Magick Is Kuntmaster.
The Clothes
(1) This subtly sparkly cotton-blend pinafore (about $110) with a see-through gauze ruffle inlay, from Sarah Staskauskas at Peelout, has a more womanly shape than you usually see with this type of dress, thanks to a belt made of vintage embroidered linen napkins. Staskauskas also made the perky straw hat (price on request) with lime pom-pom that the model is wearing on the cover. At Habit or peelout.biz.
(2) This crazy leather whatchamacallit (price on request) by Mississippi Jackie Hurt looks like a cross between a butcher’s apron and the straps from an electric chair. At Una Mae’s Freak Boutique.
(3) Why not expose your knickers ($175) when they’re made from Italian wool? From Laurie Wildman’s Couture Manteau collection, which has a cheeky 1800s vibe. At lauriewildman.com.
(4) Hunks of white turquoise, stems of orange coral, and a grand finale of polished pyrite dangle precariously from a thin sterling chain in a necklace by Dollybird ($65), visible in our cover shot. At dollybirddesign.com.
(5) When you were a little girl and dreamed of living in a beautiful palace, you probably thought your chandelier would look something like the one-of-a-kind necklace by Litha (from a selection, $60-$120) in our cover shot. It’s made from faceted lead glass teardrops, copper twine, frayed purple ribbon, and mixed gold chain. At Penelope’s or e-mail lithacharm@gmail.com.
(6-7) Also on the cover: hammered silver and brass bangles dangle from a long silver necklace ($110) by Mifflin, framing a locket that looks like a moon; it can also be worn around the wrist. The one-of-a-kind, hand-forged brass pendant ($160) hanging from the basket is by Mifflin. At Eskell, Habit, Macy’s Designer Shop, and Gen Art’s Shop CHICago.
(8) Low-key, high-impact veneer cuff ($60) with matte ebony finish by Tivi. At ID, Koros, Macy’s Designer Shop, the Silver Room, and tiviwear.com.
(9) Shoes ($292) by Chie Mihara. At Robin Richman.
(10) The model transformed her own boring ol’ J. Crew sweater into a dramatic felted affair. (11) Stylist Camilla Ha sewed cotton balls onto prissy white tights from her own closet.
The Model
Jenny Kendler co-owns Other People’s Pixels, a company that designs quick, stylish Web sites for artists on the cheap. She makes her own art too: digital photo collages, drawings, installations, and video based on futurism and ecology (jennykendler.com).
The Clothes
(1) The fluttery sleeves on a scandalously low-cut, tie-waist blue disco dress ($160) by Lindsey Boland make it as fit for a faerie as a flirt. At Habit, the boutique Boland owns.
(2) Lara Miller’s black Cheryl wrap (about $140) can be flipped, tied, reversed, scrunched, or put on sideways–whatever looks good to you. At P.45.
(3) A sun-shaped iron pyrite ring ($395) by Nancy Deal comes with a gothy sterling silver chain that wraps around the hand and hooks underneath. At Morlen Sinoway or contact Nancy Deal at nancydeal@sbcglobal.net.
(4-5) Clusters of glass beads, scraps of silk chiffon, and antique African beads weight the ends of a one-of-a-kind leather lariat ($120) by Robin Richman, worn here as a bracelet. Leather medallions, scraps of metallic ribbon, campy plastic buckles, granny rhinestones, tarnished chain, vintage velvet, badges made of shiny bugles, and romantic sequined appliques all come together in Richman’s Gypsy belt (from a selection, $200-$250), worn here as a sash. Both at Robin Richman.
(6) De-cycled Designs’ lacy-cutout rubber cuff (from a selection, $10-$16) was a bike tube in a former life. At Wolfbait and B-Girls.
(7) Once upon a time Veronica Riley Martens was an accountant. Now she’s an interior designer who makes jewelry that’s meant to be a little messy. This sterling silver lariat with matte black onyx ($225) looks tough but makes a pretty tinkling sound when it moves. At Clever Alice and Wolfbait and B-Girls.
(8) Molded ebony veneer with a satin finish, steel hinges, and an industrial magnetic closure make this little shell of a clutch ($280) by Tivi look severe, but a supersoft goatskin inlay takes the edge off. At ID, Koros, Macy’s Designer Shop, the Silver Room, and tiviwear.com.
(9) A tame houndstooth alpaca scarf ($78) helps pull this ferocious look together. In Elysabeth Alfano’s Elyse C. Bec line they’re cut neither too long nor too wide. Alfano commissions materials from fair-trade artisans, and a portion of all proceeds supports environmental charities. At Hazel, Mint, Spare Parts, and elysecbec.com.
(10) Shoes by Chie Mihara ($282). At Robin Richman.
The Model
Melisa Young, aka Kid Sister, is an MC who performs with the DJ duo Flosstradamus. She’s performing September 29 at Sonotheque with Flosstradamus’s J2K, her younger brother.
The Stylist
When Heather Kenny started putting this outfit together, she was thinking samurai–the shape of the dress and the wrap together looked almost kimonolike. But the faux-wolf-fur hat, Kenny’s own, changed everything. Suddenly Melisa Young, aka rapper Kid Sister, looked more like a tough Siberian princess, with a ring for a shield and a warrior strap around her arm.
Kenny’s used to revamping on the fly–as a personal stylist/shopper she helps clients clean out their closets, find a look, and then shop for it. Kenny also writes about fashion for North Shore magazine, Women’s Wear Daily, and the Reader.
Events
A selection of fashion happenings in the city over the next month
Saturday 9/16
The fourth annual Renegade Craft Fair, today and tomorrow in Wicker Park (the actual park), features almost 200 DIY vendors and artists. a Today and tomorrow, 11 AM-6 PM, 1425 N. Damen, renegadecraft.com, free to browse.
Wednesday 9/20
Today, the first official day of Fashion Focus Chicago (fashionfocuschicago.com), features Gen Art’s Shop CHICago, for which more than 70 local designers and boutiques will set up shop at Union Station. a 6-10 PM, Union Station, Great Hall, 210 S. Canal, 312-229-1701 or genart.org, $10-$30. All tickets must be purchased in advance; pricier tickets include VIP access, goody bags, drinks, etc.
The daylong convergence Outside the Loop includes fashion shows, site-specific art installations, multimedia projections, and local-designer miniboutiques. a Congress Theater, 2135 N. Milwaukee, 312-799-9478, $10 from noon to 5 PM, $15 from 5 PM to midnight (includes food and two drinks).
Thursday 9/21
At Shecky’s Girls Night Out, a nationwide roving shopping extravaganza, dozens of designers (some local, some not) hawk clothing and accessories from current and past seasons at up to 75 percent off. a 5-10 PM, Union Station, Great Hall, 210 S. Canal, chicago.sheckys.com or 212-242-2566, $27.26. Tickets must be purchased in advance and include cocktails and gift bag; you must be 21 or older.
During Eskell’s one-year-anniversary party (and storewide sale), owners Elizabeth Del Castillo and Kelly Whitesell show off their fall line and host a Mifflin jewelry trunk show. With music by Substance Abuse DJs. a 6-10 PM, Eskell, 953 W. Webster, 773-477-9390, free to browse.
Friday 9/22
For her project Dressing Light, School of the Art Institute instructor and Antwerp designer Anke Loh made garments from incandescent fabric and reflective yarn. A window display preview of the work opens in the glass storefront at 1 N. Wacker at 8 tonight. Loh’s full exhibit opens 9/26 and runs through 10/8 at the Chicago Cultural Center, fourth floor, 77 E. Randolph, 312-744-6630; it’s free.
Sunday 9/24
The Indie Designer Fashion Market features local designers at the Chicago Antique Market as part of Fashion Focus. a 8 AM-4 PM, Randolph between Ada and Ogden, 312-951-9939, $10. Kids under 13 get in free; a free trolley runs from Water Tower Place to the market.
Monday 9/25
Designer fabrics and more are discounted at the Apparel Industry Board’s Cash and Carry Fabric and Trim Sale, part of Fashion Focus. a Today, 9 AM-7 PM, and tomorrow, 9 AM-5 PM, Apparel Center, 350 W. Mart Center Dr., 312-836-1041, $5 ($1 for students with school ID).
Gen Art’s Fresh Faces in Fashion runway show presents spring 2007 lines from nine new local designers as part of Fashion Focus. a Reception 7:30 PM, show 8:30 PM, Millennium Park, rooftop terrace, 201 E. Randolph, 312-229-1701 or genart.org, $50-$250.
Tuesday 9/26
Budding designers can bring sketches and samples to Macy’s Distinction in Design competition, where buyers and trend managers will critique entries and award a cash prize to their favorite. Part of Fashion Focus. a 10 AM-2 PM, Macy’s, 111 N. State, 312-781-5454, free.
Wednesday 9/27
The 2006 Street Beat Fashion Show presents work by students at Columbia College, the International Academy of Design & Technology, the Illinois Institute of Art, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in a two-hour fashion show on the sidewalk. Part of Fashion Focus. a 11:30 AM-1:30 PM, State between Washington and Madison, free.
This season’s clothes by some of the local talents in Macy’s Designer Shop will be on the runway at the Designers of Chicago Fashion Show, part of Fashion Focus. a 6 PM, Millennium Park, rooftop terrace, 201 E. Randolph, 312-742-8497, free.
Thursday 9/28
Designer Tina Knowles and her daughter Beyonce make a quick appearance at the House of Dereon Shopping Party to promote the line’s new shop at Macy’s. Part of Fashion Focus. a 6 PM, Macy’s, first floor, north atrium, 111 N. State, 312-781-5454, free.
The Apparel Industry Board presents the seventh annual Chicago Is Red Hot!!! fashion show with 50 local designers–many presenting for the first time–plus an afterparty with music by AM22 and Alexandre Marc. Part of Fashion Focus. a 6 PM, Millennium Park, rooftop terrace, 201 E. Randolph, 312-836-1041, $30-$250.
Designer Tori Nichel presents her Jewel of the Nile fall and holiday collection at a trunk show. a 6-9 PM, Koros, 1019 W. Lake, 312-738-0155, free but you must RSVP.
Fiber artist Hyung Joo Kim presents the Spirit of Korea Art Fashion Show. a 8 PM, South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 S. South Shore Dr., 773-244-5650, $20-$50.
Friday 9/29
A live performance by Beyonce is among the highlights at Macy’s Glamorama: Glamosphere, a fund-raiser for the Art Institute of Chicago. Part of Fashion Focus. a 7:30 PM, Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State, 312-902-1500 or ticketmaster.com, $50 to $1,000.
Making Technology Work for Your Fashion Business, a workshop about design software and programming, is part of Fashion Focus. a 2-5 PM, Chicago Cultural Center, Claudia Cassidy Theater, 78 E. Washington, 312-744-6630, free but you must RSVP.
The Chicago History Museum’s grand reopening, after a $27.5 million renovation, includes a collection of ball gowns, day ensembles, and women’s suits by Christian Dior in the new Costume and Textiles Gallery. With live music, dance, comedy, and acrobatic programs. a Today, 9:30 AM-4:30 PM, and tomorrow, noon-5 PM, 1601 N. Clark, 312-642-4600, free but reservations recommended.
Friday 10/13
Anne Novotny presents her spring 2007 collection at a performance-art fashion show. a Today, 8 PM, and Sunday, 5 PM. Happy Dog, 1542 N. Milwaukee, second floor, 773-322-7002 or freidesigns@gmail.com, $7 suggested donation. Proceeds benefit Hurricane Katrina victims.
Saturday 10/14
Chicago Fashion Week–a biannual fashion festival unrelated to Fashion Focus–kicks off today. For details visit chicagofashionweek.com.
Active Endeavors853 W. Armitage | 773-281-8100901 Church | Evanston | 847-869-7070activeendeavors.com
Where to Buy
Alcala’s Western Wear 1733 W. Chicago | 312-226-0152
alcalas.coma
Apartment Number 9 1804 N. Damen | 773-395-2999
Cattails 1935 W. Division | 773-486-1621
Clever Alice 750 N. Franklin | 312-587-8693
cleveralice.net
Elements 102 E. Oak | 877-642-6574
elementschicago.com
Eskell 953 W. Webster | 773-477-9390
Fly Bird 719 Lake | Oak Park | 708-383-3330
fly-bird.net
Gen Art’s Shop CHICago See events sidebar.
Guise 2217 N. Halsted | 773-929-6101
guisestyle.com
Habit 1951 W. Division | 773-342-0093
habitchicago.com
Handle With Care 1706 N. Wells | 312-751-2929
Hazel 1902 W. Montrose | 773-769-2227
921 S. Loomis | 312-733-2227
hazelchicago.com
Hejfina 1529 N. Milwaukee | 773-772-0002
Helen Yi 1645 N. Damen | 773-252-3838
helenyi.com
ID 3337 N. Halsted | 773-755-4343
idchicago.com
Jake 939 N. Rush | 312-664-5553
3740 N. Southport | 773-929-5253
shopjake.com
June Blaker 200 W. Superior | 312-751-9220
Koros 1019 W. Lake | 312-738-0155
korosartandstyle.com
Macy’s Designer Shop at Macy’s State Street 111 N. State | 312-781-1000
Mint 2150 N. Seminary | 773-322-2944
Morlen Sinoway 1052 W. Fulton | 312-432-0100
morlensinoway.com
Penelope’s 1913 W. Division | 773-395-2351
penelopeschicago.com
P.45 1643 N. Damen | 773-862-4523
p45.com
Robin Richman 2108 N. Damen | 773-278-6150
RR#1 814 N. Ashland | 312-421-9079
rr1chicago.com
Silver Room 3243 N. Broadway | 773-525-71301442 N. Milwaukee | 773-278-7130
thesilverroom.com
Spare Parts 2947 N. Broadway | 773-525-4242
sparepartschicago.com
TK Men 1909 W. North | 773-342-9800
tkmen.com
Truefitt & Hill 900 N. Michigan | 312-337-2525
truefittandhill.com
Una Mae’s Freak Boutique 1422 N. Milwaukee | 773-276-7002
unamaesclothing.com
Unique So Chique 4600 N. Magnolia | 773-561-0324
uniquesochique.com
Untitled 2707 N. Clark | 773-404-92251941 W. North | 773-342-0500
W Hotel Gift Shop 172 W. Adams | 312-332-1200644 N. Lake Shore Dr. | 312-943-9200
whotels.com
Wolfbait and B-Girls 3131 W. Logan | 312-698-8685
wolfbaitchicago.com
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photos/Jim Newberry.