1933 N. Damen, (773)276-7645, shernettswaby.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Women’s apparel and handbags. Designer: Project Runway Canada contestant Shernett Swaby is the creative force behind the fabulous lace and pleated pieces found here. Read the rest of this entry »

Division Street boutique Gamma Player, owned by world-renowned DJ and music producer Jeff Mills and his wife, Yoko Uozumi, have just launched an art project disguised as a limited-edition t-shirt. A collaboration with Tokyo menswear label Rozalia Scartissue, the shirts are inspired by Oscar Niemeyer’s iconic Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum in Brazil, while drawing a line back to Mies van der Rohe’s work here in Chicago and the early minimalism that infuses the work of all parties involved. Mills has recorded a special CD soundtrack to accompany the project, which comes included with the shirt in a smartly designed package that augments the whole thing. Mills’ atmospheric techno provides a musical foundation to the otherworldliness inherent in Niemeyer’s UFO-like museum design and a message inside the shirt from Mills hints at new life forms in the hidden waters just off the coast of Niteroi. That being said, the shirt stands on its own as a fine bit of fashion, and comes in four different designs, with three different colors, for $80-$90. (Brian Hieggelke)

Available at Gamma Player, 2035 West Division, (773)235-0755, or online at axisrecords.com

By Marla Seidell

John Fluevog has angels on the soles of his shoes.

Urban Angels, that’s the name of this particular mid-calf boot, which like the Fluevog stores, hit their twentieth anniversary this year. In addition to the angels stenciled on the soles, there’s a personal message from Fluevog inscribed: “Resist all things, including Satan.” Soles are made from biodegradable Hevea tree latex soles. “Really comfy,” notes Fluevog.

Judging from his rock-star appearance—dark blue denim, a red, white and blue button-shirt with a pattern of stars at the center, tousled strawberry-blond hair, Prada sunglasses on top of head, and a thin line of white goatee on his chin—you wouldn’t think that Fluevog, designer and creator of cult-status funky shoes since the mid-eighties, is the kind of guy to stamp spiritual phrases and angels on his products. Read the rest of this entry »

1514 N. Ashland, (773)252-5940, serpico-collection.com
Goods: Womenswear and accessories. Owner: Melissa Serpico Kamhout is also the designer of the eponymous boutique. Read the rest of this entry »

2019 W. Division, (773)952-7551
Goods: Womenswear and accessories. Designers: Daughters of the Revolution, Battalion, Twinkle by Wenlan and White + Warren. Read the rest of this entry »

1525 N. Milwaukee, (773)342-2623, g-star.com (No Ratings Yet)
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Goods: Menswear, womenswear and accessories. Designer: G-Star Raw Owner: New York-based Denimwall Inc. operates the New York, Boston, Miami  and Chicago stores of this European brand. Read the rest of this entry »

1539-41 N. Milwaukee, (773)772-1983, fluevog.com
Goods: Men’s and women’s shoes Designer: John Fluevog Owner: The Vancouver-based designer John Fluevog has a handful of stores in North America. Read the rest of this entry »

1452 W. Chicago, (312)243-3100, dovetailchicago.com
Goods: Men’s and women’s vintage clothing, shoes and accessories. Designers: Cole Haan, Cortina, Joseph Magnin. Read the rest of this entry »

1478 N. Milwaukee, (773)227-9558; 2875 N. Broadway, (773)549-1999, buffaloexchange.com
Goods: Men’s and women’s gently used clothing, shoes and accessories. Designers: Varying—Buffalo houses anything from Express and Banana to hipster labels American Apparel and Cheap Monday. Read the rest of this entry »

A year and a half ago, Sheri Roney opened up a business in Ukrainian Village. With “clean lines, fresh cuts and bright colors,” Roney’s clothing boutique, SoKo Fashion, was everything other stores weren’t—that was kind of the point. “We just did a lot of research [on] what customers experienced with bigger boutiques,” she says. Noting that many found shopping in such environments “intimidating,” Roney centered SoKo around customer service. Incorporating everything from the décor to the price—almost everything in the store is under $100—Roney created a shopping haven in the neighborhood that needed it most. Read the rest of this entry »