Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/553637
"WE HAD OUR EYE ON THE GOLD COAST FOR A LONG TIME. OUR BRAND RESONATES THERE, AND IT WAS JUST A CASE OF FINDING THE RIGHT LOCATION." —MARCUS WAINWRIGHT ** Rag & Bone's arrival in the Gold Coast comes as part of a new wave of luxury brand openings that has both shop- pers and retail experts talking about a style resurgence in the neighborhood. In addition to recent debuts from Saint Laurent and Brioni, the area will soon become home to La Perla, Rebecca Minkoff, Versace, and Dior. "The new shops have brought more pub- licity to the street, especially for tourism. We are seeing more international tourists than ever before," says Toni Palumbo, the president of the Oak Street Council, which fosters and preserves Gold Coast retail, and who is also the store director of Lanvin's Chicago location. "The area has changed so much in the past 10 years, but the biggest change that I've seen is the restructuring of the former Esquire Theater space," says Palumbo. "I love that the sign is a historical landmark for the city and still standing, but you now have these beautiful storefronts like Tom Ford and Dolce & Gabbana in the space. It's really changed the look of the street altogether." resonates there, and it was just a case of finding the right location." That perfect spot turned out to be a storefront on East Delaware Place expansive enough to handsomely house the men's and women's lines. "It was originally a gourmet grocery store [Goddess and Grocer]. We try to retain certain elements that exist in our new stores' previous capacity, so the original fireplace and coffered ceiling remain in the space," Neville says. While maintaining specific features was key, so was imbuing the store with the distinctive qualities that define the line's other locations. The f looring combines concrete and wood, and Rag & Bone's Brooklyn-based fabrication teams used mahogany wood shelving to complement the steel fixtures and exposed brick. The team looked to Chicago businesses as well and found one of the boutique's sofas at local favorite Jayson Home. Fans of the line's wildly f lattering jeans, f lowy dresses, cult-status booties, and general urban, monochromatic vibe will find much to love in this fall's collection. "There was a subtle hip-hop inf luence with the puffer coats, and the simplicity of the '90s played into some of the collec- tion's more delicate pieces like the slip dresses and lace separates and the Mary Jane shoes," Wainwright says. Even sweeter words for Chicago natives anticipating the approaching months? "Outerwear is always a major focus for us, so we've got a lot of cool styles there, from heavily quilted leather parkas to camel hair overcoats." 25 E. Delaware Pl., 312-483-1122; rag-bone.com MA TAKE ME OUT "I love the outer- wear," enthuses Wainwright. "The Sullivan coat (RIGHT) is a cool piece as it has a military infl uence and then very mod- ern detailing." LADIES FIRST Neville is excited for the feminine pieces. "The Izabella dress can work in the day with a chunky sweat- er or cardigan and then on its own for a night out," he says. IN THE BAG Another big focus is the growing handbag line. Two pieces straight from the fall runway are the Daria hip bag and a slouchy hobo called the Sullivan. The new outpost on East Delaware Place stays true to the brand's aesthetic, with concrete and wood flooring and mahogany shelving to complement the steel fixtures and exposed brick. ** R A G & B O N E F A L L F A V E S ** S H O P H E R E N OW GOOD AS GOLD STYLE Tastemaker 42 MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM