Molly Each

It’s a slightly less frigid Saturday afternoon, and I’m on the second floor of a brick Lincoln Park building. Racks of clothing and tables of jewelry are lined neatly around the room, a DJ spins and the small crowd of shoppers is eager to score brand spankin’ new spring pieces or ridiculously marked down samples from designers like Earcandy, Serpico, Lara Miller and Little Black Dress. It’s the very first Ultimate Designer Trunk Show from Studio 808, an online boutique devoted entirely to the creations of Chicago fashion and accessory designers, and as women dash in and out of the fitting rooms with their finds, it’s clear the energy here is full of more passionate excitement than at any chain retailer.
Studio 808 is the brainchild of Erin Creany, a former stylist and rabidly devoted fan of Chicago designers. An East Coast native, Creany wanted to share our emerging talent with friends and clients back home, making access to an Orlando Espinoza dress as simple for a Brooklyn babe as for a Wicker Park gal. The site features three core designers, Espinoza, Miller and Melissa Serpico, while Creany will weave in new names each season. For shoppers the site is designed to make the unique, fashion-forward designs available across the world. But the artists benefit from more than just exposure. “It’s also a testing ground for emerging designers to see what will sell.” Naturally, the Web site of a former stylist is about much more than buying a single piece. The site offers style advice as well as an online stylist, whose expertise can help you craft the perfect head-to-toe look. “There are pieces of Serpicos that will work well with a Lara Miller. So I focus on the whole picture, the whole outfit.”
While Creany plans on hosting quarterly trunk shows (look for the next one in June), her focus in the meantime is on not only bringing Chicago fashion to the masses, but offering an extra boost to designers on the brink. “There’s a definite need for this. Designers need a support system, an umbrella.”


Visit studio-808.com for more information and a peek at the local talent pool.

(2008-03-05)

Also by Molly Each

Open for Business
Women who stumbled into Lincoln Park men’s boutique Guise couldn’t help but be a little jealous. With a front half devoted to a salon and a back half devoted to super stylish duds, you could walk out with a brand new head-to-toe look; or just make a few minor adjustments. And manly details such as sports-blaring televisions made it a low-pressure, comfortable experience. After encountering Guise, women would wish for a similar place of their own
(2008-02-26)

Open for Business
The wind keeps whipping, the snow keeps falling and frigid, bitter air won’t stop taking jabs at our delicate skin ever since Old Man Winter settled in. After several months of harsh weather that post-shower layer of lotion is having a hard time keeping up and we’re all starting to look a little alligator-ish. With many weeks of unfriendly conditions left, it might be time to treat your skin right. Fortunately, we live in a world-class spa city, and there’s an array of ultra-hydrating body treatments out there, ready to take your skin from scaly to supple in just about an hour
(2008-02-19)

Closed for Business
Once upon a time, Chicago shoppers could walk up and down the intersection of North, Milwaukee and Damen and find a plethora of independently owned boutiques, ready to outfit nearly every style palate with hard-to-find designers, unique pieces and personal attention. But last week’s closing of two-year-old boutique Language and the shuttering of Jade later this month prove that one of the city’s most eclectic shopping areas is undergoing a sad makeover
(2008-02-06)

Looking Green
Ecotools, a new line of Earth-conscious bath and cosmetics products from Paris Presents, is aware of the environment from top to bottom: bristles are made from animal-free taklon and the metallic ferrule on the brush is constructed from recycled aluminum cans
(2008-01-29)

In the Closet
(2007-12-18)

Family Style
(2007-12-11)

By Design
(2007-12-11)

PRESENTS
(2007-11-19)

By Design
(2007-11-06)

By Design
(2007-10-23)

By Design
(2007-10-02)

By Design
(2007-09-18)

about Newcitychicago | about Newcity magazine | advertising | privacy policy | FAQ | employment