Founded in 2007 by the husband-and-wife team Mandy and Tal Moise, the Chicago-born clothing brand vfish is known for comfortable styles that are reasonably priced. Recently, the couple opened their Lincoln Park flagship store (2937 N. Clark St.; 312-423-7839), also serves as their atelier and showroom. We love the preppy-chic Tara Jacket ($120) as well as the sleek Ava...

The Chicago handbag designer Christopher Augmon launched his eponymous handbag line this fall, and his sophisticated designs are now available online at augmon.com. Augmon’s rich leathers lend themselves to his simple and sophisticated shapes; check out the red patent leather London clutch ($460) and his exotic Boa-embossed purse ($985). African, Asian, and Indian influences are subtly...

The new design collective No Coast (1500 W. 17th St.; 312-636-0971, no-coast.org) features both local and international artists in a retail space that brings together one-of-a-kind creations, most selling for less than $50. The store’s inventory is curated on a rotating basis by six to eight members of the collective, who also work full-time from the in-house studios. The space also includes a small performance area frequented by visiting lecturers and musicians. Among the goods, you’ll find...

Two of the city’s salvage experts— Architectural Artifacts and Urban Remains—have joined in a newly opened retail venture, Mongo Home (1753 N. Damen Ave.; 773-486-6200) in Bucktown. The resulting home décor boutique takes goods from the two parent stores and shines them up for consumers who may not want to refinish antiques themselves.  “We have free rein with their items,” says Marisa Swystun, a design consultant who works at the shop. Unlike many of the items at the parent stores that are untouched treasures, the...

Most designers hope against hope that one day their designs will appear on a red carpet and launch their brand into the stratosphere. Well, it seems as though the killer combination of a purple dress, fist bump, and a political stage that announces the Democratic nominee does the job just as well. Maria Pinto (135 N. Jefferson St.; 312-648-1380), a beautiful new boutique in the West Loop, is the retail home of the designer behind Michelle Obama’s purple dress. Pinto is hardly a secret to Chicago’s socialite set, for whom she has been designing since 1991; but with a little help from Obama (who, when...

Four-year-old Modlife (3061 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-868-0844, modlifehome.com) has relocated to new digs with twice the space and inventory. Owner Robert Zizzo said he had so much furniture in storage that half of it never made the display, so now he has more room to display his Danish Modern, Hollywood Regency, and other American works into vignettes. The store, which has become a must-stop for prop designers for movies, television, and local playhouses, stocks an incredible array of...

Few affordable stores inspire the devotion of Spanish-based Zara (Old Orchard, Skokie; 847-329-0808, zara.com). A steady stream of those who have shopped the brand in Europe or the coasts have poured into the Old Orchard store since it opened on Sept. 25th, expressing mostly the same sentiment: “Finally.” The excitement over the opening rivaled that of the Marc by Marc Jacobs in Bucktown, with a decidedly more pocket-friendly assortment of merchandise. And...]]>

The Dressing Room Shoes (4657 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-878-7400, thedressingroomchicago.com), the recently opened specialty outpost from the same owners of three-year-old Lincoln Square shop The Dressing Room, is located just down the street from its sister store and carries both affordable and swanky kicks. On the casual side, find mom-friendly Crocs and adorable lace-up rain boots from Dav ($80.50), as well as...

Sometimes adidas (845 N. Michigan Ave., 4th fl.; 312-867-1640) actually makes shoes for athletes. Whereas the adidas Originals store on Rush Street stocks the brand’s fashion and retro heritage shoes, the new Water Tower store is the first athletic-shoe shop for the brand in the Midwest, carrying sports gear and shoes for tennis, running, basketball, soccer, and golf. The real draw is...