After weeks of suspense, Urban Outfitters finally opened its newest Chicago location at 651 West Diversey Parkway, right on the border between Lakeview and Lincoln Park. Those of you who have lived in “New Town” for a few years may remember that this location once held a Pier 1 Imports. This space was an excellent choice for an Urban Outfitters, as its existing design fit in well with the brand’s industrial aesthetic. The area surrounding the Clark and Diversey intersection is undergoing somewhat of a renaissance, in spite of the recession. In addition to Urban Outfitters, a Trader Joe’s is being built two doors down at the corner of Orchard and Diversey.
The two Urban Outfitters employees who I had photographed a day earlier, Uriel and Christine, invited me to the store’s grand opening. I took the opportunity to introduce myself to the sales associates who will inevitably be seeing me on a weekly basis. I met and photographed Kit, Azariah, and Amber, all of whom were very sweet, and quite excited about working at the new store!
To celebrate the grand opening, the store featured the sounds of Urban Outfitters employee and DJ Louis Perchikoff.
Saturday November 13, 2010, Gold Coast boutique Sarca hosted a trunk show featuring Erin for Sarca, an exclusive jewelry collection by Erin Gordon. The event was hosted by socialite Lesley Prizant Goodman. Guests were treated to complementary oxygen facials by certified esthetician Leah Chavie. Erin Gordon’s jewelry is inspired by spiritual iconography from Asia. Gold and silver Buddha heads, hamsa hands, and OMs adorn bracelets of semi-precious stones and crystals. Lapis lazuli, jade, quartz, and turquoise are just a few of the stone beads Erin uses to create her classic jewelry. You can find Erin for Sarca exclusively at Sarca, located at 710 North Wabash.
To celebrate the return of Chagall’s America Windows exhibit, the Art Institute of Chicago hosted an incredible Ferris Bueller-themed party. The America Windows exhibit was placed in storage during the construction of the Modern Wing. The windows’ permanent exhibition space is a mere 65 feet from the Modern Wing. America Windows is made of extremely fragile stained glass. Each pane of glass is individually soldered into tiny leaden grooves. The curators didn’t want to risk having vibrations from the construction site weaken the piece. Plus, it gave the Art Institute a chance to restore and conserve the windows for years to come.
To watch a video about the conservation and reinstallation of Chicago’s most famous stained glass windows, click here.
