Bridget Maiellaro

Fur Crazy Sergio Ugartechea and Brian Moriarty, veterans of the Chicago retail industry, have switched things up.

Short-Term Showcase Since 2006, the Chicago Fashion Incubator at Macy’s has helped local designers launch their careers in fashion through workshops, workspaces, and other kinds of support for one year...

Give Yourself Some Skin Annie Handbags (6263 N. McCormick Blvd., Ste. 160; 312-498-3933) launched last year, bringing women a fresh batch of luxurious yet practical purses, totes, and messenger bags.

Inflationary Pressure While many shops and spas seem to be at a standstill these days, some locally owned businesses, such as Solo Salon (1065 W. Madison St.; 312-491-9771, solo-salon.com), continue...

Made-To-Measure Shortly after graduating from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Michelle Barone was asked to create an exclusive clothing line for the opening reception of the museum’s...

Three Days Only Growing up in New Orleans, Katie Ernst traveled to various junk and antique stores with her grandma, mom, and aunts with an eye for deals on great...

Cutting Her Own Path After 15 years in corporate salons, the hair colorist Karen Marie Vanoni wanted a more creative work environment. But shortly into her search, she realized she...

Eco-Friendly Finds Another Williams-Sonoma affiliate, west elm (1000 W. North Ave.; 312-867-1770, westelm.com) opens in Lincoln Park tomorrow, February 3rd, joining its nearby sister stores Pottery Barn (1000 W. North...

Black Tie to Tank Top At 10, Erin Estell started making jewelry using only floss and beads. Two decades later, her years of practice paid off.

Decade of Design A few years after moving from Los Angeles to Chicago in the late-1990s, Joni Kat Anderson and city-native Matthew Cohen launched JKAT Jewelry (773-777-7863, jkatjewelry.com). Now in...