For the past two years Chicagoans have been waiting with bated breath for the Marc Jacobs Collection store to finish construction and open its doors. On February 25th the rent-a-fence finally came down. Company President and our favorite (former)twitterbug, Robert Duffy was there to unveil the 3,000-square-foot Gold Coast space.
The lavish boutique, situated on the corner of Rush and Walton, is
distinguished by a classic revolving door (a personal request from
Duffy himself), contemporary blown-glass chandelier, and sleek modern decor. As a bookend to The Elysian, a brand new luxury hotel/condo complex, the store is sure to draw a much different crowd than its Bucktown counterpart, Marc by Marc, though Duffy feels strongly that the haute looks and higher price points of the Collection store will not repel locals. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Duffy sees Chicago and the rest of the Midwest as an untapped epicenter for inspiration and originality. "I think of all the
people I know that have come out of the Midwest: Halston, Bill
Blass. They go on to other places but there are a lot of people here that are stylish and cool." The same type of influential crowd he believes will be attracted to the store.
That evening, the shop was properly welcomed to town with a fabulous invite-only dinner party. Close to 200 of the city's fashion elite along with the Marc Jacobs execs celebrated with champagne and caviar, followed by a five course meal consisting of foie gras, beet salad, short ribs and more foie gras. A carnivore's delight! An old school photo booth accompanied by a table full of accessories from the Marc Jacobs Spring 09 runway show were on hand to distract diners between courses and capture the memories.
After dinner, attendees were given gift bags filled with Marc swag -- Lola perfume, Travel Bag, Juergen Teller T and macaroons from Elysian restaurant, Balsan -- and shuttled over to River North club, The Underground.
All in all, the event was a success and a smashing way to usher in a store that is sure to make its Marc mark on Chicago. Witness the splendor yourself at 11 E. Walton | Chicago, Il 60611.
