ODLCO unveils new West Loop storefront December 7 with holiday shop

ODLCO holiday shop | slideshow

• 

  Anonymous, Alpacas, date unknown.

  Photo: ODLCOODL_alpacas.jpg159231361
• 

  Morgan Carter, Capitol Butter Dish for ODLCO, 2012.

  Photo: ODLCOODL_CapitolButter.jpg159231412
• 

  Michael Savona, Trivet Runner, 2012 (foreground); and Gabriel Hargrove, Wabi Nabe, 2011; both for ODLCO.

  Photo: ODLCOODL_wabi1.jpg159231563
• 

  Tim Parsons and Jessica Charlesworth, Golden Section Finder.

  Photo: ODLCOODL_GoldenSection.jpg159231464
• 

  Anonymous, Loon Paperweight, date unknown.

  Photo: ODLCOODL_loon.jpg159231515

PreviousNext

Anonymous, Alpacas, date unknown.

Photo: ODLCO

ODLCO, the "small-batch design brand" founded by Caroline Linder and Lisa Cheng Smith, hosts a holiday shop and open house at its new West Loop storefront (1136 W Randolph St) Fri 7, 6–9pm. Food Crypt's Chris Roeleveld and Sam Cholke will fry Dutch-style donuts on site as artist Jordan Martins concocts "boozy cocktails to keep everyone warm and fuzzy," Linder and Smith promise in their invitation. View a few of the products for sale in our slideshow, above; R.S.V.P. here, and read more about ODLCO after the jump.

ODLCO moved to the West Loop from Pilsen this past June. Reached by phone earlier this week, Smith explains that she and Linder wanted a space that could accommodate events and a studio as well as a retail store. "The shop is still a pop-up in a way, because we still have more [renovations] to do," she says.

When TOC profiled Linder and Smith in December 2009, their venture—then known as the Object Design League—acted more like an association of local designers. Smith says the duo abandoned that structure after organizing one too many exhibitions of "design on pedestals." She adds, "What we really want to do is get into manufacturing…it’s more helpful for the designers."

The holiday shop will carry the first three ODLCO-branded products—Michael Savona's Trivet Runner, Morgan Carter's Capitol Butter Dish and Gabriel Hargrove's Wabi Nabe cast-iron pot—along with other items made by local designers, "some additional things we haven’t put on the website yet…[and] some found one-off objects," Smith tells me. "We have some Nathalie du Pasquier glasses that we’ve collected. It’s not really like vintage design, more these objects that speak to us." Artist Tobey Albright will present plates painted with still-lifes of food. Linder and Smith will preview their new basket-making project, and "we’re leaving a few things as a surprise," Smith promises.

ODLCO remains open Tue–Sun noon–7pm through Dec 19.