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Sofia Vintage

This sibling-run boutique injects a shot of old-school cool into the high-fashion Oak Street scene.

By Amalie Drury. Photographs by Nicole Radja.
Published: May 5, 2010

Sofia Vintage
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  • Feminine custom iron racks add a note of whimsy to the interior. “I thought the whole vibe should be old-meets-new but still clean-looking, which is basically our mission when it comes to everything,” Ashley says.

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  • A collection of vintage Fendi luggage sits atop a rack of new clothes on the men’s side. “We get all of our bags reworked—scuffs fixed, fading corrected, new hardware when necessary,” Ashley says.

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  • Four jewelry displays upstairs are made from reclaimed windows and worn wooden slats from old barns. Local designers Dana Rebecca and Julie Lampert share case space with vintage Chanel and Hermès.

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  • On the men’s side, updated versions of Harvard Yard’s East Coast prepster pieces are exclusive to Sophia Vintage in Chicago. A fitted navy cotton blazer goes for $540.

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  • One jewelry case features shoulder-grazing feather earrings from L.A.-based line Ghost Dancer. “It’s a lot of brass and leather, chest pieces to dress up a basic tank and jeans. It reminds me of being at Coachella [music festival] last week—total rocker-infused chic.”

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  • A pair of black Nike high-tops were purchased from the estate of DJ AM, who was a friend of Ashley’s. “He had every single special-edition shoe. Now we’re selling them for charity,” she says. All proceeds from the handbags on a dedicated table at the rear of the store are donated to the Lynn Sage Cancer Research Foundation, which was founded by their mother, Lili Ann Mages Zisook in the mid-’80s.

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  • A case near the back of the store contains what the sisters call their “good bags,” pricey clutches and shoulder bags from Yves Saint Laurent, Hermès and more. Bucktown antique-furniture boutique the Painted Lady made the mammoth case.

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  • During her recent visit to Chicago, Nicole Richie enjoyed a private shopping spree before the shop officially opened. Find Richie’s House of Harlow accessory line at the store along with her signature on a dressing-room wall.

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  • Ashley Zisook

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Barely a year ago, sisters Ashley Zisook and Allison Zisook Goldstein opened the doors to their by-appointment-only Clark and Division Street showroom of flawless designer vintage goods. But when clients started requesting advice on how to wear their purchases, the women hit a wall. “I couldn’t just style people in head-to-toe vintage,” Ashley says. “I would never dress that way myself.” By late April, the sisters relocated to the Gold Coast with a revamped concept of mixing the old with the new. Think quilted Chanel bags and Bob Mackie gowns hanging alongside contemporary mens and womenswear and accessories by lines such as MaTias Thread & Denim and Dear Creatures. Ashley showed us around the 3,000-square-foot space, leaving us wondering just how much room we could make in our own closet to bring home some loot.

Visit Sofia Vintage at 72 E Oak St (312-640-0878, sofiavintage.com).

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