Takin’ It to the Streets

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer—and the alfresco shopping season. This weekend, Randolph Street Market (randolphstreetmarket.com) sets off its ninth year of outdoor bazaars in the West Loop, where a full city block (1350 W. Randolph St. and 1340 W. Washington St. between Ada St. and Ogden Ave.) is packed with antiques, vintage clothing, midcentury décor, and indie craft vendors on Saturday, May 26 and Sunday, May 27. Among the hundreds of dealers, we’re planning to pay visits to Manly Vintage Chicago and its industrial-chic and modern furniture; the Chicago designer Anastasia Chatzka and her summery floral and chambray dresses; and Atlantic Poster, with its cool collection of vintage rock concert posters and memorabilia. The whole shebang convenes Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets ($8 in advance at randolphstreetmarket.com; $10 at the door) offer all-access admission for the weekend—or pony up for an early-bird pass ($20 online, $25 at door), which grants weekend-long access plus a jump start on shopping, starting Saturday at 8 a.m.

 

Top Sales This Week

As of this week, The Edit (1917 N. Damen Ave.; 773-252-3350) is hereby known as Edith Hart. It’s the same women’s boutique with a new name, which happens to be shared by the owner Morgan Gutterman’s grandmother. More change is afoot in June, when Gutterman plans to debut her online shop, EdithHart.com.

George Kotsiopoulos of E!’s Fashion Police hosts a cocktail party this evening, Tuesday, May 22, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Stuart Weitzman (701 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-649-0090, stuartweitzman.com). Beyond on-site style advice from Kotsiopoulos (our suggestion: wear something cute), guests get an opportunity to pre-order styles from Stuart Weitzman’s fall collection of shoes, handbags, and accessories.

 

The Best of the Rest

  • The discount racks at Anthropologie (anthropologie.com for locations) bust out of the stores’ typically tiny sale rooms this month. Shop the brand’s semi-annual clearance sale in stores or online through the end of May for markdowns on apparel, accessories, and home goods. We spied select items at more than 50 percent off.
  • Randoons (962½ Green Bay Rd., Winnetka; 847-784-1890, randoons.com) enters its teen years—and to celebrate its 13th in business, the North Shore boutique offers 15 percent off all purchases through Saturday, May 26.
  • Comfort Me Boutique (651 W. Armitage Ave.; 312-255-1412, comfortmeboutique.com) hosts a jewelry trunk show with the Chicago designer Nicki Jean (nickijean.com) from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 23. Grab light hors d'oeuvres, wine, and an additional 20 percent off on all sale merchandise.
  • Express (express.com) stages a free outdoor runway show in front of The Bean in Millennium Park (201 E. Randolph St.) at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, May 25.
  • Shop for new kicks at the events space Arts n Spirits (1921 N. Damen Ave; 773-772-3877, artsnspirits.com) during a BucketFeet (bucketfeet.com) trunk show from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 26.
  • If it’s American-made, it’s on sale at Bett’s and B2 Contemporary (678 Central Ave., Highland Park; 847-432-0338, bettsboutique.com). Brands such as Three Dots, Michael Stars, and Elaine Fisher are 20 percent off Friday, May 25 and Saturday, May 26.
  • Now through Monday, May 28, casual and active clothing brands including Splendid, Ella Moss, and ALO are up to 50 percent off at The Shop @ Equinox (equinox.com for locations).
  • Heads up: Tickets are on sale for Runway to Win, a star-studded shopping event Tuesday, June 12 at Harpo Studios (110 N. Carpenter St.) hosted by Vogue’s Anna Wintour and the similarly named supermodels Iman and Chanel Iman. The pop-up shop, which benefits Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign fund, features Obama-themed swag created by more than 20 designers, including Marc Jacobs, Diane von Furstenberg, and Jason Wu. Tickets, from $150, are available here.

 

Closings

After filing for bankruptcy, Betsey Johnson shops are liquidating their inventories, with 20 to 50 percent off merch online (betseyjohnson.com) and in stores, including the line’s Chicagoland locations at Water Tower Place (835 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-280-6964) and Northbrook Court (2171 Northbrook Ct., Northbrook; 847-205-9025). The sale lasts until all merchandise disappears, but Johnson—the cart-wheeling, tulle-rocking, 69-year-old designer—says this isn’t the end: Forbes reports her plans to continue selling her collections through Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, and other retailers.