This Week’s Top Story

Illinois is getting special perks for being the home state of designer Virgil Abloh, who became artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton (louisvuitton.com) last March. The French brand’s Gold Coast boutique (919 N. Michigan Ave.) is one of just five in North America that already has Abloh’s Spring/Summer 2019 collection in stock; the majority of the country will have to wait until February.

It makes sense that the line would pop up on Michigan Avenue early. Inspired by Abloh’s childhood, the collection includes sunglasses designed to channel Chicago style in the Al Capone era. Additionally, workwear-inspired details in others pieces recall the town of Rockford, where Abloh grew up. And if that’s not Midwestern enough for you, the tie-dye patterns nod to Abloh’s hippie-heavy alma mater, the University of Wisconsin.

The collection also features several visual references to The Wizard of Oz. There’s a sweater decked with an image of the Yellow Brick Road, a hoodie decorated with poppies, and a silver rain poncho made of papery metallic calfskin. In the Michigan Avenue store, the window display also recalls the classic film, with artsy props inspired by the Yellow Brick Road and the Emerald City.

Incidentally, when the collection had its Paris runway show, models walked down a rainbow-hued runway while Abloh’s fellow Chicagoan — his friend Kanye West — smiled on from the front row.

Top Sales This Week

The Home Sale at Eskell (2029 N. Western Ave., eskell.com) offers select items for 30 percent off. Score a blue wood beaded chandelier (reduced from $405 to $283.50) or a set of stoneware soup bowls (reduced from $12.50 to $8.75).

Riley Rose (835 N. Michigan Ave., rileyrose.com), the Millennial-pink beauty store at Water Tower Place, is holding a clearance sale. Discounted goods are also available online, where selections include Mineral Pink Salt Deep Cleansing Water (reduced from $24 to $16.80) and an all-in-one toner, essence, and serum (reduced from $35 to $24); it is, of course, also pink.

Rag & Bone (25 E. Delaware Pl., rag-bone.com) is holding its End of Season sale through January 31. You’ll find goods for up to 65 percent off, including a silk dress with front-drape detail (reduced from $595 to $240) and a tailored blazer with a single button (reduced from $550 to $330). To get the extra percentage off, enter the code JAN25 at checkout.

Aritzia (923 N. Rush St., aritzia.com) is offering select items for up to 60 percent off through February 6. Score looks including a wide-legged jumpsuit with a sweetheart neckline (reduced from $178 to $59.99), perfect for Valentine’s Day.

Health & Beauty

Tailor Barber Co. (tailorbarber.co), the Wicker Park salon, has opened a new outpost at W Hotel City Center (172 W. Adams St.). Geared toward men who work or live in the Loop, the new spot offers haircuts for $50 a pop — that includes a hot towel and a scalp massage. Grooming treatments are also on the menu, so pop in for eyebrow waxing, manicures, and more. And if bushy eyebrows aren’t enough incentive to stop by, there’s always this: New customers will get $10 off their first and second visits.

Winter in Chicago is as good a time as any to ramp up your skincare routine (do dryness and dullness sound familiar?) Luckily, Tatcha’s buzzy new Vitamin-C serum has freshly arrived at local Sephora stores (find locations here).

The vitamin is said to brighten skin, rebuild collagen, and protect your skin from free radicals — and Tatcha’s Violet C Brightening Serum ($88) contains 20 percent Vitamin C. It also has 10 percent fruit-derived alpha-hydroxy acids, which gently slough away dead skin. Some Vitamin-C serums have a bad rap for turning orange on the skin, but this one goes on clear and is odor-free.

It kind of sounds like a wakeup call for tired skin, so we’ll be slathering it on with high hopes for the foreseeable future.

Launch

The Tie Bar (thetiebar.com) has partnered with Chicago-born NBA pro Dwyane Wade on a new capsule collection. Dubbed “One Last Dance,” the limited-edition line offers silk ties with design details that are personal to Wade. The designs — which range from floral to striped and solid — come in colors inspired by the three teams Wade has played for. Yep, that includes the Chicago Bulls.

Retail News of the Week

  • An upscale menswear boutique will open in Fulton Market. Read more.
  • An Atlanta-based investment firm has purchased the Michigan Avenue Apple store. Read more.
  • Local designer Jeanette Billips recently launched fashion brand Von Sole. Read more.