To reach this hip gallery you have to leave Chicago’s skyscraper-dominated skyline behind you, head for the Blue Line and take one of Chicago’s charmingly nostalgic railway trains for a while. Hop off at “Damen” station and immediately you’ll be welcomed by the epicentre of hip lifestyle. In this urban talk-of-the-town neighbourhood far away from the pretentious tourist metropolis buildings have fewer storeys, people are more fashionable and the atmosphere is more relaxed. Welcome to Damen Avenue, the home of RSVP Gallery, the electrifying interface between fashion, art and streetstyle culture.

An exquisite basement ambience combines open brickwork and cracked screed flooring. X-large Downlights recessed in pitch-black ceilings and a giant Chanel logo in luminescent pink immerse the shop floor into diffuse light. By pairing purist-hip store architecture with changing art exhibitions and high-end brands the three founders Marc Moran, Don Crawley and Virgil Abloh have developed a unique store concept here proving to the world that the fusion of art and fashion also works in commercial terms. The same says it all – Répondez s’il vous plaît.

Opened in August 2009, the streetstyle gallery rose to fame thanks to its exclusive assortment of ranges. Here products can be found not for sale at any other store. Be it footwear, as a result from the collaboration between Comme des Garcons Play and Chuck Taylor Allstar, Ice Cream Low top Dip Sneakers or designs by the label Common Projects – those looking for special footwear are well catered to here. And goods display is also second to none. In a three-storey showcase the shoes are staged like a display of diamonds in the rough. Meticulously sorted by brands the merchandise is offered for sale floating on a black pedestal behind polished window glass. “Enthroned” on the bare wall right above the showcase is King Rolex illuminated by fluorescent lamps.

As we cast our gaze over to the accessories counters the basement is filled with the smooth sounds of a “The XX” remix through high-gloss red loudspeakers. Right below the big set-in windows notebook bags featuring Andy Warhol prints rub shoulders with vinyls by KID CuDI and Timex watches – alongside a 3-l bottle of Don Pérignon Rosé Vintage Champagne.

The utter centrepiece at the store, however, is a black wooden treasure trove. Under its glazed lid sits a Louis Vuitton suitcase nestling on a bed of shredded paper. Placed inside the suitcase is one of the world’s five skateboards designed by graffiti legend Stephen Sprouse.

RSVP Gallery // 1753 Damen Avenue // Chicago // Tel.: + 1773 770 6666

Text: Kathrin Fonger
Photos: RSVP Gallery

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