With a touch of leather, lace and satin, topped with bold vintage curations at the heart of its roots, Vintage Goose opened in August. Pilsen Vintage’s sister shop offers exclusive selections of vintage fashion, homewares, jewelry and art from the 1920s to the 2000s and works by local independent artists.
Buyers are greeted at 1538 N. Halsted St. with a bright atmosphere, alongside rare and ornate cowboy boots, vintage fashion magazines and fur coats from sustainable collections.
Pilsen Vintage staff said they saw an opportunity to expand the store location to a different neighborhood to scale down their designer curations and include more local artists in their space.
Additionally, Vintage Goose’s mission is to support local musicians and provide its community with a space to host EP release parties and concerts.
“One of [Vintage Goose’s] The big goals are to have a party, an event, at least once a month where we feature a musician and two star artists,” said Lily Parker, the store manager. “We also have jewelry designers who all make their own jewelry and get the majority of the profit for all of their work. We are here to sell vintage and support the community.
Ashley Guizar, owner of Vintage Goose, said vintage items are becoming increasingly fashionable and popular in the fashion arena.
“We have vintage clothing, vintage furniture, and vintage home and decor items,” Guizar said. “We also have a very good selection of vintage jewelry. We also have handmade vendors who make different types of jewelry.
One of the Chicago companies featured is JELLY by designer and founder Elly Jimenez. JELLY offers exclusive accessories such as hats, scarves and mohair gloves.
“JELLY really strives to create pieces that you can’t leave your home without,” Jimenez said. “We want to create things that are well-designed and well-made, so that not only do you want to have them with you all the time, but when you’re done with them, you want to pass them on to the people you love.”
Jimenez found Vintage Goose through Pilsen Vintage and saw it come to life throughout its opening process, crediting Guizar and Parker for its success.
“I know it means a lot to them [Guizar and Parker], so I’m really proud of them,” Jimenez said. “The store is beautiful and I love what they shot.”
Artist and designer Lia Krilis creates knitwear and jewelry inspired by mystical aesthetics. Krilis has created a line of unique metal jewelry inspired by stained glass which is featured in the store.
“I really liked the mystique [stained glass windows] were, and just the beautiful effects that the glass gives, the translucency and the colors,” Krilis said. “It was a really fun collaboration, especially in this new location; it’s so beautiful and it’s so beautifully organized.”
Krilis said companies supporting artists are something of a rarity.
“To wear pieces locally, I think it’s so cool and so unique, especially in Chicago,” Krilis said. “It’s so unique, and that’s really what art means to me, is to be able to have such an amazing, eclectic collection of pieces from amazing people.”
For Guizar and Parker, Vintage Goose and Pilsen Vintage stand out from other vintage stores because of the sense of community that the environment and customers provide.
“We’ve always tried to stand out from other vintage stores,” Guizar said. “We regularly host artists, and we welcome other small businesses to come and sell their wares in our space.”
Vintage Goose is open Thursday through Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. To find out about upcoming events, new designers and vintage drops, visit the store on Instagram and on their website.