CheekyChicago

I am constantly looking for under-the-radar boutiques that inspire me. So when I stepped into Minx Parlor in River North one dreary afternoon, my endorphins were instantaneously refreshed. Adorable owner Jenni opened her store last June with a mix of vintage items, designer shoes, artwork, and style, all housed under one roof. As I sat down and chatted with her, there were a million distractions going on at once, which led me to imagine for a moment what it must be like to have your own business, especially when you are running it solo. With sticky Post-it reminder notes covering her desk with scribbles like “pick up dog at 5” and “don’t forget printer ink,” clearly this is one busy girl. Her walls were covered in pictures of fairies, which she told me was the inspiration for her upcoming fashion show. Her phone was ringing off the hook, she was having sewing machines delivered left and right, and her Blackberry was vibrating constantly.

But what, exactly, is Minx Parlor? “People say ‘what are you; are you an art gallery, are you a shoe store, are you a custom tailor?’ I’m everything,” she said. “I know every designer, I can have anything custom ordered for them. I’m not a gallery, I’m not a store, that’s why I call it Parlor, it’s a new concept, but I like to experiment,” she said.

“My dream is to have my own showroom for women and to have very high standard couture going on here,” she said. “I wanted to show the relationship between art and fashion and it has that provocative energy and is avant guard. It keeps people’s minds going.”

Jenni revamps vintage couture in addition to selling amazing shoes and artwork in her store, but the design diva doesn’t plan to stop there. She wants clients to have their cake and eat it too. “My plan is to restructure and have a membership-based business plan, because I have people wanting to do everything – to do business with me within my business. I’ll have a wi-fi café, wine, art, fashion, a salon, dance, meditation, nutritionist, massage all upstairs. We have a very strong following for doing what you want to do when you want to do it.”

Everything under one roof? Sounds like a little fashionistas dream come true.

Minx Parlor, 750 N. Franklin St. Ste. 102, or visit Jenni’s online store.