Unassigned
Most of the fashion trends that you see when you’re traveling throughout Chicago have been influenced by the people and places of this city. Take a walk through Wicker Park and you’ll quickly notice that the artist residents in the area have inspired an innovative, eclectic style. The suits that work downtown have created a very business-chic fashion sense in the loop and the college kids that reside in University Village keep the trends casual and comfortable in that neighborhood. Then there’s Hyde Park; this historic area on the south side of Chicago has been the inspiration for many trends over the years and currently the sneaker movement that began with Dave Jeff’s PHLI brand is getting all of the attention.
Jeff first launched PHLI, a sneaker boutique and lifestyle brand, in Hyde Park’s Harper Court in June of 2001. At the time, sneaker apparel was expanding from an aesthetic worn by a segment of particularly stylish kids to a more mass appeal. PHLI, which stands for “I Love Hyde Park” (backwards) quickly garnered a following of teens and young adults who embraced the hipster culture and needed a place to grab exclusive sneakers, t-shirts, caps and other items that represented the lifestyle.
After eight years in business, in the beginning of 2009, Harper Court came under new ownership and many of the businesses that resided there were forced out, including PHLI. Jeff explains that, while closing the store was difficult to cope with, it gave him the opportunity to expand the PHLI brand beyond the borders of the city. He traveled the country representing PHLI and the sneaker movement while partnering with Sprite Green, consulting for K-Swiss and hosting Sneaker Pimps, the world’s largest touring sneakers and street-based art show.
But even with all of his traveling and brand expansion, reopening the PHLI flagship store was still a top priority for Jeff. He partnered with Chicago real estate agent Scott Witherspoon and they began to move forward with plans to reopen. On Friday June 11, 2010 the new PHLI space was revealed. It’s a spacious store front on 55th and Lake Park with vaulted ceilings and exposed brick walls. According to Jeff, the store is “a reflection of the old store but flyer.” They offer an expanding women’s collection and a kids’ line. There’s an internet bar and a barber shop in the space as well. Hosted by K-Swiss and Hennessy Black, Friday’s launch party was packed with sneaker aficionados, folks that embrace the culture, and long time Dave Jeff supporters who were there to celebrate PHLI‘s return to the neighborhood. Welcome back!
