in the news
Daily Candy, Chicago, July 29, 2009
"The Pickup Artist: New Clothing Lines
at Chalk"
Hey, baby, are you an overdue book?
Because you've got fine written all over you.
Pickup lines don't work.
Unless you're Sharon Watrous. After spotting Carrie Kane at Chanel, Watrous threw a few words her way . . .
The rest is history. Today they co-own Chalk, a new, impeccably edited Evanston boutique brimming with exquisite designer finds. Watrous and Kane are attracted to well-made, functional pieces: Elaine Kim's leather-meets-silk chiffon jackets, Ranjana Khan's reversible fringe necklaces, Hache's beautifully constructed wool dresses.
There's more: The Row for men, Ever jeans, Stella McCartney bags, and Brochu Walker knits.
And still to come: Rag & Bone and Boy for fall, Chris Benz for resort.
Sounds like the perfect pick-you-up.
o
The Haute Closet, July 28, 2009
"Chalk: Women's Clothing & Accessories"
One of the best-edited collections in Chicagoland. A Haute Closet in store form.
Sharon Watrous and Carrie Kane, co-owners and team buyers, are the yin to each other's yang, buying the most precious, most fabulous and classic, funky and--no arguing--eye-popping collection of the best of the best for the chic Chicago woman. These women have the fever and it feels so good: Chalk is new energy, raw passion, true love.
Cozy with the coolest designers, the ladies stock Ever jeans and Stella over-the-knees, jaw-dropping, intelligent jewelry and the Row for you AND for him (SO fun and SO smart).
You must go. You know we don't get like this very often.
o
Chicago Magazine, August 2009
"Best of Chicago" Issue
"Best New Boutiques:
Women: Chalk"
By REBECCA LITTLE
At Chalk, a sleek newcomer in Evanston, women can shop for investment pieces with a bit of an edge in a friendly environment with a neighborhood vibe. High-end lines include Narciso Rodriguez, Stella McCartney, and Jason Wu, the designer of Michelle Obama's inaugural gown. Basics include organic tanks, tees, and cardigans from 88 Orange and Current/Elliot jeans.
o
Sheridan Road, vol. 3, no. 2, 2009
Classic & Chic
Carrie Kane and Sharon Watrous, owners of Chalk Boutique in Evanston, have infused the North Shore with high-end fashion and timeless looks.
By EVANGELINE POLITIS
Photographs by JON CANCELINO & KURT TRIEBE
When assembling a garment, a seamstress uses a piece of white, waxy chalk to precisely mark the outline of a garment on a parcel of cloth. These marks will match the measurements of a client to ensure a perfect fit. The material is then cut, using the ivory outline as a guide for the scissors. This intricate ritual requires patience and a close eye to detail, but the result is well worth it: a customer delighted with the product. Carrie Kane and Sharon Watrous have a similar approach to their business. The co-owners of the Evanston boutique aptly named Chalk have used their utmost efforts to create a shop that is tailored to the tastes and needs of the women on the North Shore.
The boutique is just a few steps north of the buzzing Central Avenue row of boutiques and restaurants, making it a convenient destination. "This area is a great mix of urban and suburban. And a lot of busy moms don't have time to go downtown to shop, so we figured we'd bring the brands here and make it a fun and convenient experience," says Sharon.
The two owners first met in a retail environment. Carrie was working for Chanel and often helped Sharon who shopped there. Over the course of several years, the two kept bumping into each other in Evanston, where they were both raising their families. "I really liked Carrie's vibe. She was grounded, authentic, and not pushy, yet very fashion forward," remembers Sharon.
"We have a singular point of view as to our priorities for the store and what tone we want to set, which also helps," explains Carrie. "It's the fundamental belief that the shopping experience should be fun and welcoming. We hope when people come in, even though we have some high-priced pieces, that the store is accessible at all levels. We appreciate and welcome everyone who comes through the door."
The duo opened their doors on February 14, carrying well-known and extremely talented designers like Balenciaga, Jason Wu, Narciso Rodriguez, and Stella McCartney. The entire store is brought together by the clean, neutral aesthetic. The colorless walls and milky melamine countertops are accented by brushed silver metal and powder blue trim. Even the clothing adheres to the motif, colored in blacks, grays, and neutrals, but Sharon and Carrie like to surprise the eye with the occasional pop of color hanging on the racks.
Both women encourage their customers to think of the designer pieces they sell as an investment. "You buy a piece that you will wear for 10 or 15 years and pass it on to your daughters or a friend," points out Sharon. "Instead of buying more throwaway clothing, you buy fewer items, but they are things you can continually wear. They are things that look classic and will hold up over time."
Every year, the two owners visit design studios and attend fashion shows in both New York City and Paris for the freshest designers and cutting-edge style. The boutique is constantly introducing new lines. Next fall they will be adding pieces from The Row, Giambattista Valli, Boy, Rag & Bone, Brochu Walker, and Lana Bilzerian. They also will be launching a men's corner for women to shop for their boyfriends and husbands. Otherwise, no major changes are planned for the boutique; they simply hope to continue being well received. "It's wonderful to see that our hunch about there being a niche here and people really wanting this in Evanston was right," says Sharon. "We've been really gratified by the reaction we've gotten."
o
Trib Local, May 21, 2009
Chalk in Trib Local, May 21, 2009
o
Chicago Magazine, May 2009
CHALK
A boutique that eschews "sweet" opens in Evanston
By REBECCA LITTLE
SHARON WATROUS, 39, AND CARRIE KANE, 38, HAVE SEVEN CHIL-
dren between them. They love living on the North Shore--except when it comes to shopping for clothes by trendsetting designers. So they have opened a sleek new Evanston boutique, Chalk, for women like themselves--women who love design, seek impeccable detailing, and eschew trends for investments.
At Chalk, the unifying philosophy is "classic with a slight urban edge--which is hard to find on the North Shore," says Kane, who worked for Richard Tyler in Los Angeles and managed Chanel for Neiman Marcus in Northbrook. (Watrous has advanced degrees in English literature.) Located in Evanston's Central Street business district, the boutique hangs on to the neighborhood vibe (read: strollers welcome) and offers tiered price points, from affordable to high-end. Lines include Narciso Rodriguez, Stella McCartney, and The Row, the Olsen twins' collection of cashmere knits and leather leggings. The boutique also stocks Jason Wu, the designers who created Michelle Obama's inaugural gown, including a black-and-white silk tank ($795) and matching micro-pleated skirt ($1850). "We look for smart design," Watrous says. "That makes something worth investing in."
On the casual side, find 88 Orange organic tanks, tees, and cardigans ($70 to $95) and denim by MIH Jeans ($200 to $250) and Current/Elliott ($210 to $230). A funky selection of shoes and accessories rounds out the top-down dressing philosophy, with "pierced" ballet flats from Guillaume Hinfray ($440), a hard leather organizer from Perrin Paris that turns into a clutch by night ($425), and over-size jewelry from the Evanston florists Bloom 3.
The brand-new space was designed by the Evanston firm Fleps Designs, which used recyclable materials and a calming white-and-gray color scheme with sleek accents. Chalk . . . is . . . bringing high style to the suburbs. "There are a lot of 'sweet' stores on the North Shore," Watrous says. "There was a need for this kind of aesthetic. It's a little bit edgy, without going avant-garde."
EXCLUSIVES: KaufmanFranco and Jason Wu
Chalk, Chicago Magazine, May 2009
o
Chicago Tribune, Sunday, April 12, 2009
Store openings feel like breath of spring
By Wendy Donahue
TRIBUNE REPORTER
At a time when store closings are more the norm, brave new openings--complete with a few delicious deals--give us hope of brighter days ahead.
- Chalk of Evanston (2611 Prairie Ave., 847-424-0011, chalkofevanston.com) has opened to offer designer clothing at a range of prices. Chalk has the North Shore exclusive on the now-famous Jason Wu (worn frequently by Michelle Obama) but also carries cottage brands from Spain and Los Angeles. "We have some expensive lines, but, taking the economy into consideration, we wanted to have compelling product that a woman could come in and buy . . . ," said Carrie Kane, who owns the store with Sharon Watrous. One hit so far is a $95 one-button cotton cardigan from the organic line 88 Orange. "We've been really well received," Kane said.
o
www.makeitbetter.net
Posted: April 9, 2009
Sooo Smart: Chalk Boutique Makes Its Mark
By: Lonnie Stonitsch
For years Evanston has lacked a modern women's boutique, a place to shop for gorgeous American and European designer clothing and accessories. A niche exists to provide a service to North Shore women, those professional life-jugglers with very little time to find a great dress in the city. They'd like a local shop that stocks high-quality merchandise, and they'd appreciate warmth and humanity from a knowledgeable sales staff.
Here it is: Chalk Boutique opened quietly in February, a beautifully restrained retail space filled with cutting edge pieces by KaufmanFranco, Jason Wu, Alberta Ferretti, Balenciaga, Narciso Rodriguez, Stella McCartney, VBH handbags, Fiorentini + Baker footwear, 88 Orange, and MIH Jeans, among others. Every item in Chalk is a signa ture piece – in the construction, the hand of the fabric, the design house's history, or the intrinsic intelligence of each cut, fold, drape and pleat.
For years Evanston has lacked a modern women's boutique, a place to shop for gorgeous American and European designer clothing and accessories. A niche exists to provide a service to North Shore women, those professional life-jugglers with very little time to find a great dress in the city. They'd like a local shop that stocks high-quality merchandise, and they'd appreciate warmth and humanity from a knowledgeable sales staff.
Here it is: Chalk Boutique opened quietly in February, a beautifully restrained retail space filled with cutting edge pieces by KaufmanFranco, Jason Wu, Alberta Ferretti, Balenciaga, Narciso Rodriguez, Stella McCartney, VBH handbags, Fiorentini + Baker footwear, 88 Orange, and MIH Jeans, among others. Every item in Chalk is a signa ture piece – in the construction, the hand of the fabric, the design house's history, or the intrinsic intelligence of each cut, fold, drape and pleat.
Chalk is a visceral experience, a long streetscape of panel-filtered windows and clean lines. Graceful built-in displays, a great interior color palette and low-key furnishings create a comfortable, welcoming environment, and provide a perfect showcase for what can only be described as very smart clothing.
Smart, as in, forward-thinking concepts. Smart, as in, just-right colors and perfect tailoring. Smart, as in, Wow, I'll live in this piece for the next 25 years, and it will look as great then as it does now. This is classic-with-a-twist couture (some pieces have a sharper twist, for those who like their high fashion nearer to the precipice). Chalk offers investment pieces -- art pieces, really. There is nothing throwaway or trendy or right-now-this-second; it's all luxury, in the true sense – sustainable clothing that you work and re-work and re-work. What better approach to fashion in this economy?
Chalk is a gem of a store, a new aesthetic for the North Shore, thoroughly modern, curated and edited by two Evanston women with seven young children between them. Co-owners Sharon Watrous and Carrie Kane are filling a community need, enjoying themselves, building a business, and making a life. Niche defined, niche filled. Go see ..
