The perfect hat, a new duffel, an artfully made shirt hand-cut and sewn in Chicago—save your cash and shop for new duds at Vividbraille’s pop-up at theWit Hotel throughout July.
Based in Bucktown, Vividbraille started in 2003 as a T-shirt line but has grown to be so much more. The pop-up shop brings it all to the heart of downtown for even more exposure for the hand-made brand. “Doing this pop-up allows clients who might not make it to our neighborhood to get a chance to see what a Made in Chicago contemporary label looks like and the products we offer,” said owner Brock Willsey.
Vividbraille is all about thinking outside the box. “We started printing artsy T-shirts years ago in Michigan and just kept going,” Willsey said. “Our studio boutique on Damen Avenue allows us to experiment and take chances that other Made in USA brands might not be able to.”
This week Willsey and the gang also celebrate the launch of the company’s new tailoring services. “The same team that designs and oversees the production of our private label will oversee tailoring and alteration services for our walk-in clients,” Willsey said.
Early in July, the shop also showed off a few of its new “3M confetti” T-shirts—hand-finished using small pieces of reflective material that are applied individually to give off a glow-in-the-dark effect. Willsey said the new shirts would likely be available at the brick-and-mortar store soon. Within the next couple of months, Vividbraille’s fall/winter collection will be revealed too.
There’s a lot to look forward to, and it all goes back to the mission behind the brand—and its name. “People ask what the name means all the time,” Willsey said, repeating a quote he came up with years ago that says it all. “Works of art are remembered not by what is seen, but what is felt.”
Check out the pop-up on the first floor of theWit on State Street and shop until you drop—or run out of money—Wednesday to Saturday from 11am–7pm and Sunday from 11am–5pm. Prices start at $39.