The weather has been amazing in Chicago lately and we definitely have been taking advantage of it. We've placed our vintage bench from Agent Art Gallery outside so we could enjoy the nice weather and kick it with some of our favorite Ukrainian Village neighbors. Najee featured above reading Globetrotter Magazine is wearing some of his favorite picks for this summer, LVC 1954 Phantoms and the LVC 1950's Hawaiian Shirt, paired with the Sir & Madame all Leather Weekender.
"YANA Handbags embodies 'art x fashion.' And our specialty is the small handbag." -Ayana Evans, Founder/Creative Director
For us, the key word in this quote is "specialty." There's something to be said about a brand that chooses to focus on a particular item or set of products. Rather than trying to dabble in a bit of everything, brands like YANA Handbags stick to their guns and the result is something only mastery can create. But enough with my prose, these quilted leather waist and shoulder bags are incredible and we'd like to say that they're the only "It Bag(s)." Shop YANA Handbags here in our Online Showroom.
We've been sitting on a fresh stock of Hansel from Basel hosiery and socks for the ladies, but we've held off posting them until now. Our apologies..we're not trying to keep all of them to ourselves; we've just been a bit lazy. As always, Hansel from Basel delivers an incredible array of playful, and surprisingly versatile batch of socks, printed nylon tights and sheer hosiery. These are only a handful of what we have in stock, so head over to our Online Showroom or visit us at the shop for a complete look.
Hansel from Basel Sheer Polka Dot Tights
Hansel from Basel Large Polka Sheer Crew | Matiko Alden Shoe
Hansel from Basel Multi Stripe Crew Orange | Osborn Kinders Boot
"This is definitely one of the most comfortable pieces of clothing I've ever tried on."- Brian Merritt- Owner, Sir & Madame. Well if that isn't a selling point, we don't know what is. We will add that this Diagonal Loop Terry Polo shirt from Reigning Champ is an incredible warm weather alternative to the pique cotton polo shirts that many of us are used to seeing/wearing. The fine terry cloth with its diagonal weave gives this polo shirts its amazingly feel and comfortable fit; each detail finely handcrafted in Canada. Shop the Reigning Champ collection here in our Online Showroom.
Big Anchor Socks by Anonymous Ism
For the last 5 years Japanese culture and fashion has been a major influence on myself and Sir & Madame. Having the opportunity to travel to Tokyo for the #12cities12monthtour has truly been a blessing. When I decided to take the trip with Autumn we wanted to get some inspiration for the store, see some sites, and try new foods. We enjoyed every part of Tokyo. Upon arrival we had a long bus ride from Narita airport to Shinjuku. We found some authentic sushi and enjoyed some sake, beer, salmon, tempura shrimp, and baked lobster dish...pretty solid for not knowing your way around. After some rest were off to see some friends from the BKcircus who are from Japan. Kohey and Akane showed us around Harajuku. Harajuku is a shopping haven, stores range from high end designers to the most popular streetwear brands out. I was amazed at the level of customer service you receive at stores in Japan. The red carpet is basically laid out for you. After seeing Harajuku we spent a day in Shibuya, another in Roppangi and finally Ginza. Shibuya was crowded but had a young feel to it. We also made it to a lounge to hear DJ Kohey spin some records. We also got introduced to Japanese whiskey. Roppangi had tons of restaurants and tons of foreign residents from Africa, America, Russia, and a few other places. The experience at a Teppanyaki grill was a major highlight to my trip. I'm a fan of Ron of Japan but this was Ron of Japan on steroids. The meal included caviar, lobster, crab soup, crab avocado salad, and most importantly authentic Kobe beef. If your a beef eater you need to try Kobe beef before you die. Traveling through the small streets and bars in Shinjuku was real cool. Nice people, tiny watering holes, and good R&B music was the ambiance when we traveled these side blocks.
z& 
Japan had some major similarities with the US. The streets remind me of New York but extremely clean. I was able to recognize when we stumbled across the Red Light District. The one big surprise for me was how clean the trains and subways are. The ease of using the train was also unexpected, but being city dwellers you always seem to figure these things out. If you are looking for a place to travel overseas and don't want to sit on a beach I suggest that you visit Tokyo. Follow me on instagram (@thesirofsmc) to see my next trip on my #12cities12monthtour.
On April 14th join us and 53 other vendors at Dose Market from 10am-4pm. Dose is located in River East Art Center on 435 E. Illinois St, Chicago, IL. The event features fashion, art, and food from Chicago's finest purveyors. Watch the video below and get a dose of what Damen Ave has to offer this week at Dose Market.
A Dose of Damen Ave from Dose Market on Vimeo.
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