New Flair Opens In Downtown Barrington

Looking for a gift for that special girl in your life?  Urban Flair, a boutique featuring jewelry, handbags and acessories, recently opened on Cook Street and it might just have the answer for you.  

Owner Judy Benkendorf spent twenty years in the corporate world before realizing she wanted a business of her own, offering the flexibility of being a businesswoman and a mother.  What started out as a side business for the past year turned into a new boutique on Nov. 29, when she opened the doors to Urban Flair.

"I grew to establish a decent size client base where I knew I could appeal to a wider audience," Benkendorf stated.  "I decided to move forward with the store when the space became available.  I loved the space and what I loved most is the location."

As a resident of Barrington for the past ten years, Benkendorf often shopped at local stores in Barrington and found supporting the community to be very important.

Urban Flair's mission is to bring the work of emerging and established designers to Barrington.  Most of the designers she works with are based in the Chicago area, but some are from other areas of the country.

 "I like to think I have a good eye for pieces," said Benkendorf.    

One of the lines of jewelry she carries in her store is by Sophia & Chloe.  The pieces are hand-made by owner/designer Nathalie Sherman in her San Diego area studio.  The pieces feature precious metals and semi-precious stones and range in price from $40 to $450.

Benkendorf said most of the pieces in her store can be worn day and night and appeal to all ages and budgets.

"I wanted to make sure that I had merchandise that appealed to all budgets."

Another popular line featured at Urban Flair is crafted by K.Amato from Chicago. Her pieces tend to be more stylish, trendy and in-the now, and range in price from $20-$100.

Aside from the jewelry, the store carries a selection of Diego Rocha handbags, another Chicago area designer, which are all made by hand.  Rocha's trademark is the use of exotic animal skins in his pieces and that he has the ability to custom make handbags for clients.  Benkendorf said she was drawn to Rocha's timeless construction and quality.  Additional handbag lines that are available at Urban Flair include Annie Handbags and Isabella Fiore.

Urban Flair is located at 104 South Cook Street and is opened Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., or by appointment.  For more information, call 847-381-0018 or visit www.shopurbanflair.com.