New York Designer Opens First Boutique in Midwest on Damen

Steven Alan, a higher end clothing boutique, will soon join the number of new clothing companies coming to Bucktown this summer.

The location has been empty since the end of May, when its previous tenant left the building due to higher rent. The independent clothing retail store, Riley, had been a Bucktown fixture since 2003.

Designer Steven Alan created his eponymous American clothing company in New York. The line carries menswear and womenswear, featuring many young and emerging designers. The brand is known for its signature Reverse Seam Shirt.

This shop, located at 1659 N. Damen Ave., will be the company's first store in the Midwest. Steven Alan has locations in New York, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts and Oregon.

LG Construction + Development began work on the storefront this week. The Chicago-based construction group also developed Riley and many of the businesses on North Damen Avenue, including the French boutique Diptyque.

The store is set to open by the end of September, according to an LG employee.

Riley's closing and the opening of a designer boutique in its place is the third in a list of smaller, independent businesses closing this summer, to be replaced by higher end retail companies.

READ: High Rent Pushes Out Long-Standing Bucktown Boutique