The Wicker Collective Warehouse Sale

There are more than 200 individual neighborhoods in the city of Chicago.  Each one made unique by the creative minds, restaurants, and cafes it's made up of.  Since moving to Chicago, Wicker Park has been one of my favorite neighborhoods.  I'll often enjoy a crafted cocktail at Trenchermen, a deli sandwich from The Chop Shop, or a vanilla latte at Bru.  Moon Voyage, a boutique located in the heart of Wicker Park, is also on my list of favorites.  

With a focus on women's style, Moon Voyage offers a fun variety of clothing, accessories, and beauty finds.  Owner, Susie Lee, is an obvious lover of her Wicker Park home and an avid supporter of the neighborhood.   

In March of this year, Lee brought together other boutiques from the area to create The Wicker Collective, a 2 day-long, semi-annual warehouse sale.  On , October 11th and 12th, The Wicker Collective featured the following boutiques at Chop Shop for their latest sale; Trillium, Penelope's, Study Hall, Kokorokoko, Moon Voyage, Mulberry & Me, Emma, Beyond Boutique, Madein, Sin Clarity, Milk Handmade, Stock Mfg, Some Like Us, Cities In Dust, Shades of Grey Jewelry, Mineralogy, and Glasshouse Shirtmakers.

Susie Lee, owner of Moon Voyage and creator of The Wicker Collective.  

Halfstack Magazine:  Can you tell us a little bit about The Wicker Collective? 

Susie Lee: The Wicker Collective is a 2 day(Saturday-Sunday) semi-annual warehouse sale where local boutiques, jewelry designers and vendors can come together and sell last seasons' inventory at deep discounts, as well as sell new pieces for the current season.  The event takes place at Chop Shop in Wicker Park, which provides the perfect environment for people to come shop for great deals, partake in the great food/drink selection and most importantly, just have a good time. 

HS: What was the inspiration behind the warehouse sale?

SL: The inspiration behind the warehouse sale was simply that there was a need for it.  After talking to several other boutiques in the neighborhood, it was obvious the harsh winter took a tole on the retail stores throughout Chicago and we all still had a lot of inventory we needed to move before the spring season.  After doing some research for events that we could possibly participate in for moving inventory, we discovered that there was nothing out there. We came to the conclusion that we would have to put something together ourselves and that is how the Wicker Collective was born. 

HS: What was the turnout for the latest sale?

SL: Turn out was great! Thanks to all the vendors doing their part and marketing to their followers, as well as all the positive press we received from outlets such as racked, DNAINFO, Chicagomag, [Chicago] Tribune, Wicker Park Chamber, etc., it was a huge success.

For more information about upcoming Wicker Collective sales/events, stay tuned to their Facebook page.