Welcome Hejfina to the Guide

Just going by the number of times we have covered it on our blog it's no secret that we are big fans of Hejfina, the preeminent boutique in Chicago to find modern, avant-garde fashion and furniture.

After finally visiting Chicago we're now able to officially add the store to our guide. But wait, that's not all. We also took the opportunity to get a few questions answered about the shop by owner Heiji Choy.

Interview after the jump.

What were your goals with the store when you opened it. What were you trying to do?

I wanted to bring under one roof innovative, beautiful design whether that was fashion design or object design--some sense of architecture . I wanted to bring all of these elements under one roof.

When you're buying for the store, what are you looking for in clothing and furniture?

I'm definitely inspired by clean lines. You know, anything that's new and innovative.

In terms of the furniture there's definitely this inspiration from the Bauhaus, from Mid-century Modern that pervades all of the objects here and I think that's really what's motivating modern design now as well. It's about form following function.

In terms of the clothes, it's similar in the sense that I'm looking for innovative design. I'm looking for a timeless quality, quality fabrics, quality tailoring. My ideal is to make people look and feel good without that trend edge.

Can you tell us some of the lines you'll be bringing in for Spring 2007?

Outside of the lines that I currently carry, I'm considering--I haven't finished my buying--but I'm considering bringing in some new British lines. I'm really interested and inspired by what's going on in Scandinavia and the U.K. right now. There's this purity and rebelliousness that you see through the design that's coming out of there and they are not afraid to take risks and they're really doing something that's completely their own.

Are there any Chicago local designers that you carry, that you're particularly happy with?

Yes, a few. One designers name is Soo Choi and she just got back from an apprenticeship in Antwerp. She is coming back to really try to bring life to her design. Up until now I've been carrying her jewelry, but she wants to create a full-fledged line.

Then there is also Gillion Carrara and she is a professor at the Art Institute and creates really beautiful, very, I want to say, primitive jewelry. There is also Clamdiggin' and I carry their T-shirts and their artwork.

Do you have any particular plans for the future to do stuff that you're not doing today, as far as maybe your own line or collaborations like Colette does or other stores do?

Definitely. I'm being approached more and more by designers in New York and Europe to do collaborations. So that is definitely in the future.

What would you say are good pieces to buy if you can only afford to buy one or two things a year from a store such as this?

For a woman, I think hands down it would be a dress. It's one piece and dresses can be worn in a ton of different ways and it's a really special item. For men, I would say it would be a jacket. A thinner jacket that can be worn in a more formal fashion with a tie or in a more relaxed look with a T-shirt.