A new, trendy, high-end Andersonville men's store opened Nov. 13, carrying unique, designer clothing, shoes, accessories and more.
With four co-owners ( Michael Jaworowski, AJ Nordstrom, Jose Villanueva and Rob Wilce ) who have a combined 50 years in the fashion industry, Notre opened at 5202 N. Clark St.—and Jaworowski is the former, multi-year buyer for Haberdash, one of the foremost men's clothing stores in Chicago.
They opted for the 1,100-square-foot location in Andersonville because "it's a neighborhood that we have had a love-affair with for years," said Wilce, 32, a North Carolina native who has lived in Chicago for the past three years.
"Though Andersonville is not necessarily a destination-stop for men's clothing, what we view [the area] as is a neighborhood that is a really burgeoning, with ties to small business [owners]. We hope people will come here from around Chicago and then see what Andersonville overall has to offer."
Notre has a purposely-designed living room feel "because we want people to come in, sit down, be comfortable and learn about the products," Wilce said.
Notre houses a variety of local art, too, having joined forces with several area artists to showcase their offerings. Plus, Notre used Andersonville-based businesses for much of the interior, such as, Square Nail Chicago, a boutique furniture store. "That was one of the commitments we made to this community," Wilce said.
Notre offers shirts, jackets and sweaters, plus hoodies and more. There also are pants, t-shirts and vests. And its denim jeans have been received excessively well so far, Wilce said.
For footwear needs, there are sneakers and boots.
Notre also offers a variety of messenger bags, wallets, socks and more.
Notre offers the goods of several designers who are only available in the store, not around the city, Wilce said
"A big draw [so far] has been our denim [jeans]," Wilce said.
Notre also offers Chicago Candle Company products, as well as winter hats, scarfs and more.
"It's been an overwhelmingly pleasant [response] since we opened; the positive response from the community has been great, so welcoming," Arnold said. "The general temperament of everyone here is, everyone's welcome."
All four owners are straight.
Notre is open Monday through Friday at 12-8 p.m., on Saturday from 10 a.m.-8 p.m., and on Sunday at 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
