Velvet Goldmine, a vintage furniture store in Ukrainian Village, will temporarily close its Division Street location as owner Jon Gorske prepares to convert the space into a vintage clothing shop. Gorske said on March 10 that the store is set to reopen on April 17 with a new focus on clothing, accessories, and vinyl records.
The change comes after Velvet Goldmine’s second location at Design at 329, a warehouse collective near Pilsen and Chinatown, drew many customers away from the original storefront. “It sort of wrested a lot of customers away from shopping at the store, because they wanted to see the much larger selection at our other location,” Gorske said. “We love the store, and yet it wasn’t really doing the business that we needed to do.”
Rather than closing entirely, Gorske decided to keep his longtime storefront open by shifting its focus. He was inspired by the growing number of vintage clothing shops in Wicker Park and surrounding neighborhoods. “I really wanted to stay in the neighborhood,” Gorske said. “The building is such a huge part of our DNA, so I wanted to stay there. And I thought, ‘Well, this could be really exciting, a way to make it a separate destination but still Velvet Goldmine.'”
Gorske noted that when he opened Velvet Goldmine nearly ten years ago, there were more than 15 vintage furniture stores within eight blocks; now only a few remain as many have closed or moved away. “It’s a tough industry to exist in,” he said. “A lot of people burn out. You have to be constantly hustling… so a lot of those people just decided to go in a different direction.” The Design at 329 warehouse has become popular for shoppers seeking local brands and better deals than online retailers offer.
When Velvet Goldmine reopens next month on Division Street, about half of its inventory will be sourced by Gorske while other items will come from consignors like Good Lovin’ Vintage. The shop plans to operate at least five days per week.
Reflecting on these changes and their impact on the neighborhood’s character, Gorske said: “It’s kind of what Wicker Park used to always be about with artists and small businesses and vintage stores and record stores… it’s nice to see it return to a little bit of what it was.”
