Monthly Open House events held in 1154 LILL CHICAGO’s showroom space at 1870 N. Halsted have LILL fans lining up before the doors even open. Quickly growing out of space and appointment times, Jennifer Velarde decides to look for a retail storefront where regular retail hours will allow for the LILL experience to be shared with more customers.

Having worked with Jen in a part-time capacity for the past few years, Robin Newberry is able to join 1154 LILL full-time, expanding her business development role. In addition, Sarah Remus joins LILL first in a production capacity and later as the manager of the new retail store that opens in August.

This first true “LILL boutique” is located at 2523 N. Halsted, at the intersection of Halsted and Lill, a serendipitous spot as both streets were once “home” to 1154 LILL. Hours of the boutique are first limited to weekends, while during the week, bag production and business operations occur in the back of the space.

Items for sale in the store include custom LILL Pillows, body products, jewelry and cards. In addition, 1154 LILL bags are sold wholesale to a dozen or so small boutiques in the Chicagoland area and beyond. The 1154 LILL website at www.1154lill.com is upgraded to include e-commerce and additional content, attracting online visitors from across the U.S.