Gild Assembly Pop-Up Shop in Lincoln Park

BY ALICE YORK

With spring flowers and equally cheerful warm-weather wear popping up all over the city, a pop-up shop seems perfectly apropos.

In the season’s spirit of “new,” the creative minds behind design firm Studio Gild have brought their Bucktown home accessories gallery, Gild Assembly, and a selection of its modern artisanal wares to Lincoln Park—a prime location at 1211 West Webster—for a two-week pop-up shop ending April 15.

Glimmering decorative items on display at the spring pop-up.

Accessories for the home.

Visitors to this spring shopping event can check out a selection of Gild Assembly favorites, including tableware from Felt + Fat, glass and wood vessels from Utopia & Utility, framed drawings from Chicago-based Michael McGuire, and works from local photographer Erika Dufour.

A selection of art, clothing, and accessories at the Gild Assembly pop-up.

Alongside these tabletop accessories, art, and decorative objets from existing Gild Assembly vendors are items from other local favorites, including 143 Tees and Ladybug Vintage, partnering with Gild Assembly exclusively for this limited-time shopping experience.

Lyndsey Ager and Jenna Saltzman of 143 Tees.

Gild founders Melissa Benham, Jennie Bishop, and Kristen Ekelandin have garnered attention across the city for their clean and fuss-free aesthetic, informed through their collective experience in residential, hospitality, retail and commercial design. Their elevated interiors have even caught the eye of Architectural Digest, who just last year named the trio among their “Ones to Watch.” Drawing inspiration from fashion, art and architecture, Studio Gild seamlessly blends modern sophistication with a dose of whimsy and personal style.

Studio Gild principals Melissa Benham, Jennie Bishop, and Kristen Ekelandin.

Studio Gild’s dynamic founders were kind enough to answer a few questions for Classic Chicago following the March 30 opening party for their must-see pop-up, attended by designers like Bryan Boline, Seth Deysach, Jane Kempler, and other stylish Chicagoans like Catherine Brink, Neelie Fritz, and Beth Hughes.

Tell us a little about Gild Assembly and how this pop-up came about.

Gild Assembly is our Bucktown-based home accessories gallery, which opened just over a year ago. Visitors to our permanent storefront, at 2110 North Damen, will find an ever-changing assemblage of goods: from beautiful coffee table books on travel and style to a well-curated collection of art, accessories, and furniture finds.

Our reason for experimenting with a pop-up is simple: we love the process of discovering new artists and artisans, and we want to share some of these finds with those who might not make it to Bucktown on a regular basis.

It’s been a great way to expand our reach and we hope to remain on everyone’s radars as a true home style destination once we’re back in Bucktown full-time.

What businesses are participating in the pop-up and how were they selected? I understand they are all Chicago-based artists and makers.

Like the collections and artists we carry in our permanent gallery, our spring pop-up at 1211 West Webster has given us an opportunity to partner with other Chicago-based small businesses to diversify and add even more to our merchandise mix.

Vintage wares from Ladybug Vintage.

We chose Ladybug Vintage for eye-catching vintage jewels and accessories, SOLID + PATTERN for the company’s luxe textiles, 84 Rockwell for the collection’s genius leather Fringe and Xrossover belt bags, and 143 Tees for their perfectly crafted t-shirts. Each of these businesses is perfectly aligned with what we look for in the pieces we carry—the finest in quality, craftsmanship, and style.

Can you tell us a little bit about the feedback you’ve received so far?

We have loved having a presence in Lincoln Park, and visitors to the shop have responded really well. For those who haven’t yet visited, we’re open until April 15—come see us!

I understand a portion of proceeds will benefit Gild Foundation. Can you tell us more about Gild Foundation’s mission and work?

Our pop-up partners have generously agreed to join us in donating a portion of their pop-up sales proceeds to Gild Foundation, which we founded early this year.

Gild Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds to further our mission of Bettering, Empowering, and Improving the lives of others. Each year, we’ll support a number of organizations focused on a singular cause by donating 100 percent of monies raised to that cause.

This year, the Foundation’s fundraising focus will be cancer research, as so many of us at Studio Gild have been deeply affected by the disease.

Are there any future pop-ups in the works?

We still have about a week left until we close the pop-up, so it’s a little too early to tell.

What we can say is that we’ve had a ton of fun, learned plenty, seen heavy foot traffic, and raised money for Gild Foundation–pretty hard to argue with those facts!

In the meantime, come visit us at our permanent gallery! We have new merchandise arriving on a regular basis, so there’s always something new to discover.