THE KIDS ARE GROWING UP

It’s always rewarding to be a part of the inception of a concept, watching them grow from day one into a successful business, this past year we’ve had the pleasure of working with two clients that we have seen blossom, TK Men and Empire Liquors.

As TK Men turned one in August we were excited to see how far store owner Lindsay McKay has come, starting out last summer with her first retail concept. McKay, a former celebrity stylist, was looking to step up men’s style to Chicago. With her outside-the-box thinking and risk taking on new lines, TK Men was born. Through the past year McKay has built up a strong clientele and a reputation for her eye on style. Now being thrown back into the styling world, McKay will continue to jet set off to work on projects in NY and LA but will always come back to her safe haven in Chicago at TK. As year two unfolds, McKay plans to bring in some new undiscovered labels and focus more on her niche of guiding clients and helping them expand their wardrobe and fashion-comfort zone. Keep your eyes peeled for an amazing men’s fashion show to come in November!

Empire Liquors, one of three concepts owned by Matt Eisler opened in October 2006. As the edgy sibling of Gold Coast, Elm Street Liquors, Empire brought to Wicker Park a lounge offering with an amazing interior to boot. The vibe at Empire is a little more hipster, although it holds the unpretentious card true to its heart. Bottle service is not a focus, but always is fun to have in the back-secluded gagster booth, which holds front row seating to the dance floor. Since the summer, DJs Emilio Abadia (AKA E6) and Matt Roan have held residencies bringing in the underground music scene and keeping the crowd energized. In July the two kicked off their Dance Party Magic event hosting national talent for a monthly party that has taken off. In August Roan played Lollapolooza and will be hitting up national gigs throughout the next months. While Empire continues to entertain the Wicker Park crowd, Eisler continues to think of new ways to entertain Chicagoans. Look for new concepts from the brainchild in 2008.

Congratulations TK Men & Empire to a great year and cheers to successes to come!

Ali Hazlinger
Senior Publicist