CHICAGO — After building the record label Axis, international techno DJ Jeff Mills and his wife, Yoko Uozumi, are channeling their love of art and fashion into a new boutique here called Gamma Player.
Mills and Uozumi, who have launched pop-up shops at art festivals in Barcelona and London, said that success propelled them to unveil the 900-square-foot black-walled boutique that opened this month. The shop features emerging European and Asian designers believed to be new to the U.S.
The jet-setting pair, who keep residences in Chicago and Berlin, with Mills traveling to Europe and Asia almost weekly for performances, said the boutique allows them to capitalize on relationships with friends, designers and business contacts from across the globe.
Uozumi, for example, points out an emerging line called Yoshiko Creation Paris designed by a friend. It features a white seashell ring set for $270 and white rose pendant for $535. There also is the Berlin-based design duo Firma, launching its first women’s collection with camel cotton skinny pants for $190 and a military-influenced linen blend jacket for $405. Other designers include Annemie Verbeke from Belgium, Anne-Valerie Hash from Paris and handbag designer Wendee Ou from London.
Exclusivity is a key facet to the shop, which may only stock one item in one size or one item in up to three sizes, constituting an inventory of about 50 total pieces, Uozumi said.
Price points range from $105 for black lace and silver earrings from Brazilian designer Thais Franca to $2,170 for a shimmering hand appliqué jacket from Ioannis Guia of Paris.
Gamma Player, named after one of Mills’ compositions, also carries CDs, books and men’s clothing with a rock ‘n’ roll edge such as $1,100 leather pants and a $190 T-shirt with a guitar graphic on the back, both from M-ojo Risin’ of Milan.
The store, with its slate floor, chrome clothing racks and spotlighted mannequins, represents one of the higher-end boutiques on Division Street in the Wicker Park neighborhood.
The street is home to handfuls of eclectic independent retailers — with Marc by Marc Jacobs coming this September. And it continues to expand its offering of restaurants, coffee shops and boutiques.
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“This street is very emerging,” said Uozumi, whose store is between a vacant building and a children’s shoe store set to open soon, along with a nearby organic pizzeria. “It’s matching what we’re trying to achieve. We’re hoping we can grow together.”
Meanwhile, Uozumi, who worked at Sony Music, and Mills, who is considered instrumental in the creation of minimal techno music, plan to create some buzz. “We can’t rely on foot traffic,” she said, noting that they will host events integrating music, art and fashion every other month.