Best buys

Who’d have thought that a city not known for its fashion sense would be home to one of the most beautiful boutiques in the world? We at know a thing or two about high-end stores and Ikram, the famed shop helmed by front-row regular Ikram Goldman, is hands-down a gem on a par with – if not better than – 10 Corso Como or Dover Street Market. With its scarlet lacquered interiors, artful displays of labels from Monse to Simone Rocha and even Hong Kong-based Jourden, not to mention a home section where you can pick up wonderful gifts, Ikram is a worldclass luxury haven. Ikram Café, located upstairs, is a chic spot in which to enjoy a farm-to-table meal in one of the city’s poshest shopping neighbourhoods, just off the Magnificent Mile stretch of N Michigan Avenue.

Ikram, however, is the only store worth checking out in the area as its neighbours are the luxury brands typical of every major city. To shop like a local, go instead to Wicker Park and Bucktown. The areas are home to the usual suspects – Free People, Urban Outfitters and so on – but also to independent retailers. Fashion fiends should visit Robin Richman, a small boutique of avantgarde womenswear stocking brands