Fashion Designer Pinto To Shut Store For Good

By Staff in Miscellaneous on Mar 13, 2010 8:00PM

Many people may be aware that First Lady Michelle Obama wore a dress designed by Jason Wu for the Inaugural Ball, but few may be aware of Mrs. Obama's love for Chicago-based designer, Maria Pinto. Sadly, Pinto's store in the West Loop closed in mid-February, but the designer will open up her West Loop boutique for one last time. Starting next Tuesday, March 16th to Saturday, March 20th, Chicagoans will have one last chance to purchase Pinto's luxurious yet accessible clothes, ranging from casual jackets to glamorous evening dresses at bargain prices (marked down to 50% to 70% of their original prices). Pinto's boutique in the West Loop was fairly young, as it opened in the summer of 2008 and closed its doors in less than two years.

Although Pinto has been a part of the fashion industry for over 20 years, having her collections bought and sold in stores such as Barney's New York and Saks Fifth Avenue, she had a relatively new but growing fanbase in Chicago. Hard-hit by the economic recession, Pinto had to pull out of the unstable fashion market and make adjustments accordingly. Certainly, Pinto's absence in the Chicago fashion industry is disheartening, but hopefully she'll be able to bounce back and return to the fashion industry soon.

Post by: Soyoung Kwak