Double vision

People often talk about the threads that bind friendships, but for Kelly Whitesell and Elizabeth Del Castillo, that thread is literal. Close friends since high school, the two seamstresses are now launching their own clothing line and boutique.

An amalgamation of both women's names, Eskell is the long-awaited fruition of ideas sown years ago. Del Castillo and Whitesell both studied at Indiana University, where they developed a shared appreciation for details such as hems, ruching and elaborate stitching. "In college, we were like, 'We can't go out tonight—we have to sew,'" Whitesell says. "We had some all-nighters spent sewing. It was ridiculous."

After Whitesell moved to Chicago last October, she and Del Castillo took a tentative step toward creating their own clothing line. A May fashion show at Acme Art Works drew 150 people, prompting the pair to make Eskell a full-time endeavor on little more than a whim. "We got a good response," Whitesell recalls with a laugh. "So from there, we were like, 'Well, we're totally doing it now!'"

Their original plan to open a shop on Southport crumbled when a lease fell through, but the boutique Eskell is finally set to open in a former candy shop practically under the El. Its light pink and deep purple walls are overlaid with a painted gold lace pattern, and unusual jewelry holders come from a familial source: Whitesell's father. "Kelly's dad is a hunter," Del Castillo says. "So we mounted antlers to use for holding necklaces." The overall effect is feminine and glamorous, but with enough bite to avoid a saccharine overload. Shoppers can also view the Eskell design studio, which is visible from the main room.

The store inventory includes clothing and accessories from Judi Rosen, Joolay, Tamara Katz, Neves denim, M. Carter, Thorn, Premium Patch by Wrangler and In God We Trust jewelry. If you don't know these names, that'll probably please the proprietors, who are fervently trying to bring smaller, unknown designers to Chicago shoppers. "We tried to find things that don't have any representation here," Whitesell says of the store's inventory. "Unfortunately, it's not very hard to do that—it seems like everybody buys the same stuff."

As for the namesake clothing line, it's a "hodgepodge, femme, magpie look," says Whitesell, whose experience designing for Miguelina and Jane Mayle comes through in the pair's own vintage-inspired dresses, skirts and blouses. Influenced in part by Del Castillo's travels across Europe, the collection has a slightly bohemian feel that's less literal than the costumey look of the summer. The prices—from around $100 for a blouse to $300 for a dress—may not fit the budgets of nearby DePaul students, but Whitesell says that the craftsmanship is worth it. "I expect a lot of clothes," she says. "I can tell something that's good from something that's shit."

She's right. Although the floaty pieces may look dainty, they're the kinds of quality items worth saving up for. It's a fitting raison d'etre for two women whose dream of working together is finally coming true: Good things do come to those who wait. "This has been cooking for years," Whitesell says of Eskell's debut. "It's been a long time coming."Eskell opens at the end of August at 953 W Webster Ave between Bissell St and Sheffield Ave (773-477-9390).