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This week the new 30,000 square foot loft offices for Chicago-based Trunk Club was christened with a boozy bash. This means the office is officially open and this new HQ for the tech-forward company known for outfitting well-traveled men far-and-wide is as cushy-deluxe you'd think it'd be.
Right off the Ohio Street ramp to get on and off I 90/94, the street is busy, bustling in the heart of River North. Upon entering the building's lobby we climb into the elevator to hoist us up to the seventh floor. This small mirrored box with a herringbone floor swiftly transporting us to the penthouse takes inspiration from an elevator in Medellín, Colombia Trunk Club CEO, Brian Spaly fell in love with. Exiting the elevator, straight ahead, you'll see reception and a smiling receptionist in front of towering windows. Offices, photography and stock are to the right and a humongous loft space to the left. This is where the magic happens.
57 sassy stylists share long tables, answering phones and communicating with clients. Side note: Each stylist has anywhere from 90 to 500 clients and are acquiring more men every day. To give you an idea of the growth of Trunk Club in the menswear market, there are 25 new stylists who have started on this team within the past 6 months. Makes sense why the made a bigger office, eh? They all sit at these long tables, surrounded by inspirational tchotchkes, talking on the phone with businessmen and normal men who value time more than money, talking them through their lives and becoming their best friend—their stylist.
This area of the office is the largest with high ceilings, showing off the exposed timber beams, and peppered with lounge-y furniture vignettes assembled by menswear companies like Gant and Jack Spade. In the core of the building, there's a long, custom-made bar that runs the length of the space. Underneath its' glass top, are seasonal accessories and shirting options from vendors. Behind the bar, some genius had the idea to install a jumbotron screen (not really a jumbotron, but it's big) to watch the game (or the news) on. At the far end of the bar, there's a "man's kitchen" with lots of stainless and a special designer sink. Above this entire space, there's a pimp roof deck with sweeping views of the Loop, Gold Coast and the energetic onramp for the interstate.
The space is a brilliant next step for Trunk Club considering they was one of the first to jump on the menswear e-tailing bandwagon. Just a few weeks ago, while Brian's former online menswear company, Bonobos was opening a Guideshop, (he arranged that sublease), we saw a stat from EMarketer that said within the next four years, web sales of clothing and accessories in the U.S. will grow 78% to $73 billion. For this kind of anticipatory growth, Trunk Club will certainly need to A) Hire more sassy stylists and build a theme park, B) Open more offices (preferably coastal as vacation homes), and C) Start to manufacture robots as friendly as the stylists they currently have.
· Trunk Club [Official Site]