The Frye Company is Open in the Gold Coast—and it Has Skulls

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• There are shoes, yes, but also skulls. The skull-stup zip shoulder bag is $448. Photos: Racked Chicago
• A low ceiling of hand-hung harnesses adds some intimacy to the space, and is a hallmark of Frye stores.
• These kick-ass kicks channel Saint Laurent's fall collection, non?
• Though some 65 percent of the merchandise is for women, there are plenty of styles for men (they're on the lefthand side of the store.)
• A squared-off, '60s-style toe graces the Campus boots, which Petry says were everywhere at Woodstock.
• The Deborah shoulder bag, $498, has a cool gritty-meets-glitzy look.
• Petry says that short boots—and styles with laces—are hot for fall.

Continuing its recent expansion—the company also opened new stores in Boston and Washington this year— The Frye Company bowed its harness-filled shop in the Gold Coast on Tuesday.

Filled with 800 shoes, the store has a lovely leather scent and a homey, worn-in vibe that "we hope makes people want to hang out all day," said the brand's creative director Michael Petry. With riding boots, a whole section devoted to motorcycle-inspired styles, and yellow boots that showed up everywhere at Woodstock, the shop has plenty to pore over. Here's a peek inside, and at what's lining the shelves right now.

· The Frye Company [Official Site]