INK+ALLOY opens flagship store in Chicago to empower women globally

A life-changing trip to India was all it took for entrepreneur Gretchen Hollingsworth to find her calling in fashion accessories. Having spent twenty years running her own candle making business Paddywax — and designing for notable chains like Whole Foods, Urban Outfitters, West Elm, Target and Crate and Barrel — it was time for a change of pace. 

Hollingsworth founded accessory brand INK+ALLOY not only to empower women with fun accessories, but to uplift young girls on a deeper level. Formerly operating online and as a wholesaler with products in various stores, Hollingsworth realized it was time to establish roots and looked to Chicago, one of the brand’s top customer bases. As of May 2023, INK+ALLOY has opened its flagship store in Lakeview along the Southport corridor with the help of LEAP Incorporated. 

INK+ALLOY’S products include earrings, but also bracelets, hair accessories, clutches, and necklaces. While all the designs for the brand are made in the U.S. — inspired by Hollingsworth’s trip to India — each accessory is handmade by women in India. Having maintained a connection with these women, Hollingsworth says she felt a calling to do more with this relationship and make a genuine impact. This ultimately led to the brand’s partnership with the non-profit Commit2Change, which operates out of Chicago and New York.  

“It was really important to our owner Gretchen to give back to the community that is producing our products,” says Whitney Rice, Business Development Director of INK+ALLOY. “Anybody who buys an INK+ALLOY product is contributing to underserved girls in India. Commit2Change has exposed how difficult the conditions are for girls there. For example, one in six girls don’t make it to their fifteenth birthday. Also, many are abandoned by families because of dowry systems that make it hard for impoverished families to marry off their girls. So the organization helps bring them off the street by providing housing and education.”

While the fashion industry often faces controversy due to outsourced production and cheap labor, INK+ALLOY customers can feel good about shopping, knowing that a simple purchase of a pair of earrings will go towards empowering women in need.

According to an INK+ALLOY representative, proceeds from the brand's sales in 2021 were able to fund the education of 500 girls in India; INK+ALLOY hoped to double that number in the following year, though current numbers have not been released.     

The decision to establish a brick-and-mortar store in Lakeview at 3530 Southport Avenue stems from the neighborhood’s evident charm and authenticity, according to Rice. Fashion brands like Lululemon, Anthropologie, and Abercrombie & Fitch also reside on the same street.  

Regarding expansion, INK+ALLOY hopes to extend into different regions throughout the country. “We have a lot of great success in Texas, New York, and San Francisco,” Rice says. “But it all depends on what LEAPs we can get in different areas, but we’re hopeful we can continue to grow.” 

To celebrate the opening, the store will host its official Grand Opening Party on Saturday, June 17 and Sunday, June 18 from 12-5 p.m. The first twenty-five guests will receive an exclusive brand gift bag.

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