Unique Bridal Shop Brings Theater to Roscoe Village

When Roscoe Village resident Kristine Engel tied the knot in 2009, she felt like something was missing.

Everything was too similar. There wasn’t enough variety. Where was the character?

It’s one of the primary reasons she’s entering the retail world in early 2013. Engel is hoping to bring something new—or old, rather—to Chicago with her store Meringue Vintage Bridal, slated to open at 2207 W. Roscoe St. in January.

“There’s so many things out there that are so mass produced, and you just want to be unique for that one day," Engel said. "There are so many things you want to accomplish, and there really wasn’t a store with really great service with those unique pieces.”

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The Roscoe Village resident of 10 years says not everything in the store will be wedding dresses—or exclusive to weddings, for that matter. However, Meringue will be a place anyone can go to find vintage items with flair.

And don’t be surprised if that flair is a bit theatrical. With Engel’s professional background in the performing arts, she’s got an eye for vintage style that packs a punch.

"I really wanted to bring this to this community, especially because I think neighbors really support shopping locally."

“This is actually something that’s been in the works for many years because I was a costume designer,” said Engel, who did theatrical work in Chicago and taught at DePaul University's design department.

"I really want to take that background, that creativity and that theatricality and bring it to people who want that look from a different time period," she said. "When brides want to do something different, I can use my background to hone that stylistically for them.”

Getting married can be theatrical in many ways, Engel said, with a laugh.

Her 1,500-square-foot space has 11-foot ceilings, according to Mernard Johnson & Associates realtor Charese David, whose office is across the street. While Engel only began renting the space in November, she says it’ll soon be filled with tons of cool items that have stories of their own, including a few pieces she curated while working off Broadway in Manhattan.

And when it came to the neighborhood where she's setting up shop, Engel said the choice was clear.

“(Roscoe Village) was honestly my first and only choice,” Engel said. “I really wanted to bring this to this community, especially because I think neighbors really support shopping locally. To me, it’s really the greatest neighborhood in the city, and it’s something that’s missing here.”

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