PUBLISHED: 09-02-08

The juggernaut of fashion

South Loop's newest streetwear boutique flaunts its comic edge

Tucked away from the typical shopping of Michigan Avenue and State Street is Jugrnaut fashion boutique, 427 S. Dearborn St., slowly bringing its street fashion norm into the South Loop.

Lenny Gilmore / The Chronicle - Milano Blox shops at Jugrnaut on August 25th. Blox is a local rapper and senior philosophy major at Wright College and says he shops at Jugrnaut once a week because it consistently has new merchandise. Jugrnaut is located 427 S. Dearborm and is open 7 days a week.

Posters for upcoming shows linger near the entrance and an inviting couch sits in the middle of the boutique welcoming customers into the laid-back atmosphere. The design of a T-Shirt on display reads “16 pairs of kicks don’t make you a collector.”

The location of the store was chosen because it is near college campuses, said one of the owners.

After knowing each other for more than 10 years through Nacrobats, a group of Chicago DJs and rappers, they decided to open their own boutique specializing in street wear. The boutique is owned by brothers Manuel and Roger Rodriguez, Arthur Banks and Brian A. Nevado.

Since the boutique opened in October 2007, Jugrnaut has many men’s clothing labels such as Lemar and Dauley, Mischka and Twelve Bar. For the ladies, there’s Hellz Bellz, Dime Piece, 10 Deep and Tokidoki.

“People that shop here don’t want to be seen wearing the same stuff as others. The rarer the sneakers and T-shirts are, the better,” said Manuel Rodriguez, Jugrnaut’s chief financial officer.

“The name Jugrnaut defines and goes along with our comic theme,” said Banks, the art director of Jugrnaut. “Since Juggernaut, the character from X-Men, was unstoppable, we want to be an unstoppable force in the fashion industry.

Jugrnaut also likes to support local artists by selling their artwork, hosting meet-and-greet events for upcoming musicians in the store and selling pieces on consignment.

Artwork from artists is displayed on the walls of the shop. Local designers drop off their T-shirts and the profit is split between the designer and the boutique.

Jugrnaut is hoping to expand its items for women and is currently working on getting the boutique’s merchandise online. Although Jugrnaut is located on Dearborn Street, Rodriguez said it’s a good spot because of the neighboring schools and the parking garage across the street, which bring in several customers.

While there are T-shirts and sweatshirts for both men and women, there are also toys for the comic and cartoon lovers. Action figures from cult classics like X-Men, Transformers, “The Smurfs,” a Speedy Alka Seltzer, Kaws, Star Wars, G.I Joe and Tokidoki decorate the walls. One can also find accessories like purses, skateboards, wallets and hats.

Michael Shields is a frequent customer who has been shopping at Jugrnaut since it opened. His favorite items are the hats by New Era.

“It’s very comfortable to come in here and shop,” he said. “They carry some things that most people don’t, and it’s high-end.”

Since some of their items are brought in from overseas, such as Hellz Bellz, prices for certain items might be an issue for student shoppers. A men’s T-shirt can range from $22 to $50 and a women’s T-shirt goes from $32 to $40. The most expensive item in the store is a blue Kaws collector item for $1,000.

“I think we stand out because it’s owned by the four of us,” Rodriguez said. “We’re still young, we have new ideas. We’re friendly and regular people.”

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