Exclusive: First look at Chicago's new Leica store
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First floor of new Leica store. Rendering: Courtesy of Leica Camera
Leica is opening its first Chicago store on Tuesday on the Mag Mile, but it's more than a store; it's a "cultural hub."
The big picture: The new store is part of a broader push to blend camera sales with gallery space and hands-on experiences.
Zoom in: The 800 N. Michigan Ave. location sells cameras and equipment, but it also includes a gallery on the second floor with rotating photo exhibitions and offers workshops for novice and advanced photographers.
- A coffee bar and library with photography books and a couch invite shoppers to spend time learning about Leica's history and how its cameras were used for some of the most iconic images, such as a young soldier kissing a woman to celebrate the end of World War II and a close-up of Muhammad Ali's fist.
Zoom out: Leica joins several new destinations off the Mag Mile that offer experiences rather than just retail. The store is just a few blocks north of The Hand & The Eye magic parlor, opening Friday, and around the corner from the newly announced Candy Hall of Fame.
- In recent years, lines outside the Harry Potter store, Starbucks Roastery and Ralph's Coffee regularly crowd Michigan Avenue, pushing back on the narrative that the famous street is no longer a destination.
What they're saying: During an exclusive walkthrough of the space, Leica's Mike Giannattasio explained to Axios that the company has had Chicago, specifically Michigan Avenue, in its sights for years.
- "You can never have a conversation about Chicago and not mention Michigan Avenue ... is it going through change? Yes, but we think that great things happen through change," he said.
- "You think about the great [Chicago] photographers Ray Metzger, Barbara Crane, Art Shay ... Chicago was never a doubt."
The intrigue: Leica's limited-edition "Chicago Edition 17" camera pays tribute to the store's location in a former townhouse built in 1917 when that area of the Mag Mile was known as a Bohemian enclave.
- The camera's rust color is meant to invoke the clay color of the building's Art Deco architecture.
Between the lines: Leica is not strictly for the masters. The store sells pre-owned cameras that retail for around $2,000, Giannattasio pointed out, and also instant cameras that retail for about $400.
What's next: "The Chicago 11" exhibition featuring works by local photographers Sandro Miller, Carlos Javier Ortiz, Melissa Ann Pinney and others is on display through April 25.
- "America Unposed," by photographer Craig Semetko, takes over the space on April 30 and includes a conversation with curator Lucas Zenk, who joined Leica from Stephen Daiter Gallery.