Talia boutique to replace Skunkworks in downtown Wilmette

(Editor’s Note: A portion of this story was reported by Margo Milanowski for the Evanston RoundTable, a neighboring independent newsroom. It was shared with The Record as part of an ongoing collaborative effort.)

Retail clothing store Talia, which has operated at 1526 Chicago Ave. in Evanston for the last 13 years, will soon be coming to Wilmette, but that means a community business is on the way out.

Talia will soon take over for Skunkworks Dance company at 1111 Central Ave. in downtown Wilmette.

Jana Bennett founded Skunkworks, a youth dance training and performing studio, in 2018. She offered lessons and sessions in pop-up locations in her first years before moving into 1111 Central Ave. (adjacent to Veterans Park) in June of 2020.

Bennett and Skunkworks dancers were regulars at community events, such as The Wilmette Block Party, the Summer Sizzle (formerly the Sidewalk Sale) from the Wilmette-Kenilworth Chamber of Commerce, the Northfield Market and Music, and more.

“The largest aspect (of our support) has been the entire community here, especially in Wilmette and the North Shore,” said Bennett, who is moving with her family to Denver but will return regularly for community projects and private lessons. ” … From the beginning, we were embraced with support and love and as beautiful as this new chapter is, leaving the area and our dancers our families has really been the most difficult part of moving.”

The timeline for the move is still up in the air, Talia co-owner Agnieszka Lewandowska told the Evanston RoundTable.

Lewandowska and her business partner, Asia Cavallo, have seen slower business in the wake of the pandemic, like many other shops in downtown Evanston. 

“Especially after the pandemic,” Cavallo said, the store’s clients “still do come — they still get stuff for special occasions — but maybe not as much for [their] everyday work wardrobe.” 

Cavallo said many customers either didn’t return to the office, or only go in occasionally. Business trips or retreats are also less common in her clients’ experience post-pandemic, and those who used to come in for new travel clothes don’t need them.

The store’s clientele has also aged, she said, and might not need work clothes at all anymore due to retirement. 

While the duo loves Evanston, many of their regulars live in other North Shore suburbs, Cavallo explained. 

“We decided that maybe it’s time to move a little bit closer to where most of our clients now come from,” she said. 

She added that some patrons also complained about parking availability in downtown Evanston. They can’t just “stop in,” because they have to look for parking and struggle to find a nearby spot, she said.

The store sources its clothes primarily from Polish distributors, and occasionally Italian ones, and offers space to individual designers.

With slow business, though, it’s reportedly more difficult to stock more unique pieces,

Cavallo said she hopes the location change will help bring more styles. 

“When we are in Wilmette, we’re going to try to reintroduce them again, and just, you know, bring all different things,” Cavallo said. They also currently have some presence digitally. People can find many of their styles on Talia’s website, although Lewandowska said the full selection is not available online.

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