A Timeline of RSVP Gallery, Chicago's Flyest Boutique Shop

Image via Complex Original

Touting RSVP Gallery as a crossover between gallery and boutique was not just some rouse or scam to try to capture the interest of the “cool guy.” The shop introduced many people to the amazing original art of Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami, and Kaws, while stocking the shelves with rarified goods from Chanel, Comme des Garcons, and Bape. It infused music into just about everything, and represented creativity and originality in its truest form—something the culture desperately needed at the time. 

When you’re Don C and Virgil Abloh—two individuals who comprise one of the most influential collectives ever—you’re going to have connections that help celebrate your newfound success. So Sprite Green (remember that stuff?) and G.O.O.D. Music teamed up to introduce the month-old shop to the world at the famous Harris Rooftop Terrace in Millennium Park. A night of DJ sets from Don Cannon, Million Dollar Mano, and Timbuck2 (R.I.P.), and special guest appearances from Mr. Hudson, Common, Big Sean, and Kid Cudi officially put RSVP on the map. 

It doesn’t matter how big of a star you are or how much money you have. The feeling of picking up something made exclusively for you is a special one. So when Big Sean copped his $45,000 custom “POW” chains from Ambush at RSVP Gallery, he was at a loss for words. 

Before the shop could blink, it was already partnering with big name artists. Lupe Fiasco’s “Red Box” initiative with RSVP showcased the rapper’s visual art skills. The T-shirts he co-designed with the rest of his obscure punk band Japanese Cartoon were particularly dope.

N.E.R.D. has an everlasting influence on hip-hop culture. They brought a new type of rock ‘n’ roll sound and style to that side of the fence. With the release of their fourth studio album Nothing, N.E.R.D. decided to stop by RSVP Galley and grace fans with their presence, knowing they would find people who truly appreciated what they were doing musically. “The N.E.R.D in-store was special to me because I felt like In Search of… opened my eyes to the world of blending sounds and eventually blurring lines of style,” recalls Austin Neely, RSVP marketing manager. “The in-store event was fresh because you had a gathering of like-minded people who have also had their eyes opened to this same sort of thing in one place.” 

It never hurts to be friends with Kanye West. It also benefits us everyday civilians, as evidenced when we were given the opportunity to own a piece of history. In May of 2011, RSVP Gallery became just one of three shops in the world to receive screen-printed silk scarves made for Kanye West by famous painter and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy album cover artist George Condo. West commissioned Condo to do a few paintings for the release of the album, and also had him design a few scarves for the homies. RSVP originally sold them for $300, but you’d be lucky to find one on sale now for under $1,500. 

Many people don’t know that these hats were inspired by “Buck 50” python-adorned material that Chicago’s finest repped in the ’80s and ’90s. At the height of the snapback comeback, Don C took a piece of his Chicago roots, turned it into a luxury item, and introduced it to the world. Although global icons like Jay Z, LeBron James, and Kanye West all got their hands on the strapbacks, initial drops sold out immediately and would continue to do so for months on end, even as they began to brand out to other shops.

A$AP Rocky is a bonafide megastar. Although he’s now plastered on Dior ads and serves as the creative director for MTV Labs, his following in 2012 was just reaching cult status as his highly acclaimed debut mixtape Long.Live.A$AP hit the streets. So when RSVP Gallery decided to link up with Rocky and his A$AP Mob brethren, it was more than just a capsule collection of clothing. It was a movement and the ultimate cosign. The R$VPA$AP collaboration also birthed Been Trill. 

The Kanye Effect. As we’ve learned time and time again, all it takes to get a brand off the ground is a co-sign from Yeezus. And with Ye rocking the brand’s merch, marketing dollars can be spent elsewhere. In this case, Virgil’s introduction to the design side of the fashion world came in the form of a T-shirt that boasted a "V," a girl, and a jersey-esque back panel. The shirt would eventually turn into a full-fledged collection that people couldn’t get enough of. The PYREX VISION, which launched exclusively at RSVP, amplified Virgil’s design ethos to the world, creating a billion mini-Virgils and starting a revolution for high-end T-shirt culture. 

It’s not everyday you see two competing shops collaborating, but there really isn’t anything ordinary about Las Vegas’ Fruition or RSVP Gallery. Virgil and Don C’s relationship with Fruition co-founder Chris Julian—who was also apart of Kanye’s trusted creative crew alongside the RSVP owners—led to a unique partnership, bolstering both fairly young shops (Fruition opened in 2005) with a couple shirts and a special Just Don strapback representing Fruition’s hometown college squad, the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels. 

Bape doesn’t open its arms to just anyone. You either have to be a household name, a long-running uber-popular cartoon, or, in this case, a luxury boutique that has a knack for knowing what the culture wants. The Japanese juggernaut and the Chi-town retailer collaboration had people in a frenzy with their initial 2013 T-shirt capsule, which turned into a full-fledged RSVP-emblazoned camo and Ape-adorned collection in 2015. They even did a special Just Don cap that far exceeds the dope levels that any hat should be able to reach. 

Have we mentioned that RSVP Gallery knows how to throw a party? And that they have an eye for up-and-coming talent that are about ready to blow up? RSVP opened a month-long pop-up shop in the summer of 2013 that featured numerous big name appearances. For example, there was the ILLMERICA-sponsored takeover with Fredo Santana, Katie Got Bandz, OG Chase B, and of course, Travis Scott. The shop also served up other exclusive gear, like the coveted Been Trill x Hood by Air T-shirt, and its very first capsule collection with Bape. 

One of the most coveted collections of the last 10 years, modeled by one of the biggest up-and-coming music artists, in one of the world’s premiere boutiques: Yeah, that will surely drum up some attention. La Flame’s shoot with RSVP showcasing the spring/summer 2014 Raf Simons x Sterling Ruby Collection had the internet going nuts, even though it was a fairly simple 13-photo slideshow. What made the campaign so successful is that it really captured Scott’s youthful rebellious nature, fitting the collection’s tone to a tee. 

As a purveyor of vibes, it’s crucial to ensure that a product is in high demand before producing and selling it. Theophilus London did just that as he stopped by to hang out with the RSVP Gallery crew, which included an appearance from the burgeoning Virgil Abloh. London autographed his highly anticipated RSVP “Vibes” collaborative T-shirt for fans and some of the city’s most stylish patrons. 

While RSVP has proven to be a supplier of dope fits and a rocker of houses with its incredible events, the gallery has also delivered candid conversations with creative masterminds who represent the culture. With a seemingly endless rolodex of famous supporters, RSVP kicked off its Q&A Series with none other than internationally renowned DJ and Fool’s Gold Records’ co-founder A-Trak. And what better way to coronate the overall greatness of all constituencies involved than by releasing some commemorative swag. RSVP dropped two collaborative T-shirts and a turntable slipmat with Fool’s Gold. The Q&A Series would go on to host one-on-one convos with various up-and-comers like Metro Boomin, Jerry Lorenzo of Fear of God, and Ibn Jasper.

It’s no question that Jerry Lorenzo has helped create a new way to look at luxury streetwear. RSVP Gallery recognized this from the jump, especially since they all belong to the same circle of visionaries. The support RSVP gave Lorenzo was reciprocated when he came through with a pop-up shop, which showcased his love for rock ‘n’ roll, and released 50 rock-inspired concert tees that he sourced and repurposed exclusively for RSVP Gallery.

One of the great things about RSVP Gallery is its strong connection to the music scene, as evidenced by various collabs, shoots, and in-store visits from hip-hop favorites. So it should come as no surprise that, right at the height of his success, The Weeknd wanted to link with Virgil & Co. for a special collection, which wound up consisting of an RSVP x XO lock-up logo T-shirt to commemorate his Lollapalooza headlining gig. 

From barber and confidant of Kanye West to full-fledged designer, Ibn Jasper’s story is a pretty epic one. He turned his love for skateboarding and keen eye for style into collaborative efforts with skatewear brand Diamond Supply Co. to introduce the Cordova Collection—something Ibn had set out to do for a long time. And it wouldn’t be an RSVP affair if they didn’t create a congratulatory T-shirt for Ibn’s efforts with Diamond, right? Kanye wasn’t kidding with his famous “Ibn, Diamond, Chi-town shining” line. 

Fresh off an unprecedented 2015, Future became the artist everyone was talking about heading into 2016. And guess what? The hottest stars want to be associated with only the best in fashion, which is why Future collaborated with RSVP Gallery on a T-shirt to commemorate his second mixtape of the year, EVOL. Not to mention, the Atlanta rapper stopped by the shop and showed some love to the RSVP crew during his Purple Reign Tour.

In addition to welcoming some incredible acts—many of whom have frequented the legendary Chicago shop—and a DJ set from Virgil Abloh himself, RSVP Gallery is partnering with Samsung Pay to hold a two-day pop-up shop at ComplexCon this weekend (Nov. 5-6). Not only will RSVP showcase its latest wares and exclusive collabs, but Don C is bringing some pairs of the Air Jordan 2 “Beach” colorway sneakers he designed, which will be available for purchase to Samsung Pay users. Don’t sleep and miss out!