Lincoln Square Mall welcomed a new shop, Devotion, which opened at noon on Friday. Its inviting atmosphere immediately drew customers inside.
The warm, lamp-lit retail space features racks of clothes meticulously organized by color and material, while a summery mix of music echoes throughout the store. The scent is clean but nostalgic — like a trip to Grandma’s house.
Some visitors stopped in spontaneously, wandering into the shop after seeing its new location in the mall.
“I definitely saw a lot of interesting pieces,” said Elyn Choi, senior in LAS. “I’d definitely go with my friends as well.”
Other visitors came with intent. Alaina Dines, junior in AHS, was inspired to take a trip to Devotion after attending Illinois Vintage Fest, an event connected to the shop’s owner.
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“I thought it was cool, and with there being a new store here, I’m like, ‘Why not go?’” Dines said. “I mean, I’m already over here.”
Devotion is the latest endeavor from owner Shayne Kelly, who also runs Illinois Vintage Fest, Prison City Vintage in Joliet, Illinois, and Heyday Vintage Collective in Evanston, Illinois.
Kelly’s approach to vintage ventures balances business and community.
“When I open a store, I bring a set of vintage curators and sellers with me, so it’s not just me who has stuff in here,” Kelly said.
That approach also drives Illinois Vintage Fest, which Kelly organizes with dozens of independent sellers.
“We are the second biggest vintage event in the United States,” Kelly said, noting that the fest draws sellers from throughout Illinois and the Midwest.
Whether running Illinois Vintage Fest or working in one of his shops, Kelly is guided by a devotion to community — the inspiration for the store’s name.
The name comes from Kelly’s favorite band, Foundation, and its songs “Devotion,” “Devotion II” and “Devotion III.”
“The songs are about … no matter what, you’re going to die, but why not be devoted to yourself, your community around you, before you die,” Kelly said.
While guided by these values, Kelly also acknowledges the practical realities of running a store.
“First and foremost, we’re selling clothes,” Kelly said.
Visitors echo that focus, emphasizing how secondhand clothing provides better quality, brand variety and affordability.
“I just like the style of vintage clothing, it tends to be better quality,” Choi said. “My favorite brand is Harley Davidson, so I always try to hunt that out.”
Racks include many different brands of vintage t-shirts, jerseys, University merchandise and a variety of everyday pieces.
Kelly hopes that Devotion will be more than just a shop, demonstrated by a live show at 6:30 p.m. opening day featuring local acts, such as J.U.G, New Species and Sweetmelk. To the right of the racks, a stage adorned with a drum kit and instruments stands ready to host many more performances.
“You can come here and you can look at all the clothes, you can try on clothes, you can do whatever. If you need somewhere to go … I want it to be here,” Kelly said, embracing the duality of Devotion as a vintage shop and community space.
