GILDA Designer Thrift Boutique closed Friday as the owner plans to return to the East Coast.
Customers of the boutique, 1553 E. Hyde Park Blvd., made their way to the store late last week for one final mega sale and to bid farewell to owner Gilda Norris.
Norris, originally from Long Island, New York, said she wants to return home to be closer to family.
Norris came to Chicago in 2014 with an eye toward starting her own business and fell in love with the Hyde Park neighborhood, she said. She opened GILDA in 2016, aiming to create what she described to Block Club Chicago as a place where fashion meets community.
Norris specialized in reselling gently used, carefully chosen designer items that fit her aesthetic and style, she said. She would occasionally accept donations as well.
Customers said Norris was known for creating a welcoming atmosphere that made shoppers feel like they could shop, sit and mingle.