Glimpse the Uberchic Wardrobe of Style Maven Heiji Choy Black

Step into the closet of Heiji Choy Black.

Photos by Evan Sheehan

The former shop owner (Hejfina in Bucktown was legendary back in the aughts) still dresses like a woman out to discover new labels for the world to love. She even partnered with a Vogue editor to start her own sustainable clothing line, called Bodkin, before becoming a fashion and style editor for five years. Now the 41-year-old is settling into her role as chairperson of the Fashion Council at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and roosting in her newly rehabbed condo on the lake.

What dominates your closet? White button-down shirts—she has more than three linear feet devoted to them. “My husband is always like, ‘How do you choose which one?’” She also has an entire cabinet for knits, all in natural fibers, yet doesn’t own a single traditional blazer. Her workout wardrobe is envious, filled with tennis whites by Stella McCartney and Alo yoga gear.

Go-to look: Current/Elliott denim with a Sonia Rykiel sweater. If it’s snowing, she’ll wear her pointy combat boots from The Row.

Current designer obsessions: Maryam Nassir Zadeh, Isabel Marant, JW Anderson, Jacquemus, Nili Lotan.

On the hunt: “I’m always looking for the perfect dress.”

Shopping spots: Ikram and Blake in town; online at La Garconne, Net-a-Porter, Matches.

Personal style in five words or less: “Feminine, practical, good proportions, colorful.”