Kristen Skordilis

Our city is filled with fashionable collectors. On the following pages you will learn a different side to some of the city's biggest lovers of art including Kristen Skordilis, owner of Koros Art and Style, Leslie Hindman of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers and Sara Albrecht of Ultimo.

Kristen Skordilis
Traversing the globe in search of undiscovered treasure from quirky antiques to cutting-edge new designers; it’s all part of the job for Kristen Skordilis, the owner of Koros boutique. With such a frankly fabulous lifestyle, as you can imagine, Kristen is exposed to a barrage of new experiences, art forms and fashions. She handpicks her favorite works of art that she humbly tells us, “I just sort of happen upon, almost as if they’ve found me.”

One might surmise that Kristen would have a hard time finding a place to settle down, with all the travel and city hopping that she does, but her love of Chicago is palpable. And, she’s found a fantastic fit in Chicago’s West Loop Gallery District. It is here that she has poured her fabulous energy and love into her elegant and modern boutique, Koros. The store is quite aptly named; (Koros is the Greek Goddess of joy) walking in the door, you can’t help but revel in the fascinating juxtaposition of unusual, antique displays and sophisticated clothing lines. Another creative feature of Koros is its gallery aspect. The store features the work of hand selected artists (many of whom are locally based). It provides a new forum for art and places it in a context outside of the typical gallery. Kristen found the impetus from many of her West Loop neighbors; “Along Lake Street, I sit among so many amazing galleries and there is so much creative energy in the West Loop. It just seemed natural to be a part of that.”

Kristen is a fantastic force who genuinely is vested in the promotion of the arts in Chicago. She’s clearly proud to be a part of the art community and does her part to promote the arts. An art collector and aficionado herself, Kristen understands the importance of having a thriving artistic community and her only complaint with Chicago is that there’s “...so much to see and not enough time to see it.”

The personal style found in the furnishings and designers Kristen carries in Koros translates to her own art collection. While she confesses to purchasing art for “emotional reasons” rather than as complete investments, she’s quick to see the currency value of art. With an appreciation as vast as Kristen’s, she’s the first to admit that she’s drawn to a variety of styles. Currently, she’s nursing a fascination with Jean-Michel Basquiat. Though on a more approachable level, she’s coveting an “amazing ivory tusk complete with about eight carved horses that set my heart pounding at a collectors shop
in New York.”

With a respect and admiration for the arts, combined with a love and business sense for fashion, Kristen is one of the first to comment on the symbiotic nature of fashion and art. For spring, she credits the influence of modern art with, “color, and lots of interesting effects with cutting and draping...some silhouettes seem more sculptural and architectural in design.” So many of the gorgeous lines that Skordilis stocks at Koros are also pieces of art in themselves.
-Kari Skaflen

Meet Leslie Hindman, owner Leslie Hindman Auctioneers