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PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID ANTHONY; PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANTS: BEKING JOASSAINT AND JOSEPH HOREJS IKRAM'S INSIGHTS The influential boutique owner shares her passions outside of fashion. ON THE WATERFRONT "I love the Chicago lakefront. I love the fact that there's a bike path, there's cement where you can bring towels and have a little picnic, and sand by the lake. It is just a gorgeous, super peaceful, super magnificent space." PLAYLIST "We listen to everything—from Kathleen Battle singing Mozart to Led Zeppelin." KITCHEN TIME "I cook for my family almost every day. I feel like I'm pouring a lot of love into something that I know they're going to appreciate." GOOD READS "The last book I read was Paul Tough's How Children Succeed, which has great insights on how important it is to be there for your kids from age zero to 6, but how you have another chance to inspire them at ages 15, 16, 17." piece in the store," she states firmly. "I have assistants who are fabulous, but at the end of the day it's one vision." That highly curated vision—honed during years spent working for the legendary Joan Weinstein at Oak Street institution Ultimo—has earned Goldman a veritable who's who list of clients, from CEOs and political figures to billionaire philanthropists. "[My clients] are leaders in their own right, so when I go on a buy I have to get them the best of the best. I don't care what it is. It has to be sublime. I'm fearless in my buying in that I believe in the product; therefore, I know that my clients will believe in it and love it." For Goldman, it's as much about making an emotional connection with her clients (whom she affectionately calls "my girls") as it is the clothing. "I care about my clients on a very deep level," she says, her gaze intent. "I want them to feel as beautiful as I see them. [When I am dressing someone,] there is no one else in the world in that moment." With that level of trust, Goldman is able to push these power- ful women outside of their sartorial comfort zone. "I listen to them, and I challenge them, and at the end it's a collaboration," she explains. "They don't come to me to buy a very simple something. They come to me because they want to look extraordinary." In discussing her success, Goldman—who was born and raised in Israel and came to Chicago at age 13 —is quick to pay homage to Weinstein. "I was a wild child under Joan's watch," admits Goldman, "but she never judged me or gave up on me. I remember saying to her at one point, 'I'd love to open a store one day.' She didn't respond with, 'Yeah, good luck.' What she said was, 'And maybe one day I will help you.' And she did end up helping me open Ikram." As seriously as she takes her business, though, Goldman is adamant that fashion is not the driving force in her life. "My passion doesn't come from clothes," she insists. "I'm moved by a lot of things—by the environment I'm in, by situations. You could tell me a story and even though I may not know you, you could make me cry. That kind of passion is just there [for me]. Is it a curse? Is it a gift? I don't know. But the reality is I live my life every day to the fullest… and that doesn't come from clothes or material things." What it does come from, to a great extent, is fam- ily—husband, Josh, and 5-year-old twin sons Aragon and Oberon. "I am not whole without Josh," Goldman says. "We've been together in previous lives, and I know in our next life we'll be together again. The boys are an extension of the two of us, and they make me want to work harder." She may be the most inf luential fashion figure in the city, but for Goldman, success is not about ego— it's about supporting artists who have dedicated their lives to the world of fashion. "I'm their soldier," she declares of her relationship with the designers she carries, "rallying on and making sure they are brought to an environment that can really showcase what they believe and love and do. I'm lucky to expe- rience that." Ikram, 15 E. Huron St., 312-587-1000; ikram.com MA CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Ikram Goldman's River North boutique, where items on display include luxe slip-on sneakers and a brigade of chicly styled mannequins. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 75 76 MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM PEOPLE View from the Top

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