Premium lifestyle brand’s first Midwest location is strategically built upon founder’s hometown ties
WILMETTE, Illinois – Johnnie-O, the premium lifestyle apparel brand rooted in East Coast tradition, West Coast casual, and Midwest grit, has announced the opening of a new retail location at Plaza del Lago in Wilmette, Ill., marking the brand’s first retail location in the Midwest and its 22nd store in operation.
Johnnie-O will bring its full menswear assortment to the new Wilmette location, offering guests the signature polos that started it all, plus the elevated Top Shelf Collection, the performance-driven Club Collection of golf apparel, and the Coffee Run Collection for active lifestyles. The store will also carry the boys’ collection, rounding out a destination for men and boys.
John O’Donnell founded Johnnie-O in 2005, selling four-button pocketed polos from the trunk of his car. Two decades later, this opening marks a meaningful milestone for the founder, who grew up near Wilmette. Bringing Johnnie-O to Plaza del Lago represents both an exciting next chapter in the brand’s U.S. retail expansion and a personal homecoming for O’Donnell within a community that helped shape his early years.
“The Midwest has always been part of Johnnie-O’s DNA. It’s where the grit in our story comes from. Opening our first store here on the North Shore, in a place I know like the back of my hand, just feels right. This isn’t just another pin on the map for us. It’s personal,” said John O’Donnell, founder of Johnnie-O.
Retail expansion is a key component of Johnnie-O’s long-term strategy, and in 2026 alone, the brand is on track to double its physical footprint.
“A store is one of the places the whole brand comes to life. Customers can feel the fabrics, see the collections side by side and experience Johnnie-O the way it’s meant to be experienced. That connection is good for our customers and good for our business. The markets where we show up in person are the ones growing fastest across every channel, which is why we’re excited to keep expanding in communities like Wilmette and retail destinations like Plaza del Lago,” said Matt Ferrer, president of Johnnie-O.
Johnnie-O joins Plaza del Lago’s growing collection of elevated fashion and lifestyle brands, including Veronica Beard, rag & bone, James Perse, LoveShackFancy, Thom Browne and Hill House Home, with Hermès, Oscar de la Renta and ZIMMERMANN coming soon.
For more information and updates on Johnnie-O, visit johnnie-o.com.