Leica Store and Gallery Chicago: Grand Opening
May 1, 2026 | Leica Store, Vignettes
Introduction
CHICAGO, IL, May 1, 2026: Leica Camera AG and its worldwide subsidiaries can be trusted to put on a good show. It is in their DNA. The grand opening of the new flagship Leica Store and Gallery, Chicago was no exception. I have had the good fortune of attending grand opening ceremonies in Mexico City, New York City and now Chicago, Leica’s first store in the Midwest, and I can confidently say that a good time was had by all. The event was oversubscribed with approximately 1,100 RSVPs!
800 N. Michigan Avenue - Leica's newest store and gallery mit Leica M11 und Leica Noctilux-M 1:0.95/50mm ASPH.
Location
Marketing 101 courses talk about the importance of location, location, location, and this location delivers. In spades. Mike Giannattasio has firmly planted another Leica flag, this time on 800 N. Michigan Avenue, opposite the iconic Chicago Water Tower, in a beautiful multi-level space formerly occupied by Bottega Venetta, sharing a footprint with a Grand Hyatt and its Private Residences. The new store embodies Leica’s Retail 2.0 concept with dedicated spaces for product displays including the camera families, watches, Cine and accessories. Plenty of shelf space for books. A room in the back is optimized for Leica Cine home theater projection and prospective buyers are in for a treat. The upstairs area has walls and walls for photographic displays and is just perfect for Akademie classes and soon-to-come LSI Chicago LUG meetups using our new online platform. Sensor cleanings onsite - what a useful service for Leica customers, and I made sure to take advantage of it! I should have brought all my bodies with me hehehe.
A new crown jewel mit Leica M11 und Leica Noctilux-M 1:0.95/50mm ASPH.
Glorious outside and in mit Leica M11 und Leica Noctilux-M 1:0.95/50mm ASPH.
Glorious outside and in mit Leica M11 und Leica Noctilux-M 1:0.95/50mm ASPH.
Plenty of retail space mit Leica M11 und Leica Noctilux-M 1:0.95/50mm ASPH.
Glorious books on display mit Leica M11 und Leica Noctilux-M 1:0.95/50mm ASPH.
A heritage site built in 1917 mit Leica M11 und Leica Noctilux-M 1:0.95/50mm ASPH.
Leica Camera Inc. commemorated the event with a special “Chicago Edition” camera based on the Leica M11-P platform, covered in a special boysenberry-colored wrap. Only 17 were made available and 42 folks want one!
Mike Giannattasio proudly showcases the "Chicago Edition", 1 of 17 special M11-P based commemorative bodies.
The store is helmed by Tamara Nicole, an amazing lady with a background in luxury retail and I am so glad Leica was able to get her onboard. Despite the craziness accompanying a new store opening, she spent some time with me and I was super-impressed. Leica’s new crown jewel is in good hands - that is for sure.
The Event
The Grand Opening event was superb and well-organized. Spread over three days, it follows a tried, tested and optimized playbook with a ribbon cutting, speeches, a chief guest, rich hors d’oeuvres and libations, and tons of Leica family bonding.
Ribbon cutting mit Leica M10 Monochrom und Leica APO-Summicron-M 1:2/50mm ASPH.
Ribbon cutting mit Leica M10 Monochrom und Leica APO-Summicron-M 1:2/50mm ASPH.
Karin Rehn-Kaufmann, Global Director of Leica Galleries Worldwide, and Mike Giannattasio, President, Leica Camera Inc., with geographic responsibility for North and Latin America, were our hosts. It has been a pleasure to be a recipient of their gracious hospitality on multiple occasions and they did not disappoint. Chief Guest for this event: the one and only Craig Semetko. Those who know him are aware of his fantastic personality, great sense of humor and wonderful photography. The first anchor exhibition at this new store calls on “Life Unposed”, based on “America Unposed“, Craig’s latest book and the third in his incredible “Unposed” series. Lucas Zenk, Gallery Curator, did an amazing job curating a series of images representing Craig’s prowess. I cannot think of a better luminary photographer who embodies all of Chicago. It was wonderful to spend some time with him. I first met Craig in 2014 for the Leitz-Park inauguration, and we have become close friends. I am so happy for him.
Mike Giannattasio makes opening remarks mit Leica M10 Monochrom und Leica APO-Summicron-M 1:2/50mm ASPH.
Karin Rehn-Kaufmann introduces Craig Semetko mit Leica M10 Monochrom und Leica APO-Summicron-M 1:2/50mm ASPH.
Karin Rehn-Kaufmann introduces Craig Semetko mit Leica M10 Monochrom und Leica APO-Summicron-M 1:2/50mm ASPH.
Karin Rehn-Kaufmann, Craig Semetko and Lucas Zenk at Craig's opening talk mit Leica M10 Monochrom und Leica APO-Summicron-M 1:2/50mm ASPH.
Craig makes a point during the discussion on Day Two mit Leica M11 und Leica Noctilux-M 1:0.95/50mm ASPH.
Karin highlighted key anniversaries- twenty years of retail and fifty years of Galleries. She also referenced LSI multiple times and welcomed our members to the event. Frankly, any Leica gathering involves meeting up with old friends and making new ones. It was great to spend time with Bill Rosauer, Marke Gilbert, Jon Cheffings, Jeff Trilling, and so many others. Jeff graciously offered up his home for a pre-event cocktail party which was enjoyed by a few of us before we headed the store for the opening festivities.
Waiting for the elevator after Jeff's cocktail party - headed to the Leica Store and Gallery Chicago Grand Opening.
I see you mit Leica M11 und Leica Noctilux-M 1:0.95/50mm ASPH.
Marke und Jon mit Leica M10 Monochrom und Leica APO-Summicron-M 1:2/50mm ASPH.
Leica Camera AG was out in full force, and in addition to Karin, Andreas Voll (new CEO of Leica Camera AG), Kurt Doyran (global Head of Retail), Max Kaufmann (ACM) and others were on hand along with the incredible US team: Rob Passman, Nathan Kellum-Pathe, Ramon Diaz, Mary-Irene Marek, and others. Key individuals had flown in from all corners of the country to lend a hand and support the new Leica baby, both before and during the grand opening, and what a perfect beauty she is.
I am grateful to be a part of our global Leica family, and appreciated the opportunity to witness firsthand the culmination of many months of extremely hard work and attainment of a major milestone. Congratulations to all. She’s beautiful.
mit freundlichen grüßen,
Chats aka Chatsphotog
Amitava “Chats” Chatterjee ("Chatsphotog") is very active in the global Leica community. A Leica Society International Executive Committee board member (come join us!), he is published in The Viewfinder and its Associate Editor/proofreader-at-large. He frequents various Facebook Leica Photography groups and believes he is the founder of the IG hashtag #ChasingLeitz. You can find him at www.chatsphotog.com, Facebook (@Chatsphotogpilot), Instagram (@Chatsphotog) or Medium (@Chatsphotog). You can also buy him a coffee!