CEO of Naples Fashion Week Roberta Beranek describes herself as a lifestyle entrepreneur with a relentless and fiery ambition that stems from her dad. “I’ve followed in his footsteps from a very young age, and I always wanted to be exactly like him,” expresses Beranek. “He was an attorney, a restaurateur, and a real estate investor. I learned from his entrepreneurial spirit.”
Beranek has always had a deep love for interiors and fashion since she was a child. “My first memory of design was when my dad built a playhouse for me in our backyard when I was 7 years old,” remarks Beranek. “It was a miniature replica of our house, and he let me have full range in designing it. I chose everything from the carpet to the fabric of the drapes to the door handle. I was already drawn to soft, neutral tones and subtle prints. Even then, I cared more about creating a feeling rather than just decorating a space.”
For her career, she was originally going to be a lawyer, then Beranek was diagnosed with cancer at age 19, completely changing her trajectory. “My dad told me to follow my dreams and do whatever I wanted,” she says. “Before that, I felt like I had to become a lawyer. I decided to go to design school in Chicago, where I took fashion design classes. I knew I wanted to become an interior designer, but taking so many fashion classes sparked everything for me.”
Naples holds a special place in Beranek’s heart. Her father began coming to Southwest Florida before her birth. He inherited a small fishing shack on Marco Island in the 1970s. “Since I was born, I spent every holiday break here,” remarks Beranek. “We transitioned to Naples in 2008, while my dad was continuously buying properties down here; he got me involved in real estate. I helped him scout and invest in properties, which made me become very attached to Naples. Through buying and selling [real estate], I really learned the neighborhoods, and even though I didn’t go to school here, I felt like I grew up here.”
As an adult, Beranek’s real estate projects were fluid, allowing her to work on a development project in Chicago and design and sell a single-family home while visiting Naples as her time permitted. When her dad passed away in 2019, she came here to reset. “I originally planned to stay for three months; however, then the pandemic hit, and I thought, ‘Why would I ever go back?,’ explains Beranek. “I ended up staying, and I knew I had to start from scratch professionally. My whole career had been built in Chicago. I knew about the real estate market here from helping my dad, but I knew I had to build my own path.”
That path ultimately led Beranek to acquire Naples Fashion Week (NFW) in 2023. At the time, she was recovering from a serious car accident, an unexpected pause that gave her the opportunity to reimagine what the event could become. During her recovery, she began laying the foundation for an ambitious future, officially relaunching NFW in 2025. In 2026, from March 27 to April 4, NFW came to life through an exciting lineup of international designers and immersive, shoppable runway experiences that further elevated the event’s profile and reach.
“It is growing year over year,” says Beranek. “At the end of the day, it’s about bringing together like-minded people who believe beauty is an art form and fashion has a purpose. It’s not just about clothes on a runway; I wanted it to become a cultural movement and a destination people travel for. My ultimate goal is for Naples Fashion Week to become the Naples Winter Wine Festival of fashion.”
Outside of Naples Fashion Week, Beranek loves to entertain, cook, and recharge at her serene, modern abode set within the Naples Design District. Outside of her infrared sauna and home theater, Beranek’s favorite room is her dining room, complete with a custom-designed table by local artisan Keith Fjelsted, owner of Fjelsted Nord in Naples. “We took a slab of wood and did something nontraditional,” expresses Beranek. “We bleached it, which pulled out the purple hues, then we set the entire slab in acrylic. I created the concept for the base of the table, and we had a welder fly down from Minnesota to hand-weld it. It took five guys to get the table into my house because it was handmade.”
Beranek’s love for art also comes alive inside her home with captivating works designed by New York artist Lina Valentina, who created pieces specifically for her. “I fell in love with her art online and started following her career,” notes Beranek. “She began getting celebrity exposure, and I saw her talent immediately. Much like the designers I bring to the runway, I do the same thing with the art in my home. I like to find up-and-coming artists and invest in them.”
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