Confectionary Charm

Photography by Michael Caronchi

While Italian music first lures you into Antica Sartoria in Naples, the bright and colorful fashions are what makes this boutique stand out. One-of-a-kind bathing suits, caftans, shift dresses, flowing skirts, billowing blouses, handbags, and accessories line the shop like candy buttons, making it hard to resist their confectionary charm. Turquoise and white are the favorite colors here, along with a palette of rich golden hues reminiscent of an Amalfi Coast sunset. In fact, all the clothing and accessories are hand-selected and imported from Italy.

“I walked into an [Antica Sartoria] store in Capri in 2016 while on a family vacation and fell in love with everything about the collection and its beachy chic style,” recalls co-owner Renee Schaefer. After trying on almost every piece of clothing in the store, then buying as much as she could stuff into her suitcase before heading home, she had an aha moment. She knew she had to bring this brand to the United States. Like most successful entrepreneurs, Schaefer saw a void in the marketplace and was determined to fill it. She and her partner, Curtis Segretto, met with Antica Sartoria’s designer, Giacomo Cinque, to obtain the rights to sell his apparel and accessories in the United States. The idea was an instant success, and Schaefer and Segretto now also operate locations in Palm Beach Gardens, Delray Beach, and Key West.

For Schaefer, much of success is the ability to blend her passion with her profession. “I love the ocean, and Cinque’s designs are so reflective of a bohemian beach vibe,” she says. “It truly embodies who I am, who I have become.”

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