ITALICA · Discover

How Maria Decides What Sarasota Wears Next

Choosing a season is not shopping. It is guessing the future for women you know.

1 · The women

Buying for a woman, not a runway

A runway is theater; a boutique in Sarasota is real life. Maria starts from the customer and works backward.

2 · The climate

A long, warm shoulder season

A Gulf-coast fall is a few cool evenings and many over-air-conditioned rooms. What single piece would refresh a closet she already has.

3 · The faces

Actual customers, not personas

The ones who come in twice a season and say what they wore something to, and where it let them down.

4 · The questions

Three stubborn questions

Will it earn its place in a warm climate. Will the color flatter the women who shop here. Can it be worn three ways across two seasons.

ITALICA

An early look at the cooler months

See what Maria is choosing next.

See the knitwear edit