Canada-based Stefanie's boutique makes Palm Beach debut in Via Amore

Women's fashion boutique Stefanie's made its Palm Beach debut Wednesday; but for owner Stefanie Hill, it is not the first time a business of hers has opened in town.

While staggered RSVPs due to COVID-19 and rainy weather kept the crowd to an intimate size during the grand opening event, many of those familiar with the Canadian label attended.

The pandemic, Hill said, is what ultimately pushed her to return to Palm Beach, after years of visiting during the season and keeping the thought of a satellite shop in the back of her mind.

“In Toronto, being opened and closed through last year and the year before, I thought, ‘OK, let’s give it a go,'” she said. “ [This location] just sort of fell into my lap.”

Located at 256 Worth Ave. in Via Amore, Stefanie's Palm Beach is the boutique's second storefront. In Toronto, where Hill spends part of the year, she opened the first Stefanie’s location 18 years ago.

Hill has years of business experience in Palm Beach already. Throughout the 1980s, she owned and operated the women's boutique Chez Catherine along Worth Avenue with her late mother, Catherine.

“So many of my Canadian clients are down here, and the international crowd here is always terrific to have exposure to,” she said. “I am most grateful that I am here again, able to open my doors in beautiful Via Amore, have fresh air, look at the courtyard and have people come in.”

Jules Aron, a Palm Beach health and wellness coach from Montreal, said she admired Stefanie's while in Canada, so when she heard that a second location was coming to Palm Beach, she had to check it out.

“She really knows how to choose her clothes,” Aron said.

When not in Toronto or Palm Beach, Hill said she often travels to fashion capitals of the world, where she sources smaller designers unique to the city and town. Although small, she said, the designers in her boutique use the same quality fabrics and materials that are seen on the runway.

Described as “a little bit of this, a little bit of that, and not a lot of anything,” both locations offer clients a variety of jewelry, accessories and clothing from "fashion-forward" European labels that are hard to find elsewhere. Clients can also find a selection of pieces directly from Stefanie’s clothing line.

With years in the fashion business as the owner of several other boutiques, Hill said by the time she opened Stefanie’s, the fashion industry had evolved.

“When I opened my own store 18 years ago, fashion had changed. Women would wear a T-shirt from the Gap with a Chanel jacket, or not be as concerned about wearing a brand,” she said. “I think over the years, it’s become even more so to that effect. That’s the direction I took."

“I am always looking for different pieces that can be mixed and matched, that reflect different sizes, different tastes,” she said.

COVID-19's halt on travel meant Hill needed to take a different approach in sourcing pieces. Rather than flying across the Atlantic, she said she had to launch an e-commerce store and make connections with her vendors online. The pandemic, she said, also has led her to add pieces to her inventory that are tailored to today’s work-from-home lifestyle, such as loungewear and slippers.

During the grand opening, models Lauren Joy Baranowski and Tiffany Martin each stepped out in five nearly head-to-toe Stefanie looks, ranging from elegant evening wear to causal knits with trendy graphics.

“The outfits are all super-cute. She has a nice mix. Her collection is widespread, and all beautiful,” Baranowski said.

Also dressed in all Stefanie’s was Dorothy Reitman, who said she not only is a fan of the fashion label but also a longtime friend of Hill. “Half of my wardrobe is Stefanie’s,” she said. “Her mother and she used to service to me when I used to go to her boutique.”

Among the big-name designers carried by Chez Catherine, which began in Toronto, were Giorgio Armani, Gianfranco Ferré, Gianni Versace, and Valentino, Hill noted.

Now, Hill said, she wants to introduce smaller labels to the island, a place that is well-acquainted with big designers.

“Coming back to Palm Beach in the form of Stefanie’s is a bit like coming home,” Hill said. “I was in Palm Beach before for many years. I love Palm Beach. I love the Avenue.”

rharper@pbpost.com

@rachida_harper

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Canada-based Stefanie's boutique makes Palm Beach debut in Via Amore