Jupiter Magazine March 2023
Boutique Buzz: "O Sole MIIO" | By Liza Grant Smith
A New Jupiter Boutique Brings Exclsuive Italian Goods Stateside
You no longer need a passport and a plane ticket to Milan to stock your closet with fabulous Italian wares. Simply head to the new MIIO boutique in Jupiter's Driftwood Plaza to discover unique finds from authentic Italian artisans.
For more than three decades, Laura and John Mariano made regular trips to Italy to explore their heritage, enjoying incredible experiences and falling in love with the country's people and goods. In 2021, the couple founded MIIO Enterprises with the goal of bringing Italian products steeped in craftsmanship and beauty to the U.S. market. "We spent the last 18 months identifying, screening, and selecting suppliers based on each one's unique productions and fit within our curated MIIO experience," says Laura. "We met with almost every supplier in Italy--we visited their families and toured their factories and stores to be sure each fit within our mission."
The result is a beautifully designed storefront that, upon entry, gives one the sense that you are walking into a true Italian boutique. The walls are painted with gorgeous murals, and Italian videos play on monitors around the space. MIIO which stands for "Made in Italy Only" _launched a soft opening in November and, at press time, was set to officially open in early February. The boutique is stocked with Italian-made items including everything from leather handbags and jewelry to home goods and clothing, and every product has a rich story from the family business behind it. The boutique name is also a nod to the Italian personal possessive mio, to highlight the originality of the store's products. One would be hard-pressed to find these products anywhere else but in the streets and alleyways of Italian cities and villages more than half of the shop's approximately 25 suppliers are exclusive to MIIO in the United States.
Some covetable items at MIIO at the moment are the stunning jewelry pieces, which Laura notes "have already become a hit" with locals. We also exclusively carry the Float Collection and PluM duvets the first down fabric in the world created from a patented eco-sustainable process for the warmest and lightest duvet anywhere," she adds. "Our proprietary in-house men's button-down and linen polo shirts are made from the finest fabrics out of Como and finished by legendary Italian shirtmakers. And for the snowbirds, we have fabulous custom reversible fur vests produced in a small atelier in Florence." Clients have the ability to customize their purchases to create one-of-a-kind items, she notes. They also carry a fully Italian-made sunglass brand, JB3 Eyewear, created by their son, JB.
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