Aria Rose Goes From Online to Brick and Mortar
The Latest Women’s Boutique in the Gables
In the current climate of COVID-19, opening a retail store seems to be a risky, if not unthinkable venture. But not for Lauren Patao, the owner of Aria Rose women’s boutique. She is a young, ambitious, smart businesswoman who had great success launching her brand online in August 2018. Now, just two years later, she has gone brick and mortar.
This is not her first pivot. When coronavirus hit in mid-March, she immediately focused her online efforts to highlight loungewear and comfortable, cozy sets. Her marketing message was all about looking and feeling good while at home. Existing clients and a whole new fan base paid attention, so much so that she decided to open her first storefront at a premier location in the heart of the Gables.
Born and bred here, Lauren has always had a love of fashion and a great entrepreneurial spirit – even in elementary school, where she and some friends started a magazine. During her college years at the University of Miami, she launched her first fashion and lifestyle blog called “The Fashionista’s Diary.”
“I truly believe that the blog helped me open Aria Rose… Thanks to my loyal blog followers, aka the TFD Tribe, we were able to open a store with a great foundation of followers-turned-customers,” she says. “It’s the City Beautiful and I am grateful to have my store here.”
As a self-professed shopaholic, Patao created Aria Rose partly due to her own frustration with the local shopping experience. Here she has created an environment where customers want to linger and shop and talk, with an Instagram-worthy wall, ceiling swing and pink couch for all the best selfies. She fuses shopping with personal styling and is working on several collaborative events to bring her Aria Rose Girl community together.
The store offers feminine, flirty, comfy, wearable pieces and sets, most for under $100, with accessories that include Kendra Scott and Gorjana jewelry, shoes, and a large selection of gifting items. She is the only local boutique to carry the Stony Clover Lane brand, a highly sought after monogram gifting collection. One of the most unique things she’s doing right now is offering pre-made and wrapped dry flower arrangements from local Coral Gables florist House of Lilac. These are the perfect hostess or thank you gift, and since they are dried, they will last as long as you want to display them.
For the fall and holidays, customers will see a great selection of Miami-appropriate sweaters, ribbed dresses, detailed blouses and flowy pieces. Aria Rose will continue to concentrate on comfortable, quality clothes that clients want to wear while at home – or when starting to venture out more. She will also bring in a few sparkly pieces for entertaining at home during the holidays. “We want all of our customers to feel empowered and like the best version of themselves when they wear Aria Rose.”
You can find new arrivals weekly on ariarose.com and on social media at @shopariarose.
Kim Rodriguez is a personal stylist and shopper whose clients include many Coral Gables residents. Krpersonalstyle.com
Aria Rose
305 Palermo Ave.
305.603.8768
ariarose.com