Baby Clothing Store For the Perfect Gift
Cynthia Lopez-Rivas brings Baby’s Touch to Coral Gables
On Alcazar and Le Jeune sits a very unassuming office building that houses one of the cutest “little” shops I’ve come across. Called Caprilina, it’s a Baby Clothing Store that specializes in monogramming everything for babies and is open to the public despite its tucked away location.
The business is the brainchild of Cynthia Lopez-Rivas. Cynthia is a native Miamian, who graduated from FIU with a finance degree and is now a wife and mother of two young kids. Her major helped her follow her dream and build the business from a tiny closet operation in her parents’ home three years ago to the successful baby brand it is today.
“I wanted to use my finance degree in a unique way. I love that I’m able to run a business and do what I love.” As for her address, “Coral Gables does a great job catering to small businesses. I couldn’t imagine a better location for Caprilina.”
When asked about the inspiration behind the store’s name and its bunny logo, she says bunnies are not only tender, but symbolize abundance, fertility, sentiment and desire. Perfect branding for a baby lineI, I think. And the name Caprilina is a combination of Lopez-Rivas’ zodiac sign, Capricorn, and the name of her daughter, Angelina. She says it’s her Capricorn traits that gave her the strength to chase her dreams and fulfill them. She is hardworking, stubborn, responsible, and passionate, all of which are attributes still with her three years later. “These traits are what my shop is built on,” says Lopez-Rivas.
All the cuteness is designed in her store/workroom, which is also her one-year old’s playground. You can find onesies in every color, simple or with ruffles, solids or stripes, bathing suits, sun hats, rash guards, bows, blankets, and their newest addition of nylon pouches in three sizes, perfectly fitted for all your baby gear needs.
The best (I saved this for last) is the personalized monogramming. You can work with her and her team to create the colors of the embroidery, the fonts, and the design. You can also create gift baskets at the shop to be hand delivered to the parents to be. Or you could just pick up one of the softest pima cotton blankets you’ll ever feel, from Peru.
Lopez-Rivas’ customers aren’t just moms or moms-to-be, but family, friends, and coworkers, all looking for that very special, personalized baby gift. “I love playing a special part in such an exciting time in families’ lives,” she says.
You can pop in to shop from noon till 5 pm on weekdays, or from 11 am to 2 pm on Saturdays. You can also order your special pieces directly from their website www.caprilina.com. Lopez-Rivas says most customers prefer to come in and experience the store, touch the quality of the fabrics, and pick out very personal items for each purchase.
Kim Rodriguez is a Personal Stylist and Shopper whose clients include many Coral Gables residents