You don’t have to go to Paris or Naples, Italy to shop for designer clothing. In fact, you don’t even have to travel to New York City or even downtown Chicago.
Neapolitan Collection, which is located on Elm Street in downtown Winnetka, has the look and feel of a Parisian boutique, and merchandise that owner Kelly Golden said she knew was filling a niche on the North Shore when she opened the store 10 years ago.
“I saw such a great opportunity up here because nothing even close to this existed,” said Golden. “There are no high end department stores in the area, and there is a whole network of women who want to dress fashionably, and who used to have to shop in Paris to find unique pieces.”
Golden, who lives in Winnetka with her husband, Michael, and their three children, holds an MBA from Northwestern University, and had no retail or fashion experience when she opened Neapolitan.
She had previously spent years in the corporate world in different careers that included executive recruiting, marketing, strategy and real estate.
Working for companies like Anderson Consulting and Motorola, Golden said she thought of the idea for Neapolitan during the years she was traveling for work.
“In my free time, I would shop, and I always enjoyed fashion, and I would see stores that would inspire me,” she said. “I would come across exceptional customer service and a mix of products and I thought, ‘Why aren’t I experiencing this level of customer service in Chicago, along with a well-edited mix of fashion?’”
Neapolitan gets its name from two things: Golden’s love of the colors chocolate brown, pink and cream, and the fact that a “Neapolitan” person in Italy is said to be optimistic, outgoing and fun loving.
The store carries women’s high-end designer clothing, everything from bathing suits to jeans to dresses to ball gowns, as well as shoes, handbags and fine jewelry.
Describing the clothing as “classic, forever pieces,” Golden said she doesn’t buy what’s “hot,” but rather things that will still be relevant in five or 10 years.
“People like nice things, but they don’t want to flaunt it,” said Golden, who goes on buying trips to New York once a month, to Paris four times a year and to Milan and Florence two or three times a year. “People want to look elegant, but they don’t want to be flashy about it, and I appreciate that.”
Eve Bremen is a realtor, and the manager of Coldwell Banker’s Winnetka office. She has been a customer since Neapolitan opened.
“They offer a unique shopping experience in that their inventory is unique,” said Bremen, who buys jeans, suits for work and evening attire at the store. “The quality is outstanding, the service is amazing, and the pieces are things you don’t see everywhere.”
Cindy Galvin, of Winnetka, said fashion is very important to her, both personally and professionally.
“I love Kelly’s taste and I love clothes,” Galvin said. “She brought what I’d normally get in New York or Chicago into my backyard.”
In honor of its 10th year, Neapolitan arranged 10 trunk show and designer appearances that began in September and that will continue through January of 2014.
Fine jewelry designer, Kimberly McDonald will be at Neapolitan on Dec. 5 and 6, followed by Paris-based clothing designer, J. Mendel on Jan. 15 and 16.
“What I have bought there, I have had for a long, long time,” said Bremen. “I can pull it out 10 years later and it’s still fabulous. It’s special.”
Neapolitan Collection is located at 715 Elm St. in Winnetka. Visit them online at neapolitanonline.com.
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