Retailer Spotlight is our series featuring clothing and accessory brands that may not be household names, but are exciting, fashion forward and chic and perfect for the curvy ladies this magazine caters to. This week we had the chance to sit down with Christopher DeGaetano of Santa Fe Apparel, an amazing company based out of New York that creates outerwear lines for kids and adults.
Tell us about Santa Fe Apparel. How did it get started and the lines that are produced
Santa Fe Apparel is a family business established in 1995 by Joseph DeGaetano and his partner, Victor Rousso. In 1998 the company’s flagship label, CoffeeShop, was created for young women looking for trendy, fun outerwear with great quality at a reasonable prices. In 2006 I joined my father, Joseph, at the company. My sister, Mary Shawn, came on board 6 months later in the Spring of 2007.
Since the creation of CoffeeShop, the company has launched a number of labels dedicated to meeting the changing needs of our first CoffeeShop customers. Our missy line, Mo-Ka, was created for those CoffeeShop customers that were now looking for more timeless styles, but still craving the fashion and fun that CoffeeShop is known for.
LatteBLACK, our contemporary line, was launched for CoffeeShop customers that were looking for more sophistication in their outerwear, utilizing better fabrics and a more European look. In 2007, Santa Fe Apparel launched the CoffeeShop Kids line, enabling our original customers that have now moved on to the Mo-Ka and LatteBLACK lines to relive the fun of CoffeeShop with their own daughters and nieces.
With so many outerwear lines available, what makes Santa Fe Apparel special?
One of the best feelings a customer can have is to find a brand they love and have that brand grow with them. In addition to the great quality, styling, and price of our labels, the women that buy and love our brands know that as go through their lives, we will be there, from their first day of school until the day their own daughter attends her first day of school.
Describe the woman who would wear your lines
A CoffeeShop girl is a fun, smart, and energetic, young woman that loves fashion. She is trendy, always knowing the hottest styles and how to put them together, but also loves having a goods time with her friends and doesn’t take herself too seriously. And she appreciates the value of a quality made garment at a good price
A Mo-Ka women is looking for styles with a twist. The type of coat that will always be in style, but features something new. She wants a great fit, with great quality, at a reasonable price and will always notice the little details that make her coat both timeless and cutting edge.
A LatteBLACK women is looking for sophistication and fashion. She is modern, independent, and looking for a coat that describes her perfectly. She wants high quality and a unique look that is a true statement piece. A coat that says, “This is who I am”
A CoffeeShop Kids is a girl who makes everyone she meets smile. She wants to look just like her “big sister”, in CoffeeShop, and considers the whole world her playground.
Where can one find Santa Fe Apparel’s coats?
Our labels can be found in department and chain stores throughout the US and Canada, as well as over 500 specialty boutiques.
What’s next for Santa Fe Apparel?
We are really excited to be moving into the plus size category. Our plus size customer loves the styling of our lines, but wants a coat that is made with her in mind. We are now going to be able to offer her the perfect combination of fashion and function! We already have a few styles available in plus size, and are going to be expanding the collection greatly in 2014.
