Though she has shuttered her Newbury Street shop, Daniela Corte doesn’t plan to stop outfitting women in sun-loving bikinis, slinky separates, and leather-accented leggings.
Instead, customers seeking Corte’s chic, beachy style can head upstairs to her atelier on the second floor of 211 Newbury St., previously open by appointment only.
“The store has been a great avenue for brand awareness,” explains the designer and red-carpet regular. “But it was always a test for us, a way to get a sense of what works and what doesn’t.”
So for now, after nearly four years in the garden-level storefront, it’s back to the atelier-
only model for the designer and her staff of seven full-time employees. With the store closed, Corte will shift her focus to other facets of the business, including designing and traveling. The atelier is now open Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
And she’d like to open another store, a bigger one. While she has ruled out another Newbury Street spot, she has other ideas.
“It could be Chestnut Hill or the South End,” she says. “If I don’t find the right space, I’m also considering LA or Miami, where we have strong markets already. I’m excited about closing this chapter and opening a new one with new ideas.”
There’s no indication of where Corte will unpack her sleek ready-to-wear next, but for one of the city’s best-known fashion labels, the future is now.
Renata Certo-Ware can be reached at renata@scorpion
disco.com.