SHOP STORIES: SAVED

Welcome to this special interview! Today we introduce you to Carolina, the inspiring woman behind SAVED , a charming boutique located in an 18th century historical monument, in the heart of Lugo di Romagna, Italy. Carolina defines herself as a curious woman, always in search of knowledge, with an eclectic personality and a positive and joyful spirit. Her love for work and her passion for connecting with people led her to embark on this exciting adventure.

However, in May of this year, SAVED was faced with an unexpected challenge when the historic centre of Lugo was hit by severe flooding, impacting Carolina’s shop. Despite this setback, Carolina showed courage and determination in facing adversity with optimism and perseverance. She worked tirelessly to restore and revitalise her beloved shop, transforming this experience into an opportunity to be reborn and further strengthen the bond with the community. Here is a brief interview with her.

Who is Carolina? How would you define yourself?

I am the owner of SAVED , a small boutique located in an 18th century historical monument in the heart of Lugo di Romagna.

I consider myself a curious person, constantly researching, I have an eclectic personality and a positive and cheerful attitude, this has always led me to work in contact with people and to love my job.

When did you open SAVED? Could you briefly tell us the story of your store? What inspired you to take the plunge and open your own business?

I opened SAVED in September 2019, a few months after I came back from a trip. SAVED happened a bit by chance, I had been doing that job for about ten years, I had started my own clothing brand in 2017 while working part-time at another store, I was actually more focused on developing my brand before I quit and resigned from my job to follow my dreams. I had bought a lot of handicrafts in Mexico thinking: if one day I have my own store...

Moving from Yucatan to New York, where I was fascinated by so many boutiques and independent stores and doing research, I came across a store inside a real house, which sold home upholstery, crafts and unique pieces, there I thought that I would like a store like that, like a second home for me, but also for the clients, a special place, this store was called SAVED.

Back from our honeymoon, I participated in a municipal auction, winning the bid and getting my special place in a wonderful historical monument.

Perhaps the current moment, because of what happened, is one of those that you will always remember, but do you have any good moments from these years at SAVED that you will always remember fondly?

The environmental catastrophe that hit us in May is, unfortunately, just another item on the list of disastrous events we have had to deal with over the past four years.

It's been 4 years since I opened my store, but the moment I remember most fondly was during the pandemic, when, 7 months into my adventure, so many people contacted me to buy and support my business.

It was nice to see that so many people trusted me, but above all that they knew about me, or rather, about our existence.

What do you think our philosophy brings to SAVED or to your clients?

In my opinion, the love, the care, the attention to detail, the elaboration of their products, the quality of the materials and the taste for design, this is what I appreciate about Naguisa and I think my clients do too.

What is it like to work with the Naguisa team? What makes us different?

I like working with companies that are not excessively large, that value the importance of relationships between the people they work with and that do not turn their distributors into mere numbers.

I think this is a very common characteristic both in brands that work with their philosophy and in retailers like us, who are small businesses where relationships and contacts with end customers are still being established.

Of all our designs so far, which have been your favorites?

Madly in love with the RACO SQUARED YELLOW that I almost always wear this summer, the winter SOC from NAGUISA LIFE is fantastic, they have been my faithful companions both at home and at work, and I'm waiting to have BAMBA here.