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Executive Lifestyles
Women's Fashion
Pumped up
 Debi Rodi. Photo: Scott Wiseman |
Shoes have been a passion for Debi Rodi since she was 12. At times, she has 150 pairs in her closet. Now she's putting her footwear designs in other women's closets.
Rodi has been in the fashion industry for more than 20 years. In 2005, she sold her popular Nicole Miller boutique in Winter Haven.
Within a year, she moved to Palm Beach to open a shoe boutique, The Pink Pump, and introduce her own label. She aims to produce fashionable, comfortable shoes priced between $200 and $300.
Rodi currently has 25 styles in her line. The Regina mule is her most popular -- as well as her favorite. With a fashionable pointy toe and midsized heel, "you can wear it with suits or jeans," she says.
 The Regina mule |
The shoes are made in a factory outside of Florence, Italy. They're sold at Rodi's Pink Pump as well as at Pratt's Shoe Salon in Naples and Bill Pinner Footwear in Gainesville. Rodi plans to open more Pink Pump stores but for now is pleased to be making a name for herself among the well-heeled and fashionably dressed of Palm Beach.
? Where They're Sold: The Pink Pump, 326 Peruvian Ave. on the north end of Worth Avenue's Via de Mario or online at thepinkpump.com.
Style Setter
 Karen Weiner Escalera |
Karen Weiner Escalera, president and CEO of marketing company KWE Group, says the most important fashion accessory is the necklace. "It lights up the face," says Escalera, whose Miami company specializes in the travel, hospitality and lifestyle industries.
"When in business, you're sitting at a desk or having lunch at a table, and what does your business associate see? They see you from the waist up."
Escalera is well-known among her peers and clients for having an amazing collection of accessories acquired over years of travel. She doesn't shop the international brands but searches for the one-off boutiques where she can find something unique, such as the 4- to 5-inch-wide cinch belt with nail heads she discovered in Bali.
In the Bag
Many women have a love-hate relationship with handbags. They want function. They want versatility. And, of course, the bag must match their outfits. Enter Jane Lang. By day she's a vice president and financial adviser at Raymond James in Boca Raton. Off hours, she's created a small company selling handbags that are long on both style and practicality.
 Jane Lang |
Lang's bag includes a basic, messenger-style component with slots for must-haves such as wallet, cell phone, BlackBerry, glasses, etc. The design of the bag, however, allows the user to change its appearance without having to unpack items and move them to a different bag: The flap that covers the main component can be unfastened and replaced with a flap of different design or color. Choices include leather, canvas or printed fabrics. The bags are manufactured in Costa Rica and come in medium and large, starting at $85 for fabric and $160 for leather. Flaps range from $18 to $35.
 No need to move contents from one bag to another with Jane Lang's replaceable handbag flaps. |
? Where They're Sold: Lang's designs are sold at Evangeline's and Look Great Day Spa, both in Boca Raton, and online at janelangonline.com.
After Hours
 Kim Bolufé |
Palm Beach boutique Bolufé caters to movie stars and business professionals alike when it comes to dressing down. "We carry what the celebrities are wearing when they're off the red carpet," says owner Kim Bolufé. Tommy Lee, Paula Abdul and Aerosmith members frequent her shop.
Says Bolufé: "The career woman, she's dressed in a business suit all day; she wants to feel just as good in her casual wear."
Bolufé's look is cutting-edge casual. It's main component is denim -- high-end denim like J-Brand, Paige Premium Denim, Siwy, and We the People. She also carries flowing silk tops by Alice and Trixie and studded belts from Leatherock.
Bolufé and her husband, Carl, opened their first store 15 years ago in Boca Raton's Mizner Park, followed by another in Town Center, also in Boca Raton, and then CityPlace in West Palm Beach. A fourth is scheduled to open in July at Miami's Dadeland Mall.
