Inside Look At Styled By Miami Design District Program

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Miami Design District

September marks the start of fashion month, with the opening of New York Fashion Week in early September to the closing of the month in Paris as designers debut their latest collections. To prepare for the month ahead, Haute Living got an exclusive look into the Miami Design District’s (MDD) personal styling program, Styled by Miami Design District. From Dior and Gucci to Tiffany & Co., the Miami Design District has become the home to the world’s top luxury brands; thus, the Styled by MDD program was designed to offer an elevated shopping experience. Below, we sat down with Danielle Merollo, the Director of Personal Shopping at the Miami Design District, and Dani de Cespedes, the Personal Shopper of the Miami Design District, to learn more about its inside offerings and one-of-a-kind services. 

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Styled by MDD

HAUTE LIVING: What is the Styled By MDD Program, and how did it start?
STYLED BY MIAMI DESIGN DISTRICT: Styled by MDD is a personal shopping program. We are here to make things curated and easy for everyone who wants to shop in the Miami design district. How did it start? That’s a funny story. This is such a unique program; it was developed in New York By Danielle Merollo. There has always been personal Shopping in Department stores; however, she found a way to create it for real estate companies that own retail developments, such as Miami Design District. So, I took her program and brought it to the Design District; since Danielle covered the North, I created it for South Florida. A year and a half later, we would team up together to make this an even better program!

HL: Can you walk us through the program? What does a typical day look like? 
SBMDD: This program has many layers. We are personal shoppers for every one of our brands. We work with all types of clients: Residential, travelers, celebrities, and hotels. You name it; we do it. My business is very special. I have had the luxury of working with some incredible people since I started my career. My days are never the same, and I think that is what makes me love my job. I work hand and hand with the best brands in the world. A simple day for me is hosting a client. That means getting what they want and need in their lives and wardrobes—making their time with me stress-free. We work with all the brands in MDD, even the furniture brands.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Miami Design District

HL: How has this program evolved over the years?
SBMDD: When I started this program in September 2019, I hit the ground running. Even though this program was successful in New York, I had to really curate it for the Miami lifestyle. Getting Florida brands to really adopt it was a small challenge. Then, as we know, the pandemic happened, and my phone didn’t stop ringing. The one-on-one service was the way to shop. My name and number were given out like a lottery ticket. I worked all the time, day and night, helping my brands and clients to facilitate what they were looking for.

HL: Why is Miami Design District the perfect neighborhood for this program?
SBMDD: Just look at it; we have the best of the best in everything. Where else do you find fashion, art, and food all in one place? My clients spend the day from having their hair blown out at IGK to getting their nails done at Vanity Project to shopping the best luxury and contemporary brands, and let’s not forget our restaurants—this is anyone’s playground!

 

HL: What is your favorite event you have curated styling for?
SBMDD: There are so many it’s hard to pick, but I would say the most personally rewarding is when I dress my clients for those very personal special occasions: weddings, honorees, TV performances, or even a vacation. I smile from ear to ear when my phone rings or I receive a text saying, “Dani, everything was perfect!”

HL: Tell us about the new styling suite and what this means for the next phase of the program.
SBMDD: We are so excited to have a permanent home. It will be the gem of the Miami Design District. To curate a room with the best that Miami Design District offers is truly a luxury service. Danielle and I have been working on all the details. We can’t wait to open it up to everyone. The next part of the program is that we will become a home base for shoppers that need assistance. 

Photo Credit: Robin Hill

For more information on the Styled by MDD program visit the website, here, and be sure to check out the new styling suite opening on September 16th.