A PURVEYOR OF MENSWEAR

If you scroll through CasaNova’s Instagram account, past four dozen posts or so, you’ll find a black and white snapshot. In it, an outwardly happygo-lucky owner Kate Dagianis can be seen through the door to her newly opened boutique, looking out over an uncharacteristically lonesome Main Street in Nashua, New Hampshire. When this picture was taken, Dagianis was in full demolition mode. She was scraping a rather old decal sticker off the door when a stranger with a professional-grade digital camera turned the corner. They gestured to her as if to say, “Ma’am, would you like your picture taken?” As one can surely imagine, the photographer snapped a photo or two. While in conversation, she explained that at this moment, she felt “excitement, amazement, fear, anticipation, and gratitude.” Moreover, Dagianis compared her feelings to that of a brand-new parent. She would be building a business idea from the ground up, creating a store front for her budding Menswear apparel.

“Exhausted where you’re not sure what day it is, and every day fee ls like a bit of a blur,” said Dagianis.

She remembers times when she felt anything but confident, and received small, covert signs, or omens. To be more specific, Dagianis recalls crossing paths with a magnificent Monarch butterfly, her grandmother’s spirit animal. Grateful for such signals, as well as the people and surrounding community, she called it “nothing short of magic.”

Other suitable expressions for this described magic might be bright or new possibilities. The name CasaNova is intentionally capitalized, right in the middle, highlighting a larger commentary. In Spanish, casa means “house” or “home.” And nova is of Latin origin, meaning “bright new star” CasaNova is the house of a bright new man.

If you make your way to 147 Main Street, in Nashua, New Hampshire you’ll find this premier men’s boutique, CasaNova. Quite conveniently, the store is located at the center of the downtown scene. If you’re perusing their website, they’ve got just about everything you could possibly wish for: super-soft tri-blend Miller High Life emblazoned t-shirts, a stylish, faded black pant that’s somewhere between a 5-pocket and jogger pant, subversive Paul Smith canvas high tops, and immediately recognizable apothecary.

Men’s fashion is stigmatized, but it’s undeniable that the conversation is changing. If you’re not convinced, consider a designer such as Jerry Lorenzo, at Fear of God. Then you’ve got Thom Browne, and his eponymous line whose shrunken suits and plaid short-shorts became famous during the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2018 NBA postseason run. When asked which men’s clothing brands inspired the conception of CasaNova, Dagianis mentioned The Marine Layer, Long Wharf, and Hiroshi Kato. Among these three, there are commonalities. They all offer strong, durable garments that are responsibly sourced. The garments are classic, timeless, and effortless; they’re a revamped version of menswear pieces. It’s a matter of finding brands that can meet men wherever they are in their fashion journey. Providing fashion for curated, undaunting retail spaces. That’s exactly why the decision to open a boutique, as opposed to some other sort of shopping environment, was the right plan for Dagianis. A boutique shopping experience takes the guesswork out of building your wardrobe. Furthermore, the consumer is walking into a curated space that has hand-selected items to meet any and all of their fashion needs.

It’s not just men’s fashion that Dagianis and the CasaNova team dabble in; they have involved themselves with the ever-evolving men’s health movement as well. To be more specific, CasaNova recently hosted an inaugural live fashion show fundraiser at the Nashua Country Club to support the Movember organization. For those who aren’t aware, Movember is the leading charity challenging the stigma of male-oriented wellness. The organization routinely takes on such issues as mental health and suicide prevention, as well as prostate and testicular cancer. You may be familiar with the annual mustache growing event held during November each year that acts as a fundraiser for the cause. In addition to their charity outreach, CasaNova Men’s Boutique attended the Boston Fashion Awards, eagerly reaching for a few awards and a new young audience. This year marked the 10th annual event, held at the breathtaking Liberty Hotel in Boston, MA. CasaNova was nominated in the Retailer category, alongside Covet Boston, Denise Hajjar Marina Bay, and Soodee Boutique. In order to expand her business to the local Boston community, Dagianis sourced male students from Lasell University to act as her models for the show. These students gained realworld industry experience, many of whom said they enjoyed the night. This ought to be enough to convince you of Kate and the company’s standing in the greater Boston fashion community. Truly, the Boston Fashion Awards are a very, very prestigious function.

CasaNova Men’s Boutique is located at 147 Main Street, in Nashua, New Hampshire. They are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, they are closed Monday’s. Please check ahead of time as hours may vary.

Many menswear boutiques have tried to shift the winds of the industry, but CasaNova Nashua, has risen to the occasion, as a true purveyor of menswear.

@casanovanashua; casanovanashua.com

Spencer Villinski