When one business closes, another one opens.
At least that’s the case for longtime St. Helena women’s clothing boutique Amelia Claire, set to open July 1 in the Lincoln Avenue space formerly occupied by the Calistoga Wine Stop.
Amelia Claire owner Rene Sculatti, 71, has operated the shop on St. Helena’s main street for 35 years, along with her men’s clothing store, Mario’s Napa Valley, also in St. Helena.
“I’m building a huge, fun closet that we all can play in,” Sculatti said of the new Calistoga location, which is roughly half the size of her St. Helena shop. “Building a new store does require a lot of effort, but we’re redoing the inside as quickly as we can.”
Sculatti is no stranger to Calistoga. She and her daughter, Amelia Claire, the store’s namesake, opened and operated Sole Provider shoe store in town from 2003 to 2009. Her son Mario Sculatti – for whom her men’s retail store, which opened in 1981, is named – is owner of the Vault Wine and Artifacts in downtown Calistoga.
With the lease on her Amelia Claire space expiring at the end of July, Sculatti said it was a business decision to relocate it to Calistoga.
“It was not part of the plan to move to Calistoga,” Sculatti admitted. “But I’ve always loved Calistoga. It’s a breezy, open, warm-and-fuzzy town. “There have been a lot of open storefronts in St. Helena,” she noted. “But they are expensive, and it’s cost prohibitive.”
Sculatti, a Los Angeles native, has operated businesses in Yountville, Napa. St. Helena, Calistoga and Marin for 50 years.
Her two children are fourth-generation St. Helenans on their father’s side, and because Sculatti named her two St. Helena retail shops after her children, she said, everyone knew the family growing up.
“We would walk down the street and people would say ‘hi Mario, hi Renee,’” she recalled. “And Mario would turn to me and say, ‘Mommy, are we famous?’”
Sculatti, who said she was initially hoping to retire in the next year, said she has signed a five-year lease for the 1441 Lincoln Ave. building, thus delaying any retirement plans.
“I love what I do, and I decided if I’m going to Calistoga, I want to invest in the space and I want to stay there a while.” she said.
In addition to reopening Amelia Claire in Calistoga, Sculatti said it is a goal of hers to hire and mentor a young, aspirational businesswoman.
“I’m looking for a junior partner who will be in business with me,” she said. “I’m good at what I do, but it would be great to mentor and nurture a younger girl who’s interested in the trade, who can develop something they love. I am passionate about that.”
The clothing Sculatti sells at Amelia Claire, she said, covers a broad assortment of designs and price ranges to accommodate all styles and budgets.
“People have always asked what my demographics are, but it's an eclectic mix of clothing and price ranges,” she said. “I like to be inclusive and to make fashion fun. I’m always seeking out young, new designers.”
