I launched Capretto Girl during the darkest season of my life — this season. Capretto Girl was born out of so much uncomfortable change: divorce; the death of my beloved dog, Diego; familial strife; loss of what I thought was a lifelong friendship; a cross country move that, honestly, I have regretted at times; self doubt; financial woes; a big flare in my invisible chronic illness that threatened to derail me and the personal, professional, and medical progress I had made; a global pandemic that has changed everything I thought I knew to be true; and so much uncertainty. She was also born out of longing: longing for more for myself than what I have learned I deserve, longing for real love, longing for self love, longing for equilibrium.
And already, Capretto Girl has created new friendships and so much more certainty in my path and my purpose.
About a year ago, in November 2020, I was visiting Miami, the city in which I grew up, from San Diego, the city in which I had lived for the previous 12 years, when I drove through the town of South Miami and passed the old Capretto Shoes, my mother’s shoe store in South Miami that had closed in 2019. The iconic space was still vacant. My heart broke seeing the “For Lease” sign in the window. And I had what I thought was an “aha” moment: I would reopen the beloved store!
This set in motion months of planning and hard work and expenses, and ultimately led to my moving back to Miami in April 2021, with the goal of reopening Capretto. Alas, fate had other plans, as she often does, and 8 months after that fateful drive down Sunset Drive, for multiple reasons, I decided it was not the right time to open a brick and mortar store and I needed to pivot. So I did.
After much soul-searching, and after conferring with experts and friends, the idea for the current iteration of Capretto, Caprettogirl, was born. I love this project. I am so proud of it. My hope is that with a sprinkle of love, a dash of compassion, a pinch of understanding, and just a splash of nuance, perhaps we all can become Capretto girls.
Caprettogirl is more than an Instagram page, a website, and a blog (and other exciting launches coming soon – stay tuned!) — it is a community, a safe space, and a forever evolving conversation. I think of myself as a storyteller and a moment collector. Let’s tell our stories. Let’s collect moments. Together.
But in the meantime: read on! Follow me! Comment. Like. Save. Share. Be a part of this community. Your feedback is so important to me and both values and valuable. So let me know what you think!
For all things fashion, lifestyle, beauty, wellness, food, fitness, travel, love, sex, relationships, and fun, join me. Capretto was always a community first and foremost. Caprettogirl will be the same.
Introduce yourself. Let’s start a conversation. I cannot wait to meet (or re-meet!) you all.
xo Leigh
