From Hamptons and Palm Beach pop-ups to a permanent Sag Harbor boutique and now a storefront on Worth Avenue, LOVE Binetti founder Diego Binetti is planting roots in some of the East Coast’s most fruitful (and fashionable) soil.
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and trained at Miami’s International Fine Arts College and Milan’s Institute of Maragoni, Binetti had long known that fashion was his calling. He first broke into the industry as an assistant stylist for for Antonio Bordonaro and Brana Wolf, allowing him to work with fashion houses like Bulgari and publications such as Italian Vogue.
From there, he landed a spot on the Jill Stuart design team and worked his way up to becoming the brand’s creative director from 1995–2000.
He founded the Binetti collection in 2001, but the label he’s most known for today, LOVE Binetti, wouldn’t make its debut for nearly a decade.
When it did launch, it was curated to speak to nomadic women, free-spirited world travelers, modern city slickers on the move and other creative, empowered women. Following his successful pop-ups in Sag Harbor, Binetti opened a nearly year-round boutique at the Matriark House on Main Street in summer 2023.
There, in a lavishly designed space, he showcased his spring/summer and fall/winter 2023 collections, as well as curated accessories, jewelry and skincare products from luxury brand partners such as EVE LOM, The Seven, Linda Farrow and Inoui Editions.
With one successful pop-up to storefront evolution, Binetti sought a second success, announcing that his first Palm Beach boutique would open at Via Bice on November 1, 2023.
Here, Binetti discusses the development of his fashion house, the highs of his Sag Harbor season and his plans for Palm Beach this winter.
LOVE Binetti founder Diego Binetti
How has the original LOVE Binetti label evolved since its inception in 2011?
The collection has developed immensely, enforcing the spirit of the brand, understanding who our customers are, and refining a better total overall look for the brand. Our fit is better, the craftsmanship is more refined, and the styles have developed to be better suited to our customer base. …
Identity and self-awareness have created my unique style. I strive for honesty, wellbeing and compassion. These are the elements that help me visualize and realize my collection.
By nature, I am an inclusively minded individual open to new experiences, always searching for the unknown. My inquisitive mind helps me create with an open dialogue, allowing for fresh, unique ideas. This is what sets me apart from others.
What is your goal with the LOVE Binetti brand and online store, how do you curate the products made available at its physical stores?
Our devoted intention is to continue our labor of love with a fresh approach to fashion that is fresh, fun and directed to all of our customers. Our curation is based on scouting international accessories and beauty multi-brands that we partner with and most importantly that we LOVE.
Telling a story that can be understood to all our followers fulfills a strong connection that relates to their everyday lives with a deep and strong message.
How were you able to grow your Sag Harbor pop-up into a storefront, and how did that allow you to expand your vision for the space?
Everything began in the summer of 2021, when we opened our first pop-up location in Sag Harbor and then brought the same concept to Palm Beach in the winter of 2022. We learned that our clientele traveled between these two destinations, and why not follow the sun!
The spark in our heart and our strong nomadic personality proved that these new changes could easily be transformed into something more permanent: forecasting seasonal LOVE Binetti collections, curating and introducing new accessory brands of the moment, transforming the interiors of the spaces to speak our specific language, and using the space as a platform where friends, colleagues and community could gather.
My vision was clear to do something without fear, but to follow my heart and create a sacred place where design and beauty integrate into one.
With the Sag Harbor store closing at the end of December, what has been the most rewarding thing about its first full season?
It’s rewarding to keep the store open throughout the holidays for all of our local clients and weekend visitors — it’s honestly a thrill for us. As we know, here out east, and especially in Sag Harbor, we have a year-round community that supports local merchants, and we are part of that community.
We will close only for the months of January and February and reopen in the early spring with our arms wide open with fresh merchandise welcoming you back.
How has the new LOVE Binetti store at Via Bice been designed with the Palm Beach aesthetic and clientele in mind?
We are thrilled with our new location located next to the world-renowned Bice Restaurant. We have worked hard to create this jewel box of a space destined to become the next hot shopping spot in Palm Beach.
Our fresh approach, where design meets beauty, has transformed the space into a gemstone with the help of my life partner and architect Mario Egozi.
Together, we have developed the store into an upscale environment suited to our Palm Beach clientele. The aesthetics of Worth Avenue have been integrated with its old-world ambiance that we wanted to frame and capture.
What exciting events or other plans do you have as you shift your focus to Palm Beach?
We have a lot of projects under our sleeves that we will be sharing during the winter season in our new location including: live model presentations on the Via, launches of new products and brand presentations, magazines events and fine jewelry trunk shows throughout the season. …
As in previous years, we hope to continue our specialty trunk shows at The Colony Hotel. We look forward to a happy, healthy season. Come by to visit us!
LOVE Binetti will remain open at 133 Main Street, Sag Harbor through December, reopening in March 2024. The new location is open at 313 1/2 Worth Avenue, Palm Beach as of November 1, 2o23. For more info and to shop online, visit diegobinetti.com.