How A High-Quality Clothing Studio And Its Owner Found Home On The UWS

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — To understand the mission of Studio79 and Affordable Chic, a recently opened showroom and high-quality clothing brand on the Upper West Side, one must only look as far as its founder and CEO — the Italian-born and now-neighborhood resident Marialuisa Garito.

Studio79, which houses the clothing brand store Affordable Chic, is located in a cream-colored brownstone along 79th Street that sells high-quality dresses, jumpsuits, pants, skirts and more from largely Italian and French designers.

And there's a twist — everything is always under $100.

"Since day one, my goal was to make luxury clothing accessible," Garito told Patch. "Elegant, chic, high-quality, and most importantly affordable."

The Upper West Side business owner and mother of two's commitment to accessible luxury clothing was formed through her own experiences.

Garito was born in Catanzaro, Italy, before growing up in Rome.

She originally visited New York City as a young adult to attend a script writing seminar, where she fell in love with both the city and her future husband. She moved permanently to the Upper West Side in 2008.

Now, in a new city, she found herself going to a plethora of social events.

"I didn't want to spend too much money on expensive dresses, but I am Italian and I like to dress in a certain way, so I started to outsource products for myself," Garito said. "Every time I would attend an event, people would ask, 'Is that Prada? Is that Gucci?'. And I'd say no — it's $69."

"That is how Affordable Chic was born, because I realized it was not just a need for myself, but it was a need for many women who are independent and who are in control of their budget and want to spend in a smart way," she added.

Garito started the business in 2018 as an online marketplace, but as the years went by and her children got bigger, she knew she needed more inventory space than just her bedroom.

She eventually found the 79th Street space as she was walking through the Upper West Side. The Affordable Chic studio officially opened in October 2022.

"It is the space that makes the store everything that it is," she said.

The space, which Garito shares with her Studio79 business partner Virve Deutsch and Virve Jewelry, has the clothes you'd expect, but also features a piano, record player, espresso maker, an office, tables, a large leather couch, and art work that she hangs in collaboration with Art on the Ave.

Deutsh works on a station in the front window of the studio so people walking by can see her crafting her jewelry.

Along with serving as home to Affordable Chic, Garito also uses the showroom to host weekly cultural events that include galleries, musical performances, book talks, and more.

Garito made it clear that a major element of the success of the store goes to Upper West Siders.

"We were still bringing in the piano, furniture, my clothes, and people started to come in," she said. "We began getting to know them, and the customers came back, and we got that support right away from the block and neighborhood."

"The customers are Upper West Siders who are amazing people," she added. "The ladies are not just young eclectic people, I'm talking about a 90-year-old woman who walked up the stoop, came in, got her coffee and asked me to find what they need."

"They feel safe here," she said. "It's not overwhelming, it's not high traffic."