Main Street News

For Mia DiFrancesco, taking over a beloved Poughkeepsie boutique in the summer of 2024 was a bit serendipitous. Mia was aware of the shop (formerly Scruples – owned by Gail Cassle), and she worked for Gail’s husband at his hair salon part-time as a teenager, so when he reached out to her to ask her if she would take over Scruples, it was a no-brainer for Mia. 

“I was so honored that they thought of me. I went in and looked at everything, asked what taking over would entail, and then I just said, ‘Okay!’” Mia recalls. 

Mia eventually decided on an Italian theme for the shop – appropriately naming it Casa di Mia – as a way of honoring her familial heritage. Her family is from Silvi Marina, an Italian commune located in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. She comes from a long line of Italian business owners, as much of her family owns restaurants, hotels, and other miscellaneous shops in the Silvi region. 

“The culture of Italy emphasizes a beautiful quality of life and that’s really what I want to bring back here to the Hudson Valley,” she shares. “I want to offer a whole experience.”

In the shop + in the studio 

In the shop, you can find lots of Italian vintage and new clothing, jewelry and accessories, makeup and skincare products, and custom-made Italian mirrors, lamps, and other home decor. Mia currently has existing inventory left over from Scruples that she’s selling, some of which are from Italy and other European countries. Once those items are sold through, she plans on importing more products. Also in the shop are floating stone necklaces from Humble Textures, a jewelry company based in Poughkeepsie, and from CaliGarcia, a jewelry company by Mia’s cousin. 

In a move that differentiates a bit from modern business marketing, Mia is choosing to rely less on social media. “I wanted to go back to tradition a bit. I feel like everybody on social media is showing you the best angles, but I don’t want people to be ‘lured’ in. I want people to come here because they’re genuinely interested and because they want to have an experience,” she explains. 

Additionally, Mia notes that many shops in Italy have appointment-only hours, in which customers can make an appointment and have the shop all to themselves. This is another cultural aspect that she wants to bring back to her shop. “I want people to be comfortable coming in and trying things on, and not being nervous about whether or not there are other people in the shop. I’ll be taking appointments for people who want to have the chance to explore without any added pressure.” 

In addition to the goodies that Mia is selling in store, she’s also looking forward to opening up the shop for events and workshops, some of which will include cooking classes. Taking into account her extensive experience in the film industry, Mia is also looking to create a studio space in the shop where she can work on independent projects and invite other members of the film community to work on theirs.

Speaking of independent projects, another vital part of the shop is Mia’s docuseries. Before the pandemic, she was the host of “Day Tripping with Mia,” an online series that highlighted local businesses and organizations throughout the tri-state region for Hudson Valley News Network. Mia is also deeply embedded in the Hudson Valley film industry, as she is on the board of directors for Upstate NY Women in Film & Television. Now, she is looking to incorporate the show into Casa di Mia by interviewing people who enter the shop and learning about their stories. 

“The Hudson Valley is the new Hollywood. The Hudson Valley is a really vibrant backdrop for the film industry right now, so I would love to incorporate that as well,” she shares. “I want to interview people who come in and have a story to tell. Where did you come from and how did you get here?” 

A passion for people 

One of the reasons that Mia first got involved with acting is because she has a natural curiosity toward people. This, too, is one of the driving forces behind why she was so excited to take over the shop. “I love clothes and fashion, but mostly I love people. They’re my passion. This shop was a way for me to connect with people in a different way. My biggest reward is to be with people, speak with them, and help them, and fortunately for me, I’m able to do that.” 

“There are so many moving parts, but more than anything, I want to get more involved in bringing people together,” Mia continues. “I want people to feel good and safe here. I want to bring it full circle – it’s not just a shop that has an Italian theme, but it’s about teaching the culture and the style, too.”