COMPANY HISTORY

The company was founded in the spring of 1964 with the opening of a shop that quickly became the flagship business of the Staiano family. Situated at number 21 Via Camerelle, the most elegant street in Capri and one of the most stylish in the world.

The store, named "Le Camerelle," was conceived by an idea from Oreste Staiano, who, alongside his wife Rosetta, for decades presented to customers from every corner of the world masterpieces in ceramics, sometimes very precious, crafted by artisans from Tuscany and Veneto. Among them, prominent names included "Lo Scricciolo", the great master "Lino Zaramella," "Schiavon", "Bitossi," "Vitali," "Carla," and many others.

Equally impressive were the masterpieces crafted by Venetian artisans, true excellence in the art of Murano glass, representing Italian craftsmanship at the highest levels. Among them, the works of "Moretti," "Nason," and "Renzo Fuga" stood out.

Oreste's work history began in 1938, and he offered his contribution to the family business from a very young age until 1951. In that year, together with his brothers Tonino, the engineer who later moved to California, Peppino, and Costanzo, with whom he remained a partner for over 40 years, he established a company that managed four retail points in Capri, including three at the Capri Port - the only tobacconist, a bar, and a souvenir shop. This further solidified the long tradition in the Staiano family's business, which dates back to the early 1900s with the founders Antonio Staiano and Gilda Aprea.

In the early 1990s, Oreste was succeeded by his children Alba and Silvio. In 1994, they decided to revolutionize the store and its commercial line through a total architectural restyling. They introduced numerous items exclusively designed, crafted, and personalized for their retail store, all conceived by Silvio. His innovative and appealing design quickly won over an increasingly extensive clientele. Noteworthy were glass pendants and rings crafted "a lume" (by lamp) according to Silvio's designs. He also exclusively commissioned vases, sculptures, aquariums, and authentic masterpieces from the glassmakers of Murano.

Even the store's name changed from "Le Camerelle" to "Asperula Stellina," which, in addition to being an endemic flower that only grows in Capri, symbolically carried the initials of Alba Staiano and encapsulated her passion for botany as an accomplished herbalist.

With the wind in its sails, and thanks to recent successes, Silvio found the courage and strength to realize his longtime dream of creating a watch line called "Capri Watch Collection." He immediately protected this venture by registering a trademark at the Patent and Trademark Office.

The creation of the "Capri Watch" brand undoubtedly marked a turning point for the six-decade-old business. With the birth of the brand, the business experienced significant growth, generating increasing interest and enthusiasm for the creation of new watch models by Silvio Staiano, who has always been a volcano of ideas in continuous activity.

Since 1995, the acquired popularity and the ever-growing demand for new and colorful watches, typical and exclusive to the demanding elite market of Capri, led the new "captains" of the company to become a shining beacon in the Capri watch market and beyond. They even anticipated fashion trends.

For many consecutive years, with the public's approval, there was continuous and steady growth of the brand, positioning it among the reference brands on a national scale.

In the seventh year of the brand's activity, in 2002, a new line of products emerged in the ever-expanding offering of exclusive products, complementing the "Capri Watch" brand. Among these were cosmetic lines and new lines of bags and belts, all marked by a new brand: "Capri City." This change was due to an epochal shift that saw Capri obtain institutional recognition and become, surprisingly, the City of Capri. In that year, two collaborations began with other historic brands: "Acqua di Capri" by Gino Russo, the perfumer, and "Buti Pelletterie" by the Buti brothers.

It is thanks to the use of the new brand "Capri City" that Alba and Silvio Staiano's business definitively entered the fascinating world of fashion accessories. Through some magical insights by Silvio, the creation of unique rubber bags for women achieved unprecedented success worldwide: selling the famous "Capri Jelly Bags" everywhere. Over 10,000 bags were sold in just three months.

With the opening of "Ciao Capri" on central Via Fuorlovado, a new journey began. The store was inaugurated in April 2003 and featured the sale of "Capri Watch" watches, "Acqua di Capri" perfumes, and refined jewelry. This adventure concluded in 2014.

"Capri à Porter" is the new "Community Trademark" used to distinguish all products that are not watches, but it is also the name given to the store opened in April 2004. This store and the high-quality products offered represented a turning point: a new and very advanced "concept" compared to the presentation of products in the shop window. At the forefront of the market at the time, it proposed, from the opening to the public, a revolutionary line of products strictly "Made in Italy": high-quality leather bags finished to a high standard, featuring exclusive prints that recalled the most exciting designs and graphics of Capri.

Located in the heart of Capri on the famous Via Le Botteghe, at number 51, a narrow street in the historic and oldest shopping area on the island. To welcome customers to the new store was Valeria, Silvio's wife, who, coming from past international experiences in the world of economics and after obtaining a Master's in Fashion Marketing, combined her skills with Silvio's unstoppable creative fury.

The fervent ideas of the creative Silvio Staiano were interpreted and realized by top-level artisans and masters who could undoubtedly compete with international brands that surround the shops of these irreducible Capri merchants. They had to stand firm to withstand the shockwave of globalization, which often unfortunately sweeps away every local peculiarity, something many of Capri's guests are increasingly desperately seeking.