A Long Time New York Fashion Designer Takes the Road Less Traveled and Moves to Florida

For almost three decades the Sara Mique label has provided hundreds of women each year with uniquely elegant evening wear for their most special occasions. Non traditional brides, “mothers of” and guests at countless parties and celebrations, as well as stars of stage and screen have worn a Sara Mique. Through the years the fun, femininity and slightly sexy charm of Sara Mique creations have captured the hearts of women of many ages and sizes. They have loved both the uniqueness of the dresses and also the unique ability to have their garments customized in both size and color. They have also loved these couture features at accessible prices.

Sara Mique garments are individually cut in beautiful and unique laces, embroideries and velvets, sewn by a professional seamstress and hand tinted by a textile artist. They have the comfortable, body skimming fit of a leotard. Due to the gossamer drape of Sara Mique creations, their flattery comes to life off the hanger and on the female form where they take their shape.

Sara Mique was born out of one dress that Joan “Sara Mique” Lamonica made for herself on a trip to Rio de Janeiro. It was the first evening wear dress she felt was just her style. It was unique, beautiful, fun, funky, feminine, romantic and a little sexy. After some of her friends, who did not fly, asked her for similar dresses, she decided that many, many women would also love her dress. She had a dress, a blouse and a skirt made and set off for the then very fashionable and special Henry Bendel on Fifth Avenue, where she had heard young designers could take items for the buyers to see on Friday mornings. The buyers tried on her pieces (as they were one size fits most). They loved and ordered some immediately.

That was the beginning of a saga that has lasted several decades. It is a fairly long story with lots of twists, turns, up and downs. Through all those years Joan, with her small production team, continued to ship garments to stores almost every day of her life. Once Joan had started the business that at first had been a hobby she did on her days off, she became tenacious at working for its survival. Since she started without training or experience in the industry and had no idea what could or couldn’t be done she developed her own style and her own production system. Her first eight years in business were spent without her knowing what a pattern looked like. She cut each dress out of squares and oblongs with the help of a scissors and measuring tape. She taught herself about dying so she could get color on to her all white fabrics. She saw many “fashion darlings of the moment” come and go as she persisted onward.

In 2007, when Joan’s husband, who was semi retired and living in Florida most of the time (while Joan flew back and forth), told her that he did not plan to go back to NY, Joan had to make a quick decision about her life and her business. Knowing that her garments were not only beautiful, but fulfilled a need and a niche in the market, she decided to move her business to Florida. She decided she would rather spend her time honing her art than spend her time at any of the other possible pastimes she could find in Florida. Her goal is to develop the team that will have the creative talent and skills to someday take over and run the business. “We make a product and perform a service that people truly need and the business deserves to continue on and flourish”.

The saga continues with a very exciting new creative concept. Sara Mique in Florida still sells to the specialty stores as always. The difference is that now Joan has added a very beautiful retail showroom on the same site as the design and production. It’s like “A Little Bit of Paris in Coconut Creek”.

The all white showroom with glass floor, beautiful chandelier, white leather furniture and a complimentary wine and espresso bar is not only unique for Coconut Creek but would be a welcome addition in any cosmopolitan city of the world. Joan believes “the showroom is a lab for testing new styles and gives our team the opportunity to learn what the customers really want and need. We think that our specialty store clients will greatly benefit from the knowledge we gain”.

The new Florida team is a mix of both young and mature associates. This brings an interesting perspective to the design process, as the Sara Mique goal is to make young clothes that woman of many ages and sizes will feel beautiful in and comfortable wearing. The Florida team is very dedicated and excited about finding such a creative work venue in such an unlikely location.

In Florida the small line of separates that Joan had produced for many years has been greatly expanded to include lots of interesting and fun “dinner tops” that customers can wear with their own pants and jeans or with new Sara Mique skirts. Joan’s goal is to make signature items that women can wear more casually in addition to her special occasion creations. “I now have items that I can wear all the time rather than just a few times a year. We are making items that I can’t find as a consumer. It’s a new, more casual Sara Mique. Florida has been very inspiring and I am ready for a whole new adventure.”