By Arianna Smith
TAMPA, Fla. –– Samantha and Christopher Coscia are siblings who have opened a boutique on Davis Island called Butter. Samantha Coscia is a 23-year-old UTampa graduate from Bergen County, New Jersey. Being from North Jersey, where she also spent her summers at the shoreline, Coscia picked up both an edgy city style and a beachy style. These two different senses of style came together to form Coscia’s own new brand, Butter, which gave her consumers a truly unique shopping experience.
Growing up, Coscia worked at House of Lucky, a boutique in Lavallette, New Jersey. House of Lucky is a local boutique that has upscale coastal fashion and beautiful gifts. The owner, Patty Sabey, took her own two styles of East and West Coast to create an alternate style rather than the typical East Coast apparel. The longer Coscia worked there, the more she realized she knew she wanted to own a boutique herself one day.
Now, she is finally making her dreams come true with her brother Christopher.
Samantha Coscia created her line of bikinis, called Sammy Swim Co., during her time as a student at The University of Tampa. She had a team in Brazil create all of her patterns and designs for her bikinis. She worked day and night to come up with beautifully crafted patterns that showcased her talent. Her handmade luxury swimwear now comes in many different styles and patterns to attract each one of her customers. In addition, each swimsuit is designed to make women feel confident and comfortable, whether at the beach or sitting by the pool.
“My selling point was that all my designs are mine and unique to my brand,” said Coscia.
She is now selling her swimwear brand at Butter Boutique.
After Samantha Coscia’s swimline took off, her brother Christopher Coscia moved down here to open the store with her.
The Coscias’ idea in naming the store “Butter” comes from their love of butter. A silly joke shared between the two of them made them realize the importance of clothing feeling like butter. To them, butter represents comfort and ease, which is what they hope to bring to their clothing.
“We want people to feel like butter in our clothes,” said Samantha Coscia. “Soft and comfy.”
What makes this place special is that it is not just a boutique but an idea from Samantha and Christopher Coscia that turned into their future.
These Jersey-raised siblings take pride in their new brand, and it shows in the appearance of their store. This store is dressed in apparel and unique gifts, alongside beautiful decor. Fresh flowers cover every corner, and East Coast air flows through the storefront with scented candles. The ambiance of the store is cozy, with warm and natural lighting, inviting customers to feel at home as they shop.
The Coscias’ plan on reaching out and helping support local businesses on Davis Island.
“It’s important to us that this brand embodies the community,” said Samantha Coscia. “I want to reach out to every business I can.”
Alongside Davis Island locals, students are invested in the new brand. Hannah Krier, a 22 year old, visited Tampa’s newest boutique just a few days after their grand opening on March 29.
“The decor and overall vibe was very cute and aesthetic,” said Krier. “They were offering champagne and candy, too, to welcome guests. I thought the material and prices were reasonable. The pieces were from online boutiques such as White Fox and were priced about the same.”
Krier said that the owners were doing great with their marketing on Instagram and TikTok. She mentioned it was the perfect place to shop for a special occasion like graduation.
“I saw them at TikTok’s ‘For You’ page and thought it was a cute place, so I checked it out when shopping for graduation dresses,” said Krier.
Samantha and Christopher Coscia have a big future ahead of them not only with their store but as a brand. Butter Boutique is already bringing a unique style to Davis Island and other parts of Tampa. The Coscias’ vision and work ethic will only strengthen the small Davis Island community.
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Thumbnail image caption: Samantha and Christopher Coscia posing together for a photo in front of their store’s logo. Photo courtesy of Arianna Smith.