Our Story
We Donate 1% Of Our Sales To Mental Health Charities.
My name is Stella Castellano and I am the founder of Italia Rae. I am from Chicago, Illinois, an artist at heart. I am obsessed with business, mental wellness and self-development. I am a mother to a beautiful girl, a wife, a woman of faith, and also a business woman who wants to leave a mark in the world.
Ever since I was little I wanted to help make the world a better place for others. I thought the only way to accomplish this was by becoming a doctor or a teacher; however, life took a different turn when I lost my mother to an illness that affects millions of people in the world--clinical depression.
The loss of my mom was probably the hardest trial my family could have gone through. I had to reinvent myself and for years I pondered on what the Lord wanted me to do.
Life went on. I went to college, I married my wonderful husband and 6 years later, the Lord blessed us with our beautiful daughter.
When I was getting ready to marry my husband, finding a dress that was modest, stylish, and affordable was a nightmare. This sparked a thought and I realized that there was a serious problem in fashion that if women wanted modest clothes, we have to pay a premium for it and I am not okay with that.
Italia Rae was born out of the idea that the fashion industry needed to add more value to customers looking for modest styles. This is my attempt to make the world better for every woman out there.
If you join me in this journey, I will make sure every outfit you purchase from me is a personal gift from my family to you.
Lastly, in honor of my mother's memory, and every person suffering with clinical depression, whether it's you or someone close to you, my family is fully committed to donating 1% of our sales to mental health charities.