Maxine Bodetti changed the Connecticut cold for the warmth of Southwest Florida in 2015. Through out her years in this community she has become an important fashion fixture in the area and beyond. Maxine started an Instagram account, the @NewEnglandFloridian, to share her every day style and it has become a successful media company focusing on lifestyle and fashion. She leveraged her influence into creating the New England Floridian Collective, an affordable boutique that caters to all women, and that is becoming so big that we hope to see a brick and mortar location somewhere in Southwest Florida soon. For now, find the cutest clothing and accessories online or at local pop-ups.

I sat down with Maxine and talked about her background, what she is doing, and the future. Get to know Maxine Bodetti and the New England Floridian Collective:

1. Tell us a little bit about your background and how did you end up in SWFL? 

MB: “I grew up in Connecticut but I met my now husband at a bar in NYC, and although he was originally from Connecticut he was currently living in SWFL. We did a year of long distance relationship, and then he moved back to CT after that for a year, but after many trips back down to SWFL we ultimately decided this would be the best area to build our dream home and start a family. So we found a water lot in 2014 and then started building with Aubuchon in 2015 and moved into our home in 2016, we then got married shortly afterwards.”

2. When did your passion for fashion start? 

MB: “I’ve always loved clothes, fashion and shopping. I always had the closet that all my friends would come and borrow clothes from.”

3. What led you to start the New England Floridian Collective?

MB: “Back in 2020, I started blogging about affordable fashion, mom life, and mom style. My instagram really started to grow, so I started to work with national brands and boutiques. I helped them with marketing, branding, buying and modeling, all while having the dream of designing my own clothes and starting my own boutique. Then, in 2022, I made the decision to start my own business, and in January of 2023 The New England Floridian Collective was launched!”

4. Tell us about the products you offer

MB: “The New England Floridian Collective specializes in trendy affordable fashion. We have a website and free app, which has new arrivals every week, and I love doing pop-up events all over SWFL monthly as well. Sustainability is also very important to us and we are launching a clothes recycling/ donation program next year, we don’t use any plastic bags, or tags or hangers. We also donate 20% of our Friday sales to a local non-profit - I AM F.U.S.E. Which helps human trafficking victims and survivors in SWFL. I am on the board of this amazing non-profit as the chief development officer and we are currently expanding to a facility in Ft Myers in 2024.”

5. Which one is your favorite?

MB: “Too many favorites to pick just one item! But our white cowboy boots are definitely in my top 5.”

6. What is your favorite thing about SWFL?

MB: “My favorite thing about SWFL is the sunshine and the fact that it is such a hub for female small business owners. I feel so lucky to be surrounded by so many women who inspire and support me everyday.”

7. What inspires you daily? 

MB: “My children and my husband are my ultimate inspiration and motivation. I want to give my kids a life I never had and I want to build an empire for them. My mother was a hard working single mom most of my life, so I am thankful for the work ethic she taught me, but I am also driven to ensure my kids never have to worry about some of the things I did as a child.”

8. Any advice for people that want to dress better but don't know where to start?

MB: “Start in your closet! I love restyling old pieces to see what I have and then I would suggest starting with the basics and building out a capsule wardrobe- pieces that you can mix and match. Our capsule collection will launch in 2024 and we plan on doing some styling events with it next year as well!”

Help us spread the word about our small and local businesses in Southwest Florida by sharing this and other stories with your friends and through social media!