Wind in the Willows relocates on Naples' Fifth Avenue

Wind in the Willows, a women’s clothing boutique, has occupied one of the most prominent corners on Fifth Avenue South in downtown Naples for more than 25 years. 

After July 5, the original Wind in the Willows will close, and the new location, three doors to the north, will remain open with the same hours — 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., 365 days a year. 

Beth Ressler bought Wind in the Willows in 2001 and leased the space at 793 Fifth Ave. South, on the northwest corner of Eighth Street South, ever since. 

The new store opened May 22, and Ressler has been operating both locations simultaneously while customers adjust. 

Ressler said the property’s new owner, Aspen, Colorado-based M Development, notified her a few months ago of a significant rent increase, prompting the move. 

“When I first found out, I was devastated,” Ressler said. “I’ve been here 25 years. I’ve paid my rent the first of the month for 25 years. People love my store. But an investor bought the building, and the rent was going to be way too high.” 

The new Wind in the Willows measures 1,470 square feet, compared with the original’s 2,340 square feet. Although it isn’t as visible from Fifth Avenue, it’s the first and last storefront shoppers see as they walk to and from the adjacent parking garage. 

Ressler said she’s learning she can do even bigger business in the smaller space. She called it a “blessing from God.” 

“I love my new space,” she said. “It’s so light and bright, and I love the windows. It’s about a third smaller.” 

The original Wind in the Willows will be replaced by Faherty, a lifestyle apparel brand founded by twin brothers Mike and Alex Faherty. 

In downsizing, Ressler focused on her bestselling brands, including dressmaker Samuel Dong. 

“I’d say about 80% of my business is done by 20% of my vendors,” Ressler said. “I went with the best vendors and the best items we sell.” 

Ressler moved all the original elements from the old store into the new one. This includes two confessional booths from a church she long ago converted into dressing rooms. She also moved an assortment of Tiffany-style lamps with a kaleidoscope of colors. And then there are the cats. 

LulaBelle, TinkerBelle and NannyBelle are three 14-year-old Persian cats that live inside Wind in the Willows. Ressler and her colleagues dress them daily in different tutus. Ressler has four other cats at home. 

“I’m just an animal lover at heart,” Ressler said. “There’s so many people who just come in to see the cats. Even the husbands want to find the cats.” 

There was one thing Ressler couldn’t move: the iconic tile painting that adorns the entrance to the old location. 

French-born artist Frederique Poulain, who operated Frederique’s Studio in Naples from 1993 through 2006, painted the tiles outside Wind in the Willows in 1998. She has since moved to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. 

Ressler tracked her down. The two had never met but quickly became friends. 

Ressler asked Poulain to consider replicating the tile painting. 

“Well, it’s already thought about,” Poulain recalled telling Ressler. “I was over the moon. It was truly a landmark. Because I’ve been working really hard all my life. 

“The south entrance really sharpened my business. I started getting more contracts. It put me on the map.” 

Ressler paid Poulain about $10,000 for the new tile paintings. 

Poulain painted them at home, laying the tiles out on the floor. 

“Maybe as a French woman, with age, I’m getting better,” Poulain said with a laugh. “It was really unbelievable. Working with Beth, we are true creative minds, and we are on the same wavelength. It was truly a joy. I had so much fun doing this project. It’s been unbelievable. It’s work, and it’s intense. But this one was so much fun. 

“It’s such a big project. I put all the tiles on the floor, and then I paint them section by section. I have to burn each tile in a kiln at 2,000 degrees. You have to know your colors and have the vision of how they’ll look after the firing.” 

Ressler, 71, said she has no plans to retire. She has a handful of employees who help her run the store, and the smaller space has given her more free time. 

Ressler credited her parents with instilling a strong work ethic. 

“I just wanted to be like my dad,” Ressler said. “He looked like Elvis Presley.” 

And her mother often told her: “Don’t put your head on the pillow unless you have put in a hard day’s work.” 

Before buying Wind in the Willows, Ressler worked as a buyer for the now-defunct Ivey’s department store chain, which was acquired by Dillard’s in the 1990s. 

Ivey’s brought Ressler to Casselberry, where she worked in nearby Winter Park. She later owned a store in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for seven years before moving to Naples in 1993, where she operated Beth’s Boutique for another seven years before buying Wind in the Willows. 

“I moved away at 21 with stars in my eyes,” Ressler said. “I just had big dreams. I wanted to own a store one day. I never thought this country girl from Danville, Virginia, would own my own store.”