Step into Versilia, Uptown’s new boutique, 689 Washington Road, and the rich smell of Italian leather beckons you inside the store aptly named after the Tuscan Italian Riviera town.  The smell of baked goods once permeated the building when it housed Potomac Bakery for years.

“We’re trying to bring a little bit of the Italian Riviera to America,” said owner Meghan Hudock.

Meghan and her sister-in-law, Kaitlin Hudock, both from Upper St. Clair, are partners in the venture.

Versilia sells leather shoes, bags, silk ties, scarves and jewelry — all curated to showcase the Italian tradition of craftsmanship, heritage, elegance and quality.

The Hudocks’ Italian roots run deep. The family is part Italian and Meghan studied Italian at Oakland Catholic High School, where she later taught for nearly a decade.

She lived in Rome for two years while majoring in integrated marketing and communication and minoring in Italian at Duquesne University’s Italian campus, where she also worked. In between her time in Rome and getting a master’s degree in Italian language and literature from the University of Pittsburgh, Meghan worked as a bilingual product translator for Google shopping
in Pittsburgh.

She returns to Italy every summer to volunteer at the Andrea Bocelli Foundation, created to combat poverty, illiteracy and distress from illness and social exclusion. As supporters of the foundation, Meghan and her family became familiar with several Italian brands, among them Melluso, a family-owned and operated shoe company from Naples with more than 70 years and four generations of shoemaking experience. Melluso is well known throughout Italy for quality
and comfort.

Meghan and Kaitlin are exclusive distributors of Melluso in North America.

Versilia also sells leather Paolo Ferrara sandals, a brand that’s been in business since 1960, as well as handmade Christina di Milano shoes that are all the rage in Italy these days. “They are being worn with elegant evening gowns or jeans, anything they can dress up or dress down because they are so comfortable. I think everybody just knows the value of Italian leather,” Meghan said.

The price points are anywhere from $75 to $200.

Versilia also sells silks from Azalea in Lake Como. Founded in 1960, Azalea’s motto is “Italian elegance and craftsmanship at its finest.”

In a full circle moment, there’s an irony to Meghan procuring the former Potomac Bakery site. It turns out her grandmother had Mt. Lebanon ties, settling on McCully Street, when she came to America from Ireland.

Meghan’s dad has fond memories of stopping at Potomac Bakery after attending the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown Pittsburgh. “And now here we are opening up a store,” she said. “There were some other businesses trying to get into this spot, and they never really worked out. I think God and the universe had a plan,” she said.

Meghan and Kaitlin tried to incorporate pieces from the original Potomac Bakery in their store, including repurposing the old display case.

“I feel like everyone in Mt. Lebanon has been so welcoming and encouraging,” Meghan said.