Stacey DiTata, owner of The Remix vintage clothing store, photo courtesy of Remix and Stacey DiTata

Sadly, The Remix vintage clothing store on the 600 block of Pennsylvania Ave., SE, will be closing in February due to the sudden and debilitating illness of beloved owner, Stacey DiTata, manager Arynne Crane told us earlier this week. DiTata had been hospitalized in Virginia and then Maryland for abut a month with symptoms mimicking a stroke with slurred speech, swollen facial features, confusion and diminished capacity. Doctors at Johns Hopkins later diagnosed her with multiple sclerosis and celiac disease, Crane said of the 49 year-old business owner. DiTata is now at Hopkins and her husband hopes to start a course of therapy, but the medical expenses that have piled up make closing the store a necessity, Crane said.

DiTata had partially retired to the sunny West Coast and was planning on visiting the store every six weeks for merchandising, but a series of small accidents after arriving here in December coupled with her apparent MS episode  has kept her here since. Her husband flew East and is caring for her. DiTata also wanted to come back to keep up with her passion for rescuing lost dogs.
The Remix is hoping to post more information, including ways to help and links to MS websites on its own site in the coming weeks, and will be selling off everything, even the fixtures. DiTata’s husband has talked with the property manager, who is looking for a new tenant.

The Remix moved to the Hill from Alexandria in the summer of 2007, and Crane has been working for DiTata, with whom she is close, since 2004.