BOUTIQUE LA PASSERELLE OPENED AT 417 WOOD ST. IN 2010. | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

Boutique La Passerelle, a popular European women’s apparel shop on Wood Street, Downtown, is closing.

Its owner, Adele Morelli, who purchased the boutique from the original Portuguese owner 11 years ago, died from “complications of an unexpected illness” on Sept. 21 during a buying trip to Portugal, according to an obituary on Legacy.com.

ADELE MORELLI ON THE VIEWS & BREWS TOUR, DOWNTOWN, THIS PAST SUMMER. | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

Morelli, 55, who had lived in Downtown for more than 20 years, was an advocate for Downtown living and businesses and was a former member on the board of directors for the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. She died one day before her 56th birthday.

In 2022, she was the recipient of the partnership’s 2022 Herb Burger Memorial Board Member Award that celebrated her “extraordinary service to the organization and dedication to the city.”

“She was a radiant light, drawing people in with her warmth and compassion, and she has left an extraordinary impact on her community by leading with love, kindness, and authenticity,” according to her obituary.

She had been living in various Downtown rental properties since she moved there from Ross more than two decades ago. She grew up in Shaler and was a graduate of Shaler Area High School. She graduated with a degree in economics from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and worked in banking early in her career.

A Celebration of Morelli’s Life will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26 at the Greer Cabaret Theater on Penn Avenue.

A sale continues of all inventory in her store at 417 Wood St., on Oct. 11-12, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Morelli purchased Boutique La Passerelle, known as BLP, in 2013. It had been opened in 2010 by Portuguese immigrant Cidalia Duarte, who brought European fashion to Pittsburgh that was not found anywhere else in the U.S. 

Morelli’s exquisite taste and her efforts to cultivate “a sanctuary of self-expression where she gave her clients the confidence to embrace their individuality,” according to her obituary, helped her boutique weather the decline of Downtown retail sales during the pandemic. A women’s apparel shop next door, Peter Lawrence, closed after five years on Sept. 30, 2023, citing a problem of homeless individuals congregating on Wood Street. According to an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, the owner of the building housing Peter Lawrence, said both Boutique La Passerelle and CrossBody Dance and Movement on Wood Street continued to do well, despite some of the Downtown problems.

Morelli this past summer led a Views & Brews tour for the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership that took visitors through many of the office or retail spaces that had been converted to residential living.