A touch of royalty on Greenwich Avenue

Hobbs London opens on Greenwich Avenue, joining its store in The Westchester.

British fashion label Hobbs London has found a new home overseas — in WAG country.

Recently, the women’s clothing company opened a 1,400-square-foot store on Greenwich Avenue. This marks the brand’s second location in the United States, both of which are in our area. The first, at The Westchester in White Plains, opened last year.

Hobbs complements feminine silhouettes with sharp lines, exquisite tailoring and a fit for all occasions. An in-house team of pattern-cutters, designers and technicians oversees every step of the process, from the initial sketch to the finished product, to assure perfection. No wonder Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge is so fond of its offerings.

During a trip to East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices in Quidenham, Norwich, in January, she was seen wearing a matching, emerald green peplum jacket and pencil skirt in an Italian wool-blend fabric from Hobbs. Over the past few years, she’s been spotted on many occasions in the brand’s Unlimited Celeste Flaired Coat — a chestnut brown, double crepe, wool coat, featuring leather stud fastening cuff stars and a belt at the waist. 

WAG is anxious to see which Hobbs fashions she’ll be sporting from the Spring/Summer 2017 Collection, an ode to Hampstead, the brand’s affluent — and artsy — birthplace. Elements of nature inspire the collection’s palette — blues for the ocean, greens for the countryside, golden hues for the terrain and the occasional pop of orange for the hot summer sun.

In addition to clothing, Hobbs also creates accessories, from totes and tights to scarves, shoulder bags and shoes, its signature product, which led to the company’s founding in 1981. In Hobbs’ workshop in Porto San Sergio, Italy, 41 skilled shoemakers handcraft leather pumps, sandals and flats, for styles ranging from conventional to bold.

But Hobbs doesn’t simply dress present-day royalty; it gives shoppers a connection with past royalty. 

The Hobbs Royal Palace Collection, its signature line, is the latest collaboration with Historic Royal Palaces, an independent charity that works to preserve and promote six sites — the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, the Banqueting House, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace and Hillsborough Castle. The collection is inspired by Caroline of Ansbach, Augusta of Saxe-Gotha and Charlotte of Mecklenberg-Strelitz — cultured, sophisticated princesses of the 18th century’s Enlightenment who married into the British royal family and were the subjects of a recent exhibit at the Yale Center for British Art in New Haven. (Caroline and Charlotte were the queens consort to George II and George III respectively. Augusta, Princess of Wales and Princess Dowager, was the mother of George III.) They brought a salon atmosphere to court life, serving as muses and patronesses to the leading artists, philosophers and scientists of their day. But they were also passionate about nature, evident in the Royal Palace Collection’s use of earth tones and floral prints.

The Greenwich store will also feature the By Invitation Collection, a limited-edition line of occasion wear marked by intricate embellishments. Pieces from the current collection are adorned with a print of hand-painted cherry blossoms, inspired by a vintage kimono found in Japan.

Hobbs London is at 243 Greenwich Ave. in Greenwich and at The Westchester, 125 Westchester Ave. in White Plains. Hobbs London clothing is also available at Bloomingdale’s stores. For more, visit hobbs.com.

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