How Kate Middleton fashion favourite Hobbs’ coats and dresses fly off the shelves each time she wears them
- English label knows the power of royal endorsement, with the Duchess of Cambridge and her sister long-time fans of its coats and formal wear
- Hobbs – whose newest market is Hong Kong – helps women of a certain age express their individuality, CEO says, offering a look that’s ‘serious, but not boring’
“Our internal motto is ‘In Hobbs she trusts’,” says CEO Meg Lustman over the phone. She’s talking about the Hobbs shopper, who tends to be between 35 and 55, affluent, and urban (but with rural leanings).
“We must never do anything that misleads our customer. We don’t want to put ourselves in a situation where the customer might be disappointed with us.” When you consider that Hobbs’ client base includes the Duchess of Cambridge and her sister Pippa Middleton, this makes sense.
Founded in 1981 by husband and wife Yoram and Marilyn Anselm, Hobbs, which sells contemporary outerwear and separates aimed at working women, encapsulated a certain type of Englishness right from the start. Its first boutique in Hampstead, a leafy area of north London, was styled like a country sitting room, complete with battered sofas and a mantelpiece.
Even its name, which came from Marilyn Anselm’s favourite horsebox makers, evoked a Town & Country existence.
Today, the brand has over 200 points of sale around the world, including Russia, America, and, as of recently, Hong Kong. “We've been open since December 1 in the IFC Mall,” says Lustman. “We open in Harbour City next month, another fantastic location.
