NEW YORK — Rachel Riley, a designer and former model, is well suited to the genteel stretch of upper Madison Avenue where her 950-square-foot shop is situated.
Riley is not one to boldly set trends or blithely follow them. She lives and works in a 15th-century castle in the Loire Valley in France with her three towheaded children and photographer husband. Her romanticized version of country living informs her designs, which include peacoats, flannel jackets, pony loafers and box-pleat skirts, which are just this side of dowdy.
The store at Madison Avenue and 91st Street here, which last Friday celebrated its opening with a traditional Punch & Judy show and high tea, has crystal chandeliers, beige velvet cafe curtains, French lily of the valley wallpaper, oak cabinets and 1850s wood carved shelves and vitrines.
Riley’s two existing stores in London have combined sales of $2 million a year. The Madison Avenue unit is anticipated to do $1 million in sales in its first year, she said. Prices range from $65 for children’s cashmere mittens to $595 for a woman’s wool coat.
“People who know our business know our house in France,” she said. “We’re selling clothes, but we’re also selling a lifestyle. The atelier is in the attic and there’s a slipper factory in the billiard room.”
Riley’s designs recall a time when girls wore bonnets and boys wore knickerbockers — both of which are on sale at the store. She has retro looks for mums such as velvet-trimmed cardigans, snakeskin ballet shoes, granny purses and fur-trimmed jackets. She even revives the slightly corny concept of mother-daughter, father-son pajamas.
While Riley is not a household name in the U.S., some neighborhood denizens seemed to be familiar with her brand. “Rachel Riley’s here, y’all, let’s shop!” shouted a woman to her husband and children not long after the store opened. The store seems to be popular with the private school set and their mothers.
Riley is eyeing other cities with upscale shopping districts such as Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta. She has developed a following in those cities through trunk shows, which are usually hosted by one of her longtime customers.
Related Articles
You May Also Like
“I love very feminine clothes,” she said. “I love traditional dressmaking skills. I feel young, but I still love the things my grandmother had. I use inspiration from vintage and make it for today.”