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New clothing boutiques open at hotel

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New store: Miranda Conway, owner of FH, and Stephanie Smith, sales manager and assistant buyer, at the clothing boutique inside the Hamilton Princess (Photograph by Akil Simmons)

The owner of a hotel clothing store has branched out into the Hamilton Princess.

Miranda Conway, who runs Luxury Gifts Bermuda, has opened up two boutiques in the new-look hotel, adding to her existing Regali operation at Rosewood Tucker’s Point in Hamilton Parish.

The two new stores, due to open today at 4pm, has meant the company has hired four new Bermudian staff — with more to follow.

Ms Conway said her company will operate FH, selling more formal clothing for men and women, and Resort, which will concentrate on casual wear and swimwear.

She added: “FH is a little bit dressier — high fashion for work to cocktail wear. The other store is a resort casual boutique. It’s modern prep and it also doubles as the resort shop for the Hamilton Princess.”

But Ms Conway said: “They are both very geared towards locals as well as for the benefit of visitors.”

Ms Conway, a former banker who originally launched Luxury Gifts Bermuda as an online store and personal-shopping service, only opened up Regali two years ago as her first bricks and mortar venture.

She pitched for the Hamilton Princess business based on the firm’s experience of luxury retail in high-end resorts.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be a part of this project. The partnership between us and the Hamilton Princess is absolutely perfect and we’re very grateful to be given this opportunity as a young business.

“We offer a lot of local designers as vendors like Coral Coast clothing, Alexandra Mosher Studio Jewellery and Dana Cooper, which is resort wear and swimwear.

“We also represent a number of international labels that are exclusive to our stores, like Orlebar Brown, Heidi Klein, Island Company and Southern Tide.”

The FH arm will feature upmarket London labels like clothing company Hackett London, shirtmaker Thomas Pink and US-based Elie Tahari, a maker of luxury clothing and accessories.

“We have a lot of faith in tourism in Bermuda. Properties such as Rosewood Tucker’s Point and the Hamilton Princess are doing what it takes to ensure Bermuda remains a luxury destination for people to visit.

“We’re very proud to be a small part of it and help enhance these properties.”

Ms Conway said that the Hamilton Princess designation as hotel of the America’s Cup and the expected cash bonanza from next year’s event had played a part in her decision to expand the company.

But she added: “This is a long-term dedication for us. It’s more about our long-term position, but the America’s Cup definitely gives us that extra boost of confidence to get in the property and get established.

“But it’s not our only motivation. We are here for the long run.”

Ms Conway, 31, a mom of two, quit her job in corporate trust before her first son was born five years ago.

She said: “I realised I wanted to come to work and do something which gave me a creative outlet and the business has just taken on a life of its own.

“For me, what I’ve always loved to do is relationship management and when I was at the bank it was all relationships with clients.

“Retail is a natural progression. It allowed me to do something with people and allows me that interaction daily.”

Classy look: seating area in the FH clothing boutique (Photograph by Akil Simmons)
Opens today: the FH clothing boutique in the Hamilton Princess (Photograph by Akil Simmons)