Say hello to one of the Hamptons’ newest retail tenants: Ramy Brook! The eponymous founder is thrilled to be popping up in Southampton for the first time, with a curated summer-centric store on Jobs Lane. It’s a full circle moment, too—as her longtime friend, jewelry designer Jennifer Miller, is conveniently located right next door! The Daily caught up with Ramy Brook Sharp to get a sense of her fun-filled season ahead.
How have you been?
Everything is going great! Things seem to have picked up in New York, and the weather is good again. The store is hopping, and the website is doing extremely well. It’s also nice to have our family around; we just celebrated Mother’s Day at my sister’s place. I feel super positive, and I’m looking forward to this summer.
What are some positives from the past year, both professionally and personally?
As a business, we’ve learned to adapt in different ways, which has been exciting. In the beginning, we had to pivot and make choices about how to work and keep everything upbeat, positive, and rolling. That was a good lesson for everyone—figuring out how to overcome different challenges. I have an amazing team. I realized that before, but now I see exactly how dedicated and hardworking everyone is. We all have the same goal, and that’s growing the Ramy Brook brand. What was also nice for us was having the extra time to spend with the kids. We went back to basics, enjoying things like family dinners and game night. Before, life would have us so busy, and everyone was running in so many directions. It was nice to take a step back and enjoy those moments.
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What’s one memory that stands out?
There was a period when a few of the employees contracted COVID. It was right before Christmas, and I had no one to work the store. My older son was home from college, so he offered to help, with three of my nieces. Then my other son came and helped, along with three of my best friends’ daughters. It was unbelievable to me how everyone just happily rose to the occasion to help. They enjoyed it. It’s a family business, so it was fascinating and fun to have the younger generation come and take over. One of my nieces is going to come intern for us this summer after the experience!
Your daughter, Stevie, seems to be becoming more involved as a face of the brand. Is she super into fashion?
She’s in high school, and she’s busy. She’s amazing and gorgeous, inside and out. It’s always fun to do the mother/daughter photo shoots. A lot of our brand appeals to moms and daughters; it’s clothes they can share and borrow from each other’s closets. Stevie loves fashion in general. She has her own views on what’s comfortable and what’s in style—she’s in the process of starting her own brand! She’s very entrepreneurial.
Tell us about the theme and vibe of your new Summer collection.
Summer and Spring are two of my favorite designing seasons because the clothes are more lightweight and easy. I love color. We’re focusing a lot on bright and happy shades, like yellow, pink, and turquoise. The whole collection is meant to take you through so many parts of your life and from day to night. It’s meant to be a collection that when you put it on your body, you’re ready to go out and feel great about yourself!
Ramy Brook pop-up in Southampton (Courtesy)
You’ve opened a pop-up in Southampton. What do we need to know?
It’s the first time we’re doing it, and I’ve always wanted to, so I’m excited. A space became available next door to my friend Jennifer Miller. She’s been supportive since day one and has been instrumental. The pop-up is in a courtyard, so we’ve got lots planned. We’ll have musicians and an ice cream truck on some days; we’re going to have a lot of fun this summer! It’s going to be well-curated. We have everything for our girl—from full beach day looks to nighttime outfits and accessories. If you lose your luggage, come to us—we have everything!
What are some of your favorite places in the Hamptons?
I love the Mediterranean restaurant Calissa; the food is amazing and they have outdoor seating, so you feel like you’re in Europe. We’re always a big fan of The Palm in East Hampton. We love a good steak, and I love that seven-layer carrot cake! I always go to Golden Pear after I work out and I get the No. 9. My husband, Rob, cooks a lot, so we’re fortunate enough that we have many dinners at our house. I like to set a pretty table and stay in and enjoy our family and friends. What else will you be up to this summer? I plan on going back and forth between the city and the Hamptons for May and June. Hopefully, I’ll be able to spend more time out there in July and August.
Ramy Brook (Courtesy)
What’s your favorite piece from the new collection, and how are you styling it for summer?
One of my favorites is the Drew Mini Short. I always feel like I need a good pair of shorts or jeans to start my outfit, then we have so many amazing tops to team with them. The Drew Short comes in all the basic colors, and now in powder pink. They have gold buttons down the side, and they’re the perfect length— short but not too short, and they have a little stretch. I think the prints that we’ve picked out for this collection in general just scream summer, and I love that the dresses are long and flowy—I love a summer maxi!
What’s new for the Ramy Brook brand?
Swimwear has grown tremendously. Our cover-ups have always been successful, and at the end of 2019 we were approached by department stores to develop swimwear to go with them. For every swimwear style, we have a cover-up to match. We’ve particularly seen a big increase in one-pieces! The customers love them. Are you excited to get dressed up again? I can’t wait to dress up. I’m already planning all my outfits for the holiday weekends. I’m excited to wear heels, dresses, and jumpsuits, and style them with jewelry. We’re seeing a demand for more formalwear and occasionwear dresses than we have in the past. I think it’s a good sign. Everyone is out, they’re celebrating weddings and showers and graduation parties. I’m really looking forward to celebrating life this summer!
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