Reshaping Retail, Hampton & Co. Spreads Goodwill With Every Bag

By Colin M. Graham

Randi Jacklin, Ryland John Hilbert and Nina Jackson displaying some of their favorite pieces from Hampton & Co.’s line of clothing and accessories for both men and women. Photos by Colin M. Graham

Southampton - When Hampton & Co. came to Jobs Lane in Southampton, they didn't just bring another retail store to the Village, they brought a sense of social consciousness along with their unique line of men's and women's clothing and accessories.

One of the sailcloth bags made by Hampton & Co. These bags are all hand stitched and are made from actual sailcloth, so not only do they look great, they're long lasting.

"We opened on May 30 and we've been pretty much full time since then," said one of the partners in the store, Randi Jacklin. "Things have been going well and we've been pretty steady in here and very steady on the web, which has been great for us." One thing in particular that has been attracting people's attention to their clothing has been Hampton & Co's involvement in local charities.

"Everybody has been really excited about the charities - I mean like really excited about them," Jacklin pointed out. "All the ties are tied to certain local charities, which is great, and sort of loosely based on ideas and the patterns on the ties; so for example, the Lighthouse Tie supports the Montauk Lighthouse," she explained. "Ten percent of everything we're getting across the board is going to be able to go back to charities and then 10 percent of the proceeds from specific ties goes back to charities as well."

When she and partner Nick Beech, along with a handful of other investors, decided to open Hampton & Co, they knew from the beginning that tying the sale of their merchandise to local charities and community events was something they wanted to do. On top of their support of local organizations, the founders of Hampton & Co. made a point of contracting the mainstay of their source manufacturers from the greater New York area as another level of ensuring true community involvement.

"When we started this company we wanted to make sure we were giving back to charities as well as doing things locally. It wasn't the most cost effective thing and it wasn't a matter of hitting the market at the right time for that because it was what we really wanted to do," Jacklin added with no small amount of conviction. "The idea that people are responding to us in such a positive way between the charities and how we manufacture our products is just something that Nick and I both like. We just want to be able to give back and make good quality products."

Hampton & Co.'s Alligator Clutch and their matching Alligator Cuffs, which Jacklin explains have been some of their more popular items.

All the good intention in the world isn't worth much if people aren't interested in what you're selling, but Hampton & Co. has a pretty impressive and original collection of pieces. According to Jacklin, some of the top sellers have been their Alligator and Turquoise Cuffs, a line of linen and oxford shirts for both men and women are the standouts, and her personal favorites, bags and belts made out of real sailcloth.

"The thing that I absolutely love, that is probably my favorite thing are the sailcloth bags and the belts. They're made out of real, actual sailcloth and they're so durable. I don't know anybody who's made a bag out of this material that is what I would consider high end. I've seen some that have the actual numbers on them, which I think is pretty attractive, but we wanted to do something that was a little more fashionable and also be able to hold up and be really durable," Jacklin said. "I have one and it really is. It's just one of those things that people seem to be taking too. I remember walking around New York City with the big duffle and people kept coming up to me and asking me where I got it. It really is my favorite thing that we've created."

Much of Hampton & Co.'s men's product line was heavily influenced by partner Nick Beech's upbringing in England and affection for Rugby. He and Jacklin were highly involved in fine tuning the design of their merchandise.

Each of the bags is hand-stitched in Brooklyn and combines the look of high-end, couture style with the durability of a fabric designed to harness the wind and propel boats through the water. It is a fine line to walk to design something that looks great at a gala that can also withstand a day on the beach after being tossed around in the back of the family car on the drive out east.

Like a proud parent, which she is - she has three boys, a nine-year-old and five-year-old twins - Jacklin has a hard time picking favorites. "I love some of the alligator stuff as well. One thing that's cool about our Alligator clutch is that the chain can come off and you can wear it as a necklace."

In addition to their contributions with local charities, Hamptons & Co. is also involved with several events over the summer. "We're sponsoring the Midsummer party at the Parrish coming up; we're doing the Montauk Trialathon and an event with the Southampton Hospital and the Clamshell Foundation, and we're doing a clambake for ARF, which I believe is also in mid-August," Jacklin mentioned. "We're also going to be doing some children's events. I really like doing things for families." Particularly enthused about the Clamshell Foundation event, she added, "They do that big sandcastle building thing on the beach so we'll be doing some new kid's pieces for that."

As the season unfolds Jacklin says she's beginning to feel more and more a part of the community.

"This has been a really nice place to open up a store. I love this street, I love the people in the stores around here. Everybody has been very kind and everybody has been very welcoming and we couldn't ask for more," she commented. "I came here periodically during the summers, but I don't think I got the true feeling of what this area was all about until we started creating all the pieces and getting involved in the charities."

Although they've only been open since Memorial Day, Hampton & Co. has been doing its part to make a difference.

"One thing that we just did, because we wanted to thank the people who work in the other stores around here, is we handed out gift cards and said 'Happy Fourth,' Why? Because we really like it here."