I recently asked “What’s Coming to 176 Duane?” about the space that was until recently Duane Antiques, and a tipster answered: Roberta Freymann.

Freymann was born in London and raised on the Upper East Side; she was the former head of a knitwear business and is an avid traveler. (“She remembers her first trip to the souks and markets of Morocco where she collected as much as the donkeys could carry!”) In 1996, she opened a “bazaar-inspired” accessories boutique off Madison Ave. At some point she added clothing, moved the store to E. 70th St., and then opened shops in East Hampton (natch), Palm Beach (natchier), and San Francisco. “Inspired by her love for global marketplaces,” says the website, “the collection is awash in a tapestry of color and texture. The line features women’s ready-to-wear, outerwear, jewelry and accessories all designed and discovered by Roberta in partnership with local artisans from the Near East and Far East to South America and Europe.”

Then, in 2003, she launched a spin-off, Roberta Roller Rabbit, “inspired by a fable of a magical rabbit that Roberta found on a piece of discarded fabric in India. […] The relaxed, resort-inspired line has evolved into a lifestyle brand offering a plethora of products which include clothing for men, women, and children, as well as accessories and home furnishings.” There are now Roberta Roller Rabbit stores on the Upper East Side, as well as in East Hampton, Southampton, Palm Beach, Los Angeles, Newport Beach, and Punta Del Este, Uruguay. “Roberta Roller Rabbit immerses customers in a delightful world of colors, prints and textures. Each store offers a range of hand block printed pieces created and produced by Roberta with artisans in India. Graphic and floral prints are named after characters in Roberta’s life. Other wildly popular prints include monkeys, elephants and fish which capture Roberta’s love for children and complete the signature whimsical spirit that has become synonymous to the brand.”

According to a rep, the Tribeca outpost “will be a Roberta Roller Rabbit store with a Roberta Freymann shop inside. The RF shop will have our full collection of ready to wear and accessories. There will be a strong focus on home but we will have men’s, women’s and kids’ clothing and accessories there.” It’s set to open in mid-August.

The images shot on location are of Roberta Freymann’s spring 2012 collection (see more on the RF Facebook page); the studio ones are from the e-commerce site for Roberta Roller Rabbit.