“Roberta Freymann changes with the seasons,” says Sabrina Simpson, manager of the new Roberta Roller Rabbit store, which opened last weekend on Duane in the former Duane Antiques space. “But with Roberta Roller Rabbit, we feel you should be on vacation year round.” (The story of how the two sister brands came to be is here.)
Roberta Freymann—it’s pronounced fry-man, by the way—is the original line, devoted to fashion and accessories. Prices range from $150 to $1,000 (for shearling). In the Tribeca store, however, the Roberta Freymann label gets only a small room in the back. Instead, most of the real estate goes to Freymann’s resort and home line, Roberta Roller Rabbit. There’s a wide range of products, most (if not all) in bright colors and exuberant patterns: clothing, journals, comforters and linens, pillows, kids’ clothes, fabrics, china, picture frames, and much more. (There’s even stuff for men: shirts, swim trunks, pajamas, and—coming for the holidays—boxers.) Prices for apparel and accessories range from $5 to $165, while home and furniture costs anywhere from $50 to $3,500. Most everything Roberta Roller Rabbit is made in India, and in the high season of summer, new items come in weekly.
When you stop in—and you should—note both the rugs (or should I say “rugs”?) and how the patterns even climb up the sunshine-yellow walls. The stencils were done by hand by Lisa Wassong (Roberta’s sister) and Dominique Lange of Wassong Lange Studio. And tell ’em Tribeca Citizen sent you.
Roberta Roller Rabbit is at 176 Duane (between Hudson and Greenwich), 212-966-0076; robertafreymann.com.
Recent New Kid on the Block/First Impressions articles:
• Westville Hudson
• Sushi of Gari Tribeca
• Barry’s Bootcamp
• Trinity Place Department Store
• Dirty Bird To-Go
• Super Linda’s Taqueria
• By Joy Gryson
• All Good Things