Kat Hammill and Cindy Joffe, co-owners of River Mint Finery, might have finally given us what every rom com stops short of delivering: a crosscountry relationship that can actually go the distance. The two have been running their chic, minimalist women’s apparel and accessories boutique together since 2015 while living a cool 1,000 miles away from each other, in Rhinebeck and Atlanta, respectively.
The two women crossed paths while working in the New York City design industry over 15 years ago, and later became collaborators on Joffe’s wholesale jewelry line, Avindy. In 2015, they combined Joffe’s product experience with Hammill’s background in branding and design to open their first brick-and-mortar store, River Mint Finery, near Joffe’s home in Atlanta.
“Our partnership works very well because we make all the buying decisions together,” says Hammill. The two meet up in New York City four times a year to scout new designs that they can purchase for their online and in-store inventory. “We’ve both worked in the industry selling our own lines wholesale, so we’ve seen both sides of the business,” she adds.
Bringing River Mint Finery to the Hudson Valley was a long-held dream for Hammill, who moved back Upstate from Brooklyn in 2015 after working at a design agency she co-founded and as a design director at West Elm. “I was thirsty for that [risk-taking] part of my process,” Hammill says. “There’s such an insane group of creatives in Kingston from all ages and demographics who are building this really nice community of people sharing experiences and working together.”
For Hammill, River Mint Finery’s collection of pulled-together, yet effortless pieces fills a much-needed gap in Kingston. “Women need more access to quality goods that are crafted and special in some way,” she says. To that end, the Kingston store will carry a range of contemporary women’s clothing, from Levi’s jeans to Ulla Johnson dresses, as well as accessories and gifts for the home. “It’s about carrying things that all women can wear and feel good about.” says Hammill.
River Mint Finery is located at 270 Fair Street in Kingston, NY 12401. The store is open Sunday-Thursday, 11am-5pm, and Friday-Saturday, 11am-6pm.
