After 22 years in Tempe and then Scottsdale, HUB Clothing has relocated from its longtime home inside Scottsdale Fashion Square to a stylish new space in the heart of uptown Phoenix’s bustling Central Corridor. Now open inside the handsomely restored 1940s storefront that also houses the popular Windsor restaurant and Churn ice cream shop, HUB Clothing (5213 N Central Ave., 602-277-HUBC/4822, www.hubclothing.com) features an all-new lineup of the season’s best, most innovative men’s and women’s fashions and accessories, as well as its signature collection of designer denim. In fact, HUB Clothing – which previously introduced the Valley to renowned brands such as APC, Diesel, Nudie, J. Lindeberg, Pendleton Portland, Zanerobe, Cameo and Splendid – is the exclusive Arizona home to up-and-coming fashion brands such as FRAME Denim, D by D, Black Crane, Ch. (Chapter), Otter Wax, Mina Ro Mina and more.
And speaking of setting trends, HUB Clothing’s latest location is also a function of changing tastes in the way people shop, says owner Jennifer Mumford. “I have felt a real shift in the Valley towards independent, locally-owned businesses over the last 5 years. The HUB customer is conscious of where they spend their money and is looking for a unique product and shopping experience. The HUB client was not interested in shopping at a mall anymore. They wanted a unique shopping experience and I think I delivered that.” So when Mumford was presented the opportunity to take over a space in this red-hot revitalized section of north central Phoenix, she knew it would be “a perfect fit.”
Inside HUB’s new location, guests will discover a sleek, stylish space best described as “SoHo industrial loft meets Parisian pied-à-terre,” Mumford says. Think painted concrete floors and bright, airy white-painted brick walls and exposed rafters, as well as white oak tabletops and custom lighting and shelving made from recycled, powder-coated plumbing fixtures. Mumford also consigned a custom white neon HUB Clothing sign, and added a cozy couch to the front patio so people can window shop in comfort as they eat their Churn ice cream.
But no matter where it’s located, HUB Clothing will always be all about stylish, surprisingly affordable fashion, including being one of the few clothing boutiques that caters to men as much as women. “We carry about 60% men’s wear, vs. most boutiques which are at least 80% women’s clothing,” Mumford says. This includes the latest men’s looks for fall, which Mumford describes as urban street style with colorful graphic T’s paired with cooler, cleaner grays, navy blues and blacks of the still-popular Americana look. Another top-seller is the Australian brand Zanerrobe, with its line of chino-legged, elastic-top pants, which Mumford says are both incredibly comfortable and easily transition from flip-flop weather to wintertime boots.
As for women’s fall/winter fashions, aside from the latest denim by the London sensation, FRAME denim, Mumford says she’s most excited by the LA-based, Asian-influenced designs of Black Crane, as well as the Australian designer of the moment, Cameo, with its combination of high-fashion Givenchy-style dresses at off-the-rack prices.
HUB Clothing is open daily (Sun. – Wed. 10 am – 7 pm; Thur. – Sat. 10 am – 8 pm). For more information please call 602-277-HUBC (4822) or visit www.hubclothing.com.
