About Us

The story so far…

Cordelia James is a run by mother and daughter, Cordelia and Megan, alongside the help of Cordelia’s partner, Jamie (James), where the name of the boutique is derived from.

Cordelia set up her first shop in Hawkhurst on Ockley Road in 2008. With a background in interior and garden design, Cordelia has a good eye when it comes to buying and merchandising clothing and accessories. After a successful first year, Cordelia James moved around the corner to a larger shop on the Colonnade in Hawkhurst, which is now the flagship store.

In 2011, they expanded to a second shop in Rye which is now a destination boutique for locals as well as visitors to the popular market town.

In 2016, Megan joined the business full-time after graduating in History of Art from UEA. Having worked in the shops part-time from the age of 15, and the visual literacy gained from her degree, she became the third member to help run the new trio of shops, having set up a new branch in Lewes that same year.

2018 celebrated the business' 10th anniversary. 

In 2019 Cordelia James was nominated for the following awards: Drapers' Womenswear Boutique of the Year
Drapers' Visual Merchandising & Store Design 
Boutique Awards' Womenswear Boutique of the Year.
Megan was nominated for Drapers' Rising Star in the Independent Sector. 
The team were pleased to be recognised for their hard work and an indication as to how far the business has come. 
A 4 page feature was written up about Cordelia James in Boutique Magazine and the shop was also seen in Conde Naste Traveler. 

In January 2020, Megan made the prestigious list of high flyers in the Drapers' 30 Under 30 Faces of the Future. A huge achievement to be recognised alongside some super talented under 30's in the fashion sector. 
Cordelia James was listed in Drapers' Inspiring Boutiques of 2020

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the crisis that hit the globe, 2020 saw all three shops close their doors temporarily. But the mother and daughter powerhouse saw the potential to turn a devastating time for the business into a positive opportunity by creating their online store. Megan set up Cordelia James Online Boutique so they could continue to provide their loyal customers with their collections. 

Together, the family team aim to create three beautiful spaces, and one online space for shopping an eclectic collection of clothing, accessories and homeware.