Behind the Scenes with Andrew Addotta of Hamilton & Adams
Based in the Hudson Valley, Hamilton & Adams has everything from apparel and skincare goods to homegoods to Gear Patrol Magazine. We caught up with cofounder Andrew Addotta to learn more about his journey, what trends he’s spotting, why he partners with Gear Patrol and more.
Q&A
Tell us a little about yourself! How long have you owned Hamilton and Adams, and what brought you to this point in your journey?
We just hit our five year anniversary in April of 2022. We opened our business as a side hustle, with the hope of making it a full time career, which it quickly became.
What is one of your favorite things about doing what you do?
I love products and people. Being able to merge those two passions together is a dream come true. The creative opportunities are endless.
How have you seen trends evolve in the last few years?
We’ve always been focused on a casual, easy-to-wear, upstate aesthetic. We don’t stock many “basic” items, but rather the cool, novelty pieces and offerings from brands we love (and now our own label, Upstate and Chill ®, as well). During COVID, we didn’t sell many jeans or wovens, but were always low in stock on sweatpants, tees and socks. Things have swung back now and people are looking for happy, fun, optimistic pieces to work into their ever-changing lives.
We have loved working with you to make Gear Patrol Magazine available to Hamilton & Adams customers. Can you tell us a little about how you see Gear Patrol aligning with your mission and customers?
Our mission is to help people look good while discovering the world around them. Gear Patrol’s is ‘For Life's Pursuits’. These two couldn't be more in sync and aligned with our customers. We have a solid local customer base and a large mix of part time residents and tourists.
What’s next for Hamilton & Adams?
We’re spending this year refining our storytelling (both in-store and online). We have a full range of goods that we wholesale, and are excited to continue to expand that assortment and its reach. We’ve also committed to practicing what we preach and spending time discovering new things and finding the time to #upstateandchill.
What are some of your hobbies outside of work, and how do you bring those passions into your day-to-day
Landscaping, hiking the Catskills and American history. We’re always bringing in natural elements to the shop for presentation, and when we are sourcing goods we have a lens of the area we live in: Can we picture someone wearing that here? Using that here? If we hesitate, it’s out.
What are some pieces of gear you can’t travel or live without?
My AirPods (send me your podcast recommendations, please!) and My NOCS (in orange so I can’t lose them). The standard issue 8x25 covers me anywhere I might find myself.
Check out Hamilton & Adams on their website. Want to stock Gear Patrol Magazine in your shop, office or waiting room? Reach out to us here.
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