Cornelia James (company)


Cornelia James is a firm of British glovemakers, founded in 1946, and with a Royal Warrant since 1979. The company has been managed by Genevieve James, daughter of the late Cornelia James, since 1999.

History

was born in Vienna in 1917, and left in 1939 via Paris to London to try to get a United States visa, but met Jack James and married him six weeks later in 1940. She was a Jewish refugee and set up business in London in 1946 making gloves. In 1947, Norman Hartnell asked her to make the "going-away" gloves for the then Princess Elizabeth after her marriage to Prince Philip.
In the 1950s, the company had 250 employees in a former dairy in Brighton.
Cornelia James died in 1999, at the age of 82.

Activities

Cornelia James has been Royal Warrant holders since 1979, and is now based in Lewes, Sussex.
The company is now run by her daughter, Genevieve James, who's also the brand's creative director. Notable clients include the Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Anne, Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Madonna.
Cornelia James produces high-end products for wealthy individuals. A pair of full-length pure-wool gloves cuffed with silver fox fur cost $570. Japan is the company's best customer.

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