When Prince George arrived at the hospital to meet his newborn baby sister Princess Charlotte last month, the royal darling sported a navy blue knitted cardigan and knee-high socks by Amaia Kids. George proved the perfect model for the Chelsea-based brand, with the items selling out within hours online.
The classic and traditional childrenswear store, which also has a boutique in Marylebone, has long been a favourite with George's mum the Duchess of Cambridge, née Kate Middleton.
In fact, Kate's loyalty to the brand started when George was just a few weeks old. Speaking exclusively to HELLO! Online's sister publication HOLA.com, designer Amaia Arrieta recalls her first meeting with the Duchess.
Prince George wore an Amaia Kids cardigan to meet his newborn sister Princess Charlotte in hospital
"The first time she came into the shop she was with her mother [Carole Middleton] ," Amaia, who is one half of the business with fellow mum Ségolène Tresca, told HOLA.com. "It was quite funny because she said, 'I've just had a baby and I'm a little lost. Would you be able to help me?'
"Of course we knew who she was! It surprised us to see how normal and natural she was. We helped her like any new mum and I think she liked that because she's been coming back ever since.
"She's very charming, very normal and very sweet," said the designer of Duchess Kate
"She usually comes alone and although we show her everything we have in the size she needs, she usually knows what she wants. She's very decisive but she does let us make suggestions, and sometimes she buys things she wouldn't have picked up. She's very charming, very normal and very sweet.
"Her sister [Pippa Middleton] and her mum have also been back a few times to buy things for their nephew and niece and grandson, but at separate times."
The last time Kate paid a visit to Amaia Kids was when she was heavily pregnant with Princess Charlotte. "Three weeks before the Princess was born, she came in and bought three cardigans, three shirts, two pairs of shorts and long socks," said Amaia.
Prince George, in Amaia Kids, has proved the perfect model for the Chelsea-based brand
The Spanish businesswoman currently lives in London with her Parisian husband and three children. Her brand came to life when Amaia was pregnant with her first baby, and she struggled to find traditional childrenswear with a modern touch in the UK, as she could in Spain.
The first Amaia Kids store soon opened in Chelsea, followed by another in Marylebone.
Apart from the Duchess, Amaia counts Victoria Beckham, Kate Hudson, Sienna Miller and Claudia Schiffer among her A-lister clientele.
