Rixo's New Collection Just Debuted at London Fashion Week And You'll Want It

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‘We want these works to make people feel amazing and happy,’ says Henrietta Rix, half of the design duo behind Rixo. Its co-founder was Orlagh McCloskey, with whom he lived for four years before the pair started Rixo from their student home. Six years later, the brand has been worn by everyone from Margot Robbie to Sandra Bullock and they’re just getting started. Today, Rixo is debuting its spring/summer 2022 collection at London Fashion Week, marking the return of the fashion show after a tumultuous year and a half for everyone.

rixo spring summer london fashion week 2022

‘The collection is called Bon Voyage, so it’s very much about going on vacation,’ said Rix. Our conversation took place at the brand’s bridal shop in London, which has been taken over by the new collection. There’s the plain silk print, which for next season comes in bright, zesty and sweet pastel colors, but there’s also wafty cotton dresses, vintage denim skirts and knitted blouses. ‘We want to traverse all the different fabrics we’re doing now. Known for our silk dresses, but we really wanted to show seersucker, cotton, embroidery, denim – sustainable – and knitwear. There’s a lot of variety in this collection, we wanted to make sure there were things people would wear during the day, not just for big events.’

There are so many things we want to do but turn them down until we get women’s clothes 100% nailed

McCloskey and Rix have successfully navigated the pandemic, maintaining a successful business in the most difficult of circumstances. In fact, they launched several new categories over the past year, adding sleepwear, shoes, sustainable swimwear, coats and a highly successful bridal line, which was followed by a special line of bridesmaid dresses.

rixo dress on model at london fashion week

“We’ve always wanted Rixo to be seen as more of a lifestyle brand, but when you first launch a brand, you become known for what you launch and what you immediately do,” says Rix. Now, he and McCloskey want people to see Rixo as a complete label, offering clothing for every aspect of life. ‘Don’t get me wrong, we’ll always make silk and vintage inspired event dresses that we think are really special, so you’ll always see them. But we wanted more pieces that fit into everyday life at a slightly lower price so that they were more accessible and that’s what we focused on.’

We want as many people as possible to feel amazing when they dress and if Rixo can help them do that, then our job is done.

The girls have big plans for the brand. Rix talked about his love of interiors with McCloskey, suggesting moving into home appliances at some point. The chair he sat on for our interview has been re-covered with the Rixo leopard print, which customers are constantly trying to buy. Male friends and relatives have also asked for ‘funky’ shirts (‘If only they didn’t want to use that word,’ Rix laughs) and they loved the idea of creating a menswear line. ‘There are so many things we want to do but turn them down until we get 100% women’s clothing nailed in terms of size, material and sustainability. There’s so much to do in women’s clothing that as a brand we need to focus.’

Size is very much on their mind. Currently, Rixo caters for sizes 6-16 but the spring/summer collection will, for the first time, go up to size 20. ‘Working towards size 24, which we wanted to prepare for this collection but size grading takes a lot of time and we wanted to do it right,’ Rix said. ‘Orlagh and I never wanted people to feel like they couldn’t wear the Rixo. If you like the aesthetics of a brand, or a certain shape, there’s nothing here to stop people from buying it. We want as many people as possible to feel amazing when they dress and if Rixo can help them do that, then our job is done. We’re also working on tiny ranges but start by measuring first. We are always trying to develop the brand.’

For a small brand like Rixo, the way they are made can be frustrating because, to make clothing in a wider range of sizes, companies need to invest time and money both of which are in short supply for small labels with no financial investors behind them. ‘It’s about having the right capacity and team to focus on it,’ Rix explained. ‘When you first start out as a small brand, I mean it was just Orlagh and I for the first three years of the company, doing everything. We only ordered 30 units of dresses and it was inefficient for the supplier to cut them into 10 different sizes, so when we first started we could only have S, M and L which equated to 8, 10 and 12. We can’t do that anymore because the supplier won’t do it.’

Rix and McCloskey have been working for more than a year to get their suppliers to produce larger sizes, a process that Rix finds long and difficult but well worth it. ‘Going from size 16 to 24 is very different from just going up to size 6 to 12. You have to consider different proportions because people’s arms, back length and body length don’t suddenly grow, so you have to get the right garment technology, make suppliers understand it and then execute it.’

Sustainability is also a team priority. Rix and McCloskey have built strong relationships with their suppliers, ensuring that each source ingredients locally to reduce shipping and waste. Says Rix, ‘I think one of the main ways to be more sustainable is just efficiency, like when I worked for another fashion brand down the street, they would have about 60 different suppliers just for everyday wear. As the company grew and we wanted to do more things like knitwear and denim, we needed a new supplier. But whenever we accept a new supplier, we always work with people who can advise us. As with denim, we’ve worked with an amazing consultant who’s passionate about sustainability, he’s just amazing.’

Rixo cuts are designed so that the team behind the brand isn’t drawn to passing trends. On the other hand, Rix and McCloskey want people to value their clothes. “We want people to wear this outfit years after they bought it and we saw it on Instagram, it’s great. The cut you can wear over and over again and it’s a real investment.’

In this latest collection, it’s true that the designers have come up with a little something for everyone, without taking things lightly. The denim skirt, for example, has braid details in the pockets for a Rixo touch and a matching jacket with a large Peter Pan collar, while the knitwear is very light and in fun colors and lines. Rix and McCloskey didn’t reinvent the wheel but they have capitalized on the demand for beautiful, wearable clothes that make you feel great, whether you’re going to a wedding, going to bed or going to the beach.

Rixo denim skirt with matching jacket

‘I think Covid has changed the mindset of our customers, with many of them thinking I could actually wear the Rixo even if I didn’t have the chance to leave. You just want to feel good about yourself. And what we focus on at Rixo, which our bright prints can sometimes cover up, is the fit and cut of the dress. Sometimes that can be underestimated. People want to dress up again, we have seen it in the last few weeks in our store. And with weddings and events back now, look forward to a big party party next summer.

Well, at least we all have something to wear.