on juggling business and babies
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“In the early days we had a lot of people giving us advice & conflicting opinions. But we never compromised”
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Makeup by Shirley Anne Dapaah, using the Jordana Ticia Nude Divinity Palette and Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Silvia Olsen
Words: PENNY GOLDSTONE
Hair and make-up artist: DemiMakeup
DESIGN: Treasa Burns
RIXO founders Henrietta Rix and Orlagh McCloskey started their business from their living room, with no investors and no industry contacts. Now, they have stores on both sides of the Atlantic, and their designs are worn by celebrities and royalty. Here, as part of our Women Who Win series, the founders tell Penny Goldstone how they tackled Brexit, made the juggle with motherhood work and expanded into the US.
“Turning away revenue is hard when you are self-funded and it feels really daunting”
“Fostering a culture where parenting is shared between partners, rather than falling mostly on women, is vital for true equality at home and work”
“The fulfilment derived from nurturing both a family and a business fuels my drive”
“We started RIXO in 2015, in the living room of our university flat. We had bonded over our love of vintage but couldn’t find vintage-inspired dresses easily, so we spotted a gap in the market for well-priced, beautifully made silk pieces. We wanted to bridge amazing fits with unique designs and prints. Our philosophy has stayed the same ever since and we are so proud to now be dressing women all over the world.
“We combined our two names to [title it] RIXO, created our first sample set, then literally went round talking to press, stylists, boutiques and wholesalers. We opened pop-ups, had a rail in a new restaurant reception… we did it all by working from the ground up and we still have no investors nine years on. We’re proud to be independently owned and profitable.”
Take us back to the beginning of your business. How did it come about?
Henrietta: “In the early days we had a lot of people giving us advice and conflicting opinions. But we never compromised. We stayed true to our gut and made decisions that we always felt were right for the business. Ultimately, the product is what we haven’t compromised on. Orlagh leads the design team, so the DNA over the past nine years has stayed true to RIXO.”
Orlagh: “The fit of our product is something we are constantly reassessing and working on. With fit being so important, we [added] an in-house alteration service to our King’s Road store, which helps us to identify areas for improvement in the design or manufacturing processes. Liudmyla [Kirk] is our in-store Alteration & Repairs Specialist – she has been with the business for years and helps perfect every garment at RIXO.”
What is one thing you’d never compromise on when it comes to your business?
What has been your biggest challenge to date? And what lessons have you learned?
Henrietta: “Probably listening to advice and then looking back and thinking, ‘Why did we do that?’ But you always learn – now we follow our gut a lot more.”
Orlagh: “Not taking enough time to hire the best or right person for the job. It’s such a crucial part of growing a business, getting the right people in place.”
What is the biggest mistake you’ve ever made?
Henrietta: “Embracing the dual roles of being a mum of two, and CEO and co-founder of RIXO definitely means juggling responsibilities with care. Balancing commuting from afar and living between two cities is tiring but I’m happy with it. Everyone has sacrifices in life and you’ve got to be happy with the choices you make. For me, the biggest sacrifice is time with friends and having a social life. In the week, I’m dedicated to work; on the weekends, I spend my time with my family. The fulfilment derived from nurturing both a family and a business fuels my drive. Having children has motivated me more to make RIXO a success, so that my boys can have a great life and understand the importance of work and having a purpose. There are pros and cons of course but, ultimately, I’m grateful to be so passionate about what I do.”
How can you achieve the right work/life balance?
Henrietta: “For me it has to be our ‘Evie’ dress, which is a true RIXO classic that works for so many different occasions. I’ve worn this shape throughout two pregnancies and over the past nine years it has always been my go-to. It’s named after my first niece and was designed back in the living room. If you’re investing in one dress, I’d suggest this one: it can easily be dressed up for a special occasion or dressed down on holiday.”
Orlagh: “I love our ‘Meera’ gown for special occasions – the shape suits all the bright prints we update it in. But, for every day, I live in our ‘Kelly’ leopard-print skirt, which goes with everything; I love the bias-cut fit.”
Do you have a favourite piece in the collection?
Henrietta: “Orlagh and I go on an annual trip to Italy to visit a vintage fair. That’s how we celebrate: taking time together out of the day-to-day, doing what we love (which we’re lucky to call work) and [eating] pasta!”
Orlagh: “Celebrating with the team as a collective is always rewarding.”
How do you celebrate your successes?
Henrietta: “Looking back, it’s probably starting RIXO, knowing no one in the industry but having the guts to give it a go.”
Orlagh: “Dropping wholesale accounts that weren’t right for us. Turning away revenue is hard when you are self-funded and it feels really daunting. However, long-term we knew it was the right thing [to do].”
What is the bravest thing you’ve ever done?
Henrietta: “It's hard to generalise – every woman is so individual. At RIXO, [more than] 95 percent [of the workforce] is female and each woman is a powerful trailblazer who is passionate about her career in her own way. I feel lucky to be surrounded by such inspiring working mothers.”
Orlagh: “It would be transformative if all companies offered flexibility for parents, especially women managing childcare. This would ease the return to work and retain talent. Equally, fostering a culture where parenting is shared between partners, rather than falling mostly on women, is vital for true equality at home and work.”
What would you want to change for women?
‘Karlie’ gold dress
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Henrietta
Orlagh
Orlagh
“You don’t need to be an expert in everything, but you need to know how to ask the right questions”
Henrietta: “Brexit has certainly posed a big challenge for us over the past few years, particularly with increased shipping costs, taxes and duties. Logistics into Europe have halted our growth in particular markets, meaning we’ve had to pivot our strategy.
“To overcome these challenges, we have fast-tracked our expansion into the US, which has been incredibly exciting. We opened a store in New York earlier this year and launched a successful LA collaboration. This strategic shift has allowed us to tap into new markets and continue growing, despite the hurdles posed by Brexit. But growing a company comes with lots of less sexy challenges too, including people management and back-end operations. It can all really trip you up when you're growing fast.”
Henrietta: “Trust your gut, always. It’s rarely wrong.”
Orlagh: “You don’t need to be an expert in everything, but you need to know how to ask the right questions.”
What is the best advice you’ve received?
Henrietta and Orlagh: “Opening our flagship store last year was one of our proudest moments. We dreamt of opening a RIXO flagship from the early days in our living room, so bringing it to life was a dream come true.
“It also feels pretty surreal to now have a permanent presence in New York. We made the decision to make our summer pop-up shop there permanent in September and that was a really proud moment.”
What has been your proudest moment?
Henrietta: “Don’t overcomplicate things… at the end of the day, we’re all just one person. No one has a superpower, so don’t underestimate yourself.”
Orlagh: “Where there is a will, there is a way.”
What is your mantra?
Henrietta : “A vintage Chanel bag from my mum.”
Orlagh: “My mum’s old charms that she passed down to me – they inspired the RIXO charm necklace.”
What is your most treasured fashion item?
Henrietta: “I love living in Chiswick, which is my base during the week – it doesn’t have the same hustle and bustle of central London. [My go-tos are] Gymkhana for Indian food; Gold in Notting Hill and the King’s Road for Saturday shopping; plus Saatchi Gallery – I walk up to Harrods afterwards for the best pizza.”
Orlagh: “Gunnersbury Park for a lovely run, then down to Chiswick Antiques and Vintage Market for a mooch.”
What are your favourite places in London?
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Henrietta
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Orlagh
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—and always trusting your gut
Rix
Henrietta
Henrietta
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