A London fashion brand, founded by David Reiss in 1971, which designs and sells men's and women's clothing in its own shops and online.
Reiss is a British fashion brand that designs smart, modern clothing for women and men. Men's suits came first, and women's clothing was added in 2000. Its range runs from everyday pieces to dresses and tailoring, and an interview with its founder described prices from £59 to about £1,400. It sells through its own shops, online and in partner stores, and according to Wikipedia it has about 160 shops in 15 countries, including a growing number in the United States.
David Reiss founded the business in 1971, opening his first shop on Bishopsgate in London. He describes himself as a trader and merchant who puts product first, hires the right people and watches profit. In a Drapers interview from about 2013 he said the business runs like a designer fashion house, that "most of the product is Reiss product", and that the culture is "quite unique; you have to fit". We did not find a formal mission statement on the pages we read, so none is claimed here.
Reiss is headquartered in London. The same interview describes a central London headquarters with an in-house atelier and about 20 in-house designers. Wikipedia reports that the flagship store and head office, designed by the architects Squire and Partners, won architecture awards, and that the brand has shops at Westfield London and Heathrow Terminal 5. Because those sources are a few years old, check the company's website for its shop list and offices now.
The Drapers interview describes a hands-on, fast-moving culture where leaders are expected to stay close to daily trading and product. David Reiss said that a layer of senior management introduced in 2012 had become divorced from day-to-day issues, and that after a restructure the leadership team shrank by five people. In 2013 James Spreckley became creative director to keep design, campaigns, shops and the website consistent. These views are David Reiss's own and are around a decade old. The brand was named Fashion Retailer of the Year at the 2003 British Style Awards.
A brand that designs its own clothes and runs its own shops needs designers and pattern cutters, buyers and merchandisers, shop managers and sales assistants, visual merchandisers, e-commerce and marketing teams, and people in logistics, finance and human resources. If you like the idea of seeing a product from sketch to shop floor, a vertically run brand like this shows each step. The company's website lists current roles.
Website: www.reiss.com
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