Rachel Riley - dressing royals for over 25 years.

Interview with founder Rachel Riley

Rachel Riley is a female-led business. Female run, with mostly female customers, amongst them a few Royals. We talk to Rachel about running this business successfully for over 25 years.

You’ve had your company for over 25 years, with yourself, Rachel Riley leading the company. Do you feel it is positive to highlight that you are a ‘woman in business’, or do you consider your gender to be irrelevant to how you run your company?

We are now coming up to our 30th anniversary! I have never thought of my gender as an issue as a businesswoman, but of course childrenswear is quite a female dominated industry. That having been said, I have a very determined personality. My ‘go to’ saying is “Wherever you go, go with all your heart” (Confucius). I have to commend my fabulous team of hardworking women. We are all creative, adaptable and get the job done! You could call it the dream team.

The kids’ fashion and lifestyle industry is a very rare industry with such a high volume of female run businesses. Do you think this is talked about enough? (is this relevant to now, or just a legacy of women working in businesses that are focused on children?)

Unfortunately the children’s industry is very neglected maybe because men are not dressing their children as much as women. It is mostly female run and many of our custom- ers are also women. For example the banks don’t really take us seriously. So highlighting this important indus- try seems very relevant.

"...the banks don’t really take us [women] seriously. So highlighting this important industry seems very relevant."

Rachel Riley

Your designs are unmistakable as Rachel Riley. How did your unique branding and style evolve?

As a teenager trying to find my identity, I loved to watch Alfred Hitchcock films and was attracted to the glam- our of 50s and 60’s fashion & art. Being able to sew meant that I could buy second-hand and inexpensive clothes and transform them into wonderful creations for me and
my dolls.

You work together with your husband & daughter. How much of the daily running of the business is a family affair?

It is so fun for me to collaborate with my family. My husband is the most supportive man I know, and with his talent and experience our photoshoots are moments I look forward to. My husband joins us just for the photo- shoots. My daughter Rose joined our company 2 years ago, after having worked in the industry for over 5 years. Rose and I work very closely together on a daily basis and are complementary in many things. Rose isn’t a morning person, and the 9am zoom call is when I launch into my most important questions, but she doesn’t seem to mind. She’s actually been working with me from a young age – when she was 3 she had such good motor skills she could help me cut out patterns with round ended scissors.

Famous for dressing Royal children, when did you first see your designs on the Royals?

Did you think that you would be their goto British designer? My first royal appointment was at the beginning of our company when we received an order from the Palace of Monaco. It was thrilling to have such royal endorsement right from the start. Back in the day it came through by fax! Since then we have had many celebrity and Royal customers, but we always treat all of our customers like royalty. In 2013 when the whole world heard the news that a new British royal baby was due, I decided that we should mark the occasion by designing a Heritage Collection. This was to celebrate a new generation of British monarchy and was designed for all babies and children who are of course their own parent’s Prince and Princess. When Prince George was born the whole world wanted to know what a modern Prince would look like. We are incredibly proud to have dressed Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and other royals at Buckingham Palace events on 22 different occasions.

"I’m very lucky to work in the industry that I do!"

Rachel Riley

Owning a company can be exciting, but it also comes with a huge amount of responsibility. Never fully switching off. How have you dealt with this over the years?

Tell me about it! There are lots of highs, lows, and most importantly mundane banality in between, for example funding for growth is always an issue, we follow a tight critical part so deadlines are always loom- ing. You always have to be very adaptable as a small business and respond fast to whatever issues come up. Because I love making things, I enjoy production the most and getting beautiful things made.I try to be good at switching off and love to do yoga, swimming and gardening.

What’s in the future for the brand Rachel Riley?

Very exciting things! Creating a new seasonal collection is always inspiring and exciting and I love to design beautiful garments for babies and children. We have been growing steadily in the US market and will continue this growth trajec- tory with the launch of the Princess Collection in the Four Seasons Orlando and the licensing collection with the storybook character Eloise. We have lots of other fun projects that will be revealed soon.