Nine-year-old fashion brand Rixo is expanding its global footprint by launching a pop-up shop in SoHo, New York on April 22. The U.K.-based brand — known for occasion dresses including wedding guest looks — plays in a space similar to Reformation, albeit with a distinct retro British aesthetic.
“The U.S. customer base is our second biggest and it’s growing week-on-week,” said Henrietta Rix. In the U.S., the brand sells at Saks, Revolve, Shopbop and Elyse Walker. In 2023, it launched a U.S. e-commerce site, which will be relaunched on April 15 ahead of the pop-up’s debut. Rixo has a sales split of 60% direct-to-consumer and 40% wholesale.
From January 2023 to June 2023, the brand reported sales of £19 million ($23 million) and a 600% growth in U.S customer sales compared to five years. Rixo founders Orlagh McCloskey and Henrietta Rix fully own the business.
The pop-up, which marks the brand’s first physical retail presence in the U.S., is planned to operate for three months. It will feature the brand’s spring 2024 collections, core products, wedding guest attire and exclusive items, including the Gio dress made popular by New York-based influencers 10 years ago. In fact, the full product assortment will be catered to U.S. shoppers, based on their buying behavior.
In addition, the store will host a private clienteling program and community events, including styling sessions, panels, meet-and-greets and dinners with the brand’s founders.
“The store had a [courtyard space] that we can use for supper clubs, breakfasts and yoga sessions to engage with the community,” Rix said. “We’ve done retail really well in the U.K.,” which helped with landlord negotiations according to her. On April 2, the brand launched a shop-in-shop at Selfridges with decor and assortment similar to its flagship in London.
Rix said the store’s opening was driven by U.S. customer demand via Instagram, where the brand has 500,000 followers. It was also driven by the increasing customer engagement and sales in the U.S., mostly from residents of New York and L.A. The brand has around 200,000 email subscribers — its 70 loyal NYC-based customers received an email from Rix inviting them to a store opening event and offering a discount.
Rixo is betting big on retail — it launched a flagship store in London last year and has seen outsize sales from the location, Rix said. The company operates three permanent stores, all in London. “Digital media marketing dilutes the brand — you’re acquiring a customer who knows nothing about you,” she said. “We don’t want to be reliant on [digital] to acquire new customers.”
She added, “Our data shows that when a customer shops in-store with us, they’re more loyal.”
The NYC store’s design, which was created in collaboration with the small interior design studio Casa Angulo, focuses on local craftsmanship and vibrant aesthetics. And the featured furniture and decorative items were exclusively sourced from NYC markets, auctions and artisans. The founders plan to work with local vintage clothing dealers to round out the product assortment.
The pop-up launch marks a significant step in the brand’s U.S. expansion. At the end of May, Rixo will launch a capsule collaboration with a female-founded, L.A.-based fashion company.
