From its founding in 2002, Rag & Bone has carried the duality of its name into its designs for men and women — crossing the classic tailoring of the managing partners’ British background with the edgy cool of the brand’s New York base. Tailored jackets coexist with abraded jeans, hoodies with fedoras; shift dresses with slouchy tanks.
Despite no formal design training, the expats behind Rag & Bone, Marcus Wainwright and David Neville, were named CFDA Menswear Designers of the Year in 2010; they’re in the running for the same award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America this year.
“We started with men’s and it remains a huge part of our business,” Wainwright said. “We’ve been pretty active in trying to revitalize the way people view men’s clothing with how we present our menswear collections.”
For spring/summer 2015, they did a portrait series featuring friends of the brand, from Jerry Seinfeld to the owner of a local bar they patronize. For fall-winter 2015 they created a film with Mikhail Baryshnikov and Lil Buck that’s been viewed over a 1 million times on YouTube.
Among women, Rag & Bone boots, such as the Newbury style, have become a simple yet instantly identifiable signature, worn by Gwyneth Paltrow and Taylor Swift and with everything from jeans to evening wear. (One part of the magic? “I’ve been told that the heel’s a great height yet comfortable,” Neville said.)
Footwear and accessories are a growing category; handbags were launched in 2012.
Now, Wainwright and Neville are opening their first location in Chicago at 25 E. Delaware Pl., bringing the total to 23 stores worldwide. The brand also is sold in boutiques and department stores in more than 57 countries worldwide and at rag-bone.com.