How Rixo's Vintage-Inspired Dresses Became a Modern Celebrity Style Phenomenon

They say fame changes people. What about dressing famous people? From the outside, it seems Orlagh McCloskey and Henrietta Rix, co-founders of the celebrity-adored, dress-forward label Rixo, aren't all that different from when they got started in 2015. Sure, they no longer live in the shared apartment where they sketched their first easygoing dresses, inspired by the vintage markets around London where they grew up shopping. Their brand has grown from an online-only storefront to include a palatial London flagship and its first New York City boutique—which came from a pop-up that was so popular, it became permanent. And then there are the celebrities who flock to their polka-dot, leopard print, and floral jacquard dresses in droves: Sofia Richie Grainge one day, Catherine, Princess of Wales, the next, Hailey Bieber, Emma Roberts, Selena Gomez, Kelly Clarkson, and Florence Pugh in between.

But in the run-up to its tenth birthday, Rixo's founding duo say they're just as devoted to what the initially set out to do: designing effortless, actually-wearable clothing that feels exempt from the trend cycle.

"When we first started, there weren't that many contemporary brands doing dresses that people could wear casually with trainers to work," McCloskey tells me, dialing in with Rix from the set of an upcoming collection's campaign photoshoot. Flashes in the background and a huge rack of clothes—overflowing with the '70s floral prints and touches of lace they're known for—are the only signs they're at work and not in the apartment-slash-office they used to share.

Back in 2015, "The contemporary floor was very much quite grungy— Alexander Wang, Helmet Lang, and so on," she continues. "There weren't that many day dress brands or brands that had the quality that we wanted."

Nor were there the touches of empire waists, bias cut skirts, and mixed prints that the pair saw all the time at their favorite vintage markets. "I think we take for granted that in Britain there's so much good vintage," Rix laughs.

They dove into the whitespace by translating those happenstance street market finds into an entire brand aesthetic—and bringing it to shoppers in a cleverly low-fi way. They street cast models and ran operations almost entirely by themselves for the first few years. McCloskey, who leans more on the creative side, jokes that she didn't even know how to use Photoshop until an intern from New York City taught her. "We did everything on a shoestring, but I think the collection and the product and the price point really stood for itself," Rix says.

Rixo's limited-quantity collections had a few things other places just didn't then (and still don't now). Their prices are mostly in the $200 to $450 range, in consciously sourced or deadstock fabrics. Many pieces are available in extended sizes. Their range has an ease-of-wear that transcends TikTok-cores; several of the throwback-esque prints, like mash-ups of leopard and polka dots or groovy, swirling spirals, are just plain fun to wear.

Rixo arrived on the scene just as sad beige interiors and mass-market minimalism began a global style takeover. While the designs weren't exactly hewing to a trend, they addressed the women who still wanted bold colors and bright prints—even the famous ones. Stars like Sofia Richie Grainge and her older sister, Nicole Richie, tend toward the polka-dot designs; Princess Kate has worn a pink print number and a spotted shirt dress of her own.

The founders never intended for A-listers to become their biggest fans. They're not complaining. "When someone wears it, it's nice for the design team and everyone to see that being worn," Rix says. "I mean, they could wear any dress they want. They've got the pick of absolutely everything. So if Hailey Bieber is choosing Rixo to wear on holiday, or whoever it is, it's special."

The pair declined to share how these celebs impact sales. Judging by the way anything from Strathberry bags to Louboutin pumps can sell out when a big name wears them, it's safe to assume these placements move the needle.

Speaking to vintage fiends and devout maximalists isn't the only way Rixo has been able to grow stateside. At the now-permanent New York City store, the co-founders say, mother-daughter pairs and groups of friends often gravitate toward the all-black (or black-centric) prints and patterns.

"Die-hard Rixo fans like know us for the shape and the cut of the dresses," Rix explains, moreso than the splashy colors. Their emphasis on fit has also been consistent from the beginning: "We've got top blouses, skirts and dresses that we've done literally for the last nine years." So trust that when you see an Emma Roberts or a Selena Gomez wearing Rixo now, they could easily keep wearing it in the future. It's a version of looking to the past for inspiration that doesn't feel as dated as other trends.

When I ask Rixo's co-founders which women most moved the needle for their brand—allowing them to expand into jewelry, bags, homeware, and special, as-yet-to-be-announced collaborations for their official tenth year—they don't bring up Hailey Bieber on vacation in a black, rosette-adorned dress or Nicole Richie running errands in Rixo polka dots. Instead, they think back on a chance encounter during a trip to Australia, three or four collections into business.

Turning around at a local bar, they spotted an everyday woman wearing a Rixo dress. "It would have been like one of 50," McCloskey says. "That was kind of an amazing moment where we were like, 'Oh my God, how the hell is the brand that we're doing in our uni living room on her?'"

After making it to to their families and friends, their Rixo dresses had made it all the way to the other side of the world. Could they ask for anything more? Their drive to dress women from all walks of life, just like them, hadn't changed. But they wouldn't mind Taylor Swift wearing Rixo one day, for the record.

Shop Rixo's Vintage-Inspired Collection