PODCAST: Season 3, Episode 6: Henrietta Rix of RIXO

Work Rest Slay is a monthly podcast hosted by IMAGE Contributing Editor Melanie Morris, who speaks to some of the most compelling Irish and international people in business, spilling the truth on the real secret sauce for a successful career.

Our next episode in the series launches on Saturday, June 1, 2024, and features Henrietta Rix, CEO and co-founder of international fashion label RIXO.

Work Rest Slay: In this episode…

In this episode of Work Rest Slay, the driven Henrietta Rix shares her entrepreneurial journey alongside her partner Orlagh McCloskey, from creating their first-ever collection in their university living room to becoming a globally recognised fashion label, known for their vintage-inspired designs and phenomenal fits.

“Today, we’re in the fast-paced world of fashion and our guest is Henrietta Rix, half of the power duo behind cult label RIXO,” opens Melanie. “RIXO is a brand that has made dressing up fun, whether for a special day or night, for a big work event or simply because we want to feel good… since 2015, the answer to whatever it is we are looking for has usually been sitting in one of their collections.

“Inspired by vintage shapes, styles and details, Henrietta, along with her business partner and long-term BFF Orlagh McCloskey, create custom treasures that have a real point of difference. The girls and their ever-growing teams sell pretty much in every country globally, and so many Irish women adore hitting up the RIXO boutiques on trips to London for a bit of ultimate ‘brand immersion’.”

Independently-owned

Henrietta and Orlagh remain steadfast in keeping RIXO independently owned – a rarity in 2024’s fashion industry – and they both stay firmly placed in the day-to-day running of the business. This requires laser focus, says Henrietta, as RIXO now has three standalone retail stores in London and is stocked by internationally renowned boutiques, iconic department stores and global online retailers, as well as an e-commerce site. Most recently, they’ve just opened their first US flagship store on Prince Street in New York this spring.

A well-oiled machine, Henrietta looks after the retail and wholesale side of the business while Orlagh, as Design Director, looks after the design team and technical fits. “At the start, we did everything together, but we soon realised, as the business grew, we needed to divide and conquer – and we’ve done that quite efficiently. We play to our strengths and come together on strategy and the bigger picture. We’re both ultimately really passionate about the brand – at the end of the day, it’s part of us.”

Best advice

When asked to share her expert advice for female entrepreneurs, Henrietta says it’s normal to feel overwhelmed at the start, but the important thing is to stay true to yourself and to the brand. “We haven’t diluted [RIXO]. There are so many opportunities we could go into, but we just want to protect the brand… We want to keep RIXO quite special and make sure we don’t crowd its distribution.

In addition to protecting the brand’s ethos, she says it’s important to “just be yourself. Every woman is different. I think women think they’ve got to be more cutthroat or less emotional or more confident… but if you are emotional in your peer group, for example, colleagues might resonate with you, and that can be a good thing. So being yourself is key.”

For more on Henrietta’s career journey, listen to the newest episode of Work Rest Slay below:

About Henrietta

Henrietta Rix co-founded RIXO with her business partner Orlagh McCloskey, born from their passion for travel and vintage designs. The brand quickly filled a gap in the contemporary market with limited, unique designs and easy-to-wear and flattering shapes that fit effortlessly into modern women’s lifestyles. RIXO’s core product offering focuses on original hand-painted prints created in the London Head Office and includes dresses, shoes, accessories, loungewear, outerwear, bridal and bridesmaid, with inclusive sizes ranging between a US 2-22.

As CEO and co-founder, Henrietta oversees everything brand-related – including communications, wholesale, retail expansion, partnerships, and their wonderful community of customers the #humansofrixo. The cult fashion label has three standalone retail stores in London with a 5,000-square-foot flagship store which opened on the King’s Road in April 2023. It’s also stocked by internationally renowned boutiques, iconic department stores and global online retailers, as well as their own e-commerce site.

The brand was awarded the DHL Award for International Growth Potential by DHL and the British Fashion Council in October 2017, Sunday Times Fast Track ‘2020 Ones to Watch’ in December 2019, Forbes 30 Under 30 in March 2020 and Womenswear Brand of the Year and Store Design of the Year at the Drapers Awards in November 2023.

Watch the full episode

This season of Work Rest Slay is in partnership with Range Rover. Every Range Rover leads by example with modernist design, connected, refined interiors and electrified performance driving unrivalled luxury – inspired by exemplary design since 1970. As part of a sustainability-rich vision of modern luxury by design, every Range Rover is available as an electric hybrid. A fully electric Range Rover will arrive in 2025 and a fully electric Range Rover Sport in 2026.