'Destroy, Disorientate, Disorder' and Debenhams, the British department store: John Richmond is equal parts raring-to-rock and ready-to-wear. The music-loving' Mancunian has a singular talent for reconciling anarchic punk aesthetics with elegant tailoring.
Born in 1961, Richmond graduated from Kingston Polytechnic in 1983 and worked as a freelance designer for Emporio Armani, Fiorucci and Joseph Tricot before forming his first label, Richmond-Cornejo, a collaboration with designer Maria Cornejo, in 1984.
In 1987 he struck out on his own. During his career Richmond has dressed pop icons such as Bryan Adams, David Bowie, Madonna and Mick Jagger; George Michael wore Richmond's Destroy jacket in the video for 'Faith'. John Richmond designs are synonymous with the spirit of rock and the smell of leather.
Today, his label comprises three clothing lines: John Richmond, Richmond X, and Richmond Denim, with eye-wear and underwear collections also recently launched. A business partnership with Saverio Moschillo has provided Richmond with a worldwide network of showrooms, from Naples, Rome and Paris to Munich, Diisseldorf and New York. They house his leather biker jackets, oil-printed T-shirts, acid-orange pleated skirts and long-line sweaters.
Richmond's newest flagship store in London's Conduit Street joins two Italian shops in Milan and Bari. Then there's the Designers At Debenhams collection, the John Richmond Smart Roadster car -needless to say, a John Richmond fragrance and a childrenswear collection are also both in the pipeline.
Posted in: British Fashion Designers
