There aren't many successful labels that can say they were born out of a mistake, but Rixo is one of them.

Having spotted a gap in the market for beautifully made, vintage-inspired dresses at an attainable price, Orlagh McCloskey, and Henrietta Rix, left their jobs as buyers at ASOS in 2015 to start up the brand from their west London flat.

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They had recruited a friend to design all the prints for their collections but a last-minute schedule clash occurred and the friends, with no formal design training, were left to do it them themselves.

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'We spent the whole weekend with paint brushes!' says Cheshire-born Rix, who met McCloskey, from Northern Ireland, while they were studying Fashion Management at the London College of Fashion. 'We'd never intended Rixo to be a print-heavy brand, but the reaction to our first two prints was so great that we thought: "You know what, we can actually do it ourselves."'

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Once the prints were placed on their 100% silk 'Camellia' dress,- a breezy midi-length style with blouson sleeves and pleated side-splits - a sell-out was born, beloved for its dress-up, dress-down versatility.

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Rixo ss17

'People have got behind the story of the brand, and the fact that it's me and Orlagh doing everything from our home,' adds Rix. 'It's not trend-led at all: we want customers to simply see a dress and fall in love with it.'

Rixo has grand plans for the future; an essentials range, handbags, accessories, jewellery and even a concept store are all on the cards. And we don't doubt for a second McCloskey and Rix will achieve it all.

Shop some of the looks here:

Alice Dress

Clothing, Sleeve, Shoulder, Joint, Dress, Pattern, One-piece garment, Style, Day dress, Waist, pinterest

The Ibiza star print dress, with side slits - £255


Gemma Dress

Clothing, Sleeve, Dress, Shoulder, Red, Collar, Style, One-piece garment, Formal wear, Pattern, pinterest

Ibiza night print dress with ruffle detail - £225


Tilly Dress

Clothing, Fashion model, Fashion, Pattern, Dress, Shoulder, Design, Pattern, Fashion design, Outerwear, pinterest

Mixed gypsy print high-necked mini dress - £255


Moss Blouse

Clothing, Brown, Sleeve, Shoulder, Textile, Joint, Outerwear, Bag, Collar, Pattern, pinterest

Necktie pussy bow blouse - £175