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.
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.
'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."'
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.
'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
The Ibiza star print dress, with side slits - £255
Gemma Dress
Ibiza night print dress with ruffle detail - £225
Tilly Dress
Mixed gypsy print high-necked mini dress - £255
Moss Blouse
Necktie pussy bow blouse - £175