River Island
Encyclopedia
River Island is one of Britain's best known high street fashion brands and can be found in most cities across the UK. The brand also has stores in Singapore
, Turkey
, Poland
, Ireland
, the Netherlands
, and the Middle East
.
, operating from a small shop in London
trading as Lewis Separates. However, it has since gone through several name changes (Chelsea Girl
, Concept Man) before becoming River Island in 1988. The group is a family concern, led by entrepreneur
and chairman Bernard Lewis. River Island's collections are designed by a team of in-house designers.
In 2009 River Island introduced Maternity wear online and into selected stores, this was then shortly followed by childrenswear in 2010. Childrenswear known as "Boys & Girls" has proved very popular and is now being rolled out across most UK stores.
The company has four flagship stores, located in Oxford Street London, Dublin City Centre and more recently Cork City.
, with items from the winning collection put into limited production and window space designated in their flagship store in London to display key looks from the collection.
In 2010, River Island announced it would end its sponsorship deal with Graduate Fashion Week, this being the website The store has sponsored the event for the past six years, but now Graduate Fashion Week is looking for a new sponsor.
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
.
History
The company was set up in 1948 by brothers David Lewis and Bernard LewisBernard Lewis (entrepreneur)
Bernard Lewis is the English entrepreneur behind the River Island fashion brand and clothing chain. He was born in February 1926 and opened his first shop aged 20 selling fruit and veg in the North London area ....
, operating from a small shop in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
trading as Lewis Separates. However, it has since gone through several name changes (Chelsea Girl
Chelsea Girl
Chelsea girl may refer to:* Chelsea Girl , a 1967 record by Nico** Chelsea Girls , the title track from the Nico album* Chelsea Girls, a 1966 film, by Andy Warhol featuring Nico...
, Concept Man) before becoming River Island in 1988. The group is a family concern, led by entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
and chairman Bernard Lewis. River Island's collections are designed by a team of in-house designers.
In 2009 River Island introduced Maternity wear online and into selected stores, this was then shortly followed by childrenswear in 2010. Childrenswear known as "Boys & Girls" has proved very popular and is now being rolled out across most UK stores.
Stores
| Country | Stores | Superstores |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 248 | 22 |
| Netherlands | 2 | - |
| Ireland | 21 | 2 |
| Poland | 4 | - |
| International | 34 | 2 |
| TOTAL | 293 | 26 |
The company has four flagship stores, located in Oxford Street London, Dublin City Centre and more recently Cork City.
Graduate Fashion Week
River Island has been the main-named sponsor of Graduate Fashion Week and Island Gold Award. This is given to students with the most outstanding collection and provides £20,000 for them and £2000 for their universityUniversity
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
, with items from the winning collection put into limited production and window space designated in their flagship store in London to display key looks from the collection.
In 2010, River Island announced it would end its sponsorship deal with Graduate Fashion Week, this being the website The store has sponsored the event for the past six years, but now Graduate Fashion Week is looking for a new sponsor.