'I'm so involved in the product': Meet the Irish co-founder of cult label Rixo

Irish Examiner

03-05-2025

'I could not care less about a trend,' says Orlagh McCloskey, co-founder of Rixo.
It's 10 years since the Derry-born designer launched the vintage-inspired label with college friend, Henrietta Rix. In the early days they designed, created, sold, stocked, marketed — and even met London fashion editors — from the living room of their university flat.
With experience as fashion buyers, and exposed to a world of fast fashion, they eschewed the throwaway culture. Rixo, they decided, would not be defined by trends.
Instead there would be cool prints, evoking a sense of wanderlust, designed by McCloskey (to this day she says she 'has her hands' on every Rixo graphic), and feminine silhouettes. With the environment at the forefront, these would be investment pieces in an era of overconsumption. Transcending time, they would be dresses women could treasure forever and style for every occasion, from a wedding with heels to Saturday brunch with runners.
Ten years on, McCloskey and Rix have created something of a Rixo DNA. Their designs are instantly recognisable, to the point that often, when I wear their kimonos, sourced with grit on vintage sites, I am often met with a nod and a murmured 'Rixo?' as a greeting. If you know, you know.
Orlagh and Henrietta of Rixo. Picture: Silvia Olsen
McCloskey laughs when I share this. A decade on and she still gets a kick when she sees women wear her designs (and these include some very famous faces from Catherine, Princess of Wales, to Hailey Bieber; Selena Gomez and Florence Pugh).
'People often say to me, I keep going back to my Rixo, it's my trusty dress,' she says, speaking from her home in London.
So while other labels are trend focused, instead Rixo puts the woman centre stage. 'Feeling good in your clothes is behind what we design,' says McCloskey. 'How you feel, where you are going in it.
When I see vintage clothing, from the 30s or the 70s, it's so different now — women have busy lifestyles, their clothes need to work from day to events. It's got to be versatile.
Instead of season launches, Rixo releases four collections a year – with monthly exclusive drops. Right now these monthly pulls have been dubbed 'The Perfect Pieces' by McCloskey.
'It's not the official name for this but it's almost like Rixo's version of a capsule collection,' says McCloskey, pointing to the brand's now cult leopard print coat as an example.
RIXO's cult leopard print coat
'What are the pieces that you want to wear all the time? So it's the Rixo DNA but it will work with whatever is in your wardrobe. You can come to us for your occasion dress but also the bits that will work with whatever is in your wardrobe.' She gives the example of a vintage sweater you'd pick up to walk your dog on a Saturday. Rixo doesn't have that yet — but it's only a matter of time.
Add to that accessories, bridalwear and homeware, and Rixo is, at last count, overseeing 23 collections a year.
It's relentless, and yet McCloskey says, it never really feels like work. Time though is more precious now she has a 13-month-old son.
'If I didn't love what we are creating, I wouldn't put the time and pressure in,|" she says. 'I love what I do. If you don't have that passion you won't put in the extra mile.
'At the beginning for both Henrietta and I, it was our life. We didn't have partners, we didn't go out at all. Maybe it was a protection — when you meet someone, you feel you are missing out when you work all weekend. If we weren't even going out, then we had nothing to miss.'
Today, with family at home, weekends are like gold dust — the odd vintage fair on a Sunday the exception.
'I'm in the office most days but I spend my time with him in the mornings and that's my precious time,' she says.
Rixo is overseeing 23 collections a year
She has also recognised her business 'superpower'. A creative force, the grind of logistics and critical paths isn't her focus. Instead, she guards the
creative time she can give to Rixo.
'I'm so involved in the product,' she says, again harking back to the brand DNA.
You always know an artist's work, it's similar in some way. I'm still so involved, I touch everything, so that touchpoint is there.
'I need to protect more of my time to make Rixo what it is. Being so close to the product, you don't lose that brand identity.'
As Rixo celebrates its 10th anniversary, there is also another milestone. This month they open their first Irish store. A permanent location in Kildare Village, it also marks another first — this will be their one and only outlet offering.
Home is important to McCloskey ('If I don't get home every Christmas, my mum would have a canary,' she laughs) and she's visibly excited at what's ahead. A family affair, her twin sister, interior designer Gemma McCloskey, founder of Cupla, is also on board.
The space pays homage to Ireland's folklore. Inspired by Irish churches with vaulted ceilings, Celtic mythology and landscapes, the boutique features sweeping arches reminiscent of ancient castles, and warm gold silk wallpaper evoking the glow of an Irish hearth. And of course there are hand-painted gilded stars — this is Rixo, after all.
As it celebrates its 10th anniversary, Rixo will have a new home in Kildare Village.
The store will offer off-price items, ready-to-wear pieces from the latest collections, footwear and accessories. Markdown styles from the Rixo Bridal collection will also be available as well as exclusive one-off styles, crafted from off-cut fabrics, created specifically for the Kildare location. Their aim? To make this a destination store.
Rixo recognised the power of community a decade ago. Before Instagram became the force it is today, they launched Humans of Rixo, encouraging their fans to photograph and post themselves in their designs. Today it is one of the focal points of their website. The sense of belonging also extends to their subscribers — sign up and you can pop into a store in London for a complimentary coffee. Small touches, but it's what sets Rixo apart.
Ten years ago, they were two college friends about to launch a fashion label from their university flat. So what's ahead for the next decade?
'Still doing Rixo,' McCloskey says with conviction. 'So many women don't know Rixo yet. So we will still be doing Rixo, just more of it.'
Rixo's premium outlet at Kildare Village opens May 8
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