Every Stylish Australian Girl Will Wear This British Label Come Summer

When it comes to cult brands, British label RIXO is right up there with the best. There’s no doubt you’ve seen its vintage-inspired dresses all over Instagram, worn by the likes of It girls Margot Robbie and Pandora Sykes (to name a few). Trust me, if you don’t already own one of its cool printed designs you’re going to want to add to cart, stat.

Given my own personal obsession with the brand, I had a quick chat with co-founders and creative directors Henrietta Rix and Orlagh McCloskey before their first ever London Fashion Week presentation. Read on as the duo reveals some A+ styling tips, and why they think every Australian girl needs to own one of their dresses, plus see the snaps I took of the new collection. 

We’re really excited you are showing at LFW! What made you decide to present your collection this season?

Rix: London was chosen as it is the birthplace of RIXO and where both Orlagh and I met at university. LFW gives us the opportunity to really showcase our new collection holistically to media, influencers and celebrities, styled exactly how we see RIXO to be presented. RIXO is a brand that is really understood and comes alive when it is shown in the flesh.

We think our set display will really help capture the ethos and spirit of our SS19 collection. We are doing a fun and interactive presentation, rather than a traditional catwalk, as it’s more in keeping with our brand and the way in which fashion is moving. There will be lots of Instagram moments! As we are known for silk, printed, vintage-inspired dresses, we think SS19 is the perfect season for us to highlight this. For SS19 we are also moving into new categories—swimwear, bags, hair accessories, scarves, jewellery and belts—so our customers will now be able to shop full looks on rixo.co.uk when the collection drops.

Can you give us a rundown of the inspiration behind this range?

Rix: Our SS19 collection is inspired by our favourite '80s icons—think Princess Diana, Jerry Hall, Madonna and Brooke Shields.

You often feature colourful prints. Do you have any styling tips for girls nervous about making such a bold statement?

McCloskey: For our separates, such as our Georgia skirt and Moss blouse, you can go bold and wear them together either in the same print or, in our favourite way, pairing opposing prints together! Alternatively, if you’re not ready to mix prints just yet, pair one of our Georgia skirts with a vintage shirt or crisp white t-shirt and our Moss blouse with a pair of jeans for an easy, low-maintenance look.

Are there any particular pieces in this collection you feel will resonate with Australian girls?

Rix: Yes! There are lots of romantic, silk, vintage-inspired dresses that we know Aussie girls will love. There are some stunning dresses that will be ideal for a special occasion and some lightweight cotton mini dresses with embroidery that are perfect for beach days.

McCloskey: There’s some lovely pieces in our collaboration collection with Laura Jackson that I think will really resonate with our Australian customers thanks to the playful ‘free as a bird’ print and easy-to-wear romantic shapes (available to shop exclusively on NET-A-PORTER and rixo.co.uk from 24th September). The ‘free as a bird’ print is a combination of personal elements from both Laura and our lives and was all hand-painted by me. My favourites from the capsule are the Zadie dress, Freida dress and Roisin top.

From our current collection that’s available on rixo.co.uk we have some lovely pieces that we know Aussie girls would look great in for the upcoming spring races, including: Gianna dress in Spot Leopard, Tara dress in All Star print, Lia dress in Mixed Star print, Camellia dress in Green Tiger Stripe, Coco dress in Sequin and Clare dress in Chalk Tulip print.

You’re renowned for your beautiful dresses. Is there any one style you think every woman should own?

Orlagh: Our Camellia dress was one of the first shapes we designed and is a favourite that we’ve continued throughout all of our collections that followed it’s a great dress for a special occasion. Our Phoebe wrap dress or Katie button down midi dress are really versatile wardrobe pieces so they’re a must-buy too; they work just as well paired with heels for an event as they do dressed-down over a pair of jeans or with trainers or flats for a casual lunch.

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