EXCLUSIVE: Rag & Bone Hires Robert Geller as Head Menswear Designer
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Rag & Bone has brought a well-respected creative on board to design its menswear: Robert Geller.
Geller has been quietly working for the brand since last fall and his first collection as head of menswear design for the New York-based company will be for fall 2024. It will be shown in New York, Chicago and Paris.
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The German-born Geller, who has been spending a lot of time in Portugal since before the pandemic, said he was approached by Andrew Rosen, chairman of the board of Rag & Bone, about coming on board. “It just felt right,” he said. “Our brands were in a lot of the same stores and I could relate to it.”
Geller graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2001 and worked for Marc Jacobs and Cloak before launching his own collection in 2007, which was nominated for several awards, including the CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year Award in 2017. Geller launched a denim collection in 2015.
Rosen said: “I am pleased to announce Robert Geller as Rag & Bone’s new menswear designer. Robert has been working with the team since September 2023 and his creative vision will undoubtedly lead Rag & Bone toward a new and very exciting chapter. I came to know Robert in 2010 when he was a finalist for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund and followed his career ever since. Rag & Bone has long been recognized for innovation and leadership in American menswear, blending traditional craftsmanship with modern cultural references. The brand’s authentic style has contributed to its preeminence in the American fashion scene, and I believe Robert’s appointment gives us the opportunity to take the brand to the next level.”
Geller said he’s been a fan of Rag & Bone since it was created, and cited the menswear that is “rooted in quality and authenticity. My objective with the collections is to introduce a renewed sense of ease, and to evolve the beloved core pieces by incorporating refined and innovative fabrics into well-made clothes that will enable men to move through life confidently, matching the grit and edge of the New York City spirit.”
For his inaugural collection, Geller said he put a focus on “the fit and overall silhouette. We have integrated the ready-to-wear collection with our Pursuit sportswear, while bringing a more fashionable side to the denim in a way that satisfies all of men’s wardrobing needs, celebrating comfort.”
He said Pursuit, which was launched last year, “sat outside the main collection,” and his goal was to integrate it with the other product offerings, notably the denim. “Rag & Bone is a denim expert but we wanted to bring the sportswear into the collection and continue the aesthetic.” He added that at the same time, he brought more fashion into the denim collection by introducing denim-on-denim dressing and other pieces.
He also pointed to updates to the outerwear, including statement pieces such as a wool parka as well as more transitional items.
Kyle M. Sweeney, senior vice president of men’s design and merchandising for Rag & Bone, said he believes the appointment of Geller “will help to accelerate innovation and drive new creative energy to our whole process. The partnership is one of many actions we are taking to help shepherd in the next generation of the Rag & Bone menswear collection, while honoring the brand’s rich and illustrious history.”
Rag & Bone was founded in New York in 2002 by Marcus Wainwright and David Neville who met as teenagers in England. They had no design training but thought it would be fun to make clothes, so they found a factory in Kentucky to create jeans. The brand expanded into sportswear in 2005 and Rosen became a partner in 2006.
Neville exited the brand in 2016 to work more closely in the beauty industry with his wife Gucci Westman and her brand. Wainwright stepped down as chief brand officer last summer.
Although its heritage is in menswear, today Rag & Bone offers a wide range of men’s and women’s ready-to-wear. It is best known for its denim and workwear-influenced tailoring but also creates a range of accessories and footwear. The company operates 36 stores in the U.S. and U.K., and is also available in specialty and department stores in more than 53 countries.
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