Clare Richardson - Stylist and Founder Reluxe Fashion
This week, Iris has been in residence with luxury preloved website, Reluxe Fashion, and its founder: the iconic stylist Clare Richardson. Today, we sat down with Clare to get to know a bit more about Reluxe and the inspiration behind the business.
What inspired you to start Reluxe?
The starting point for Reluxe is obviously my love of fashion. I have always shopped preloved and used to spend hours scrolling other resale websites looking through pages and pages of uninspirational pieces getting bored. I remember wishing that there was a way to find a true edit of the best of preloved pieces from amazing brands, that have been authenticated, would be shipped quickly etc. – basically everything that you expect from a luxury store. That gave me the idea to create Reluxe – a destination for curated preloved from brands such as Chanel, Celine, Gucci and more.
Why was it so important to you that your business was sustainable?
In my job as a stylist and being behind the scenes I never got used to seeing the waste with samples, fabric, new fabrics, endless product, and being on shoots. I think my conscience was starting to keep me up at night. I wanted to take the stigma out of second hand and help change the way people shopped.
What helps you with the inevitable life juggle that running your own business alongside parenting entails?
A shared calendar! My husband is often away with his work as well and our schedule can be crazy. I also find it super helpful to pick up the phone rather than sending endless emails – anything that I can do to avoid extra admin and keep my to-do list under control.
Any words of advice to future female entrepreneurs?
The biggest piece of advice I’ve been given is to really, really follow your instinct. I’m lucky enough to have an amazing mentor who’s been an incredible support to me. She will always remind me to do what feels right. I’ve learned this along the way and now know that when something feels a little off, it’s not right for me or the business.
Can you talk us through your everyday style?
My style is pretty masculine and minimalist – I think that stems from the fact that I started my career as a menswear stylist. I love denim, tailoring and understated accessories. I am a big believer in style rather than trends and do tend to wear my clothes to death!
From the by IRIS collection this season, I love the Roller-Stripe Boxy Shirt – it's giving me Phoebe Philo Celine vibes and I would wear it with the sleeves rolled up and paired with denim. At Reluxe right now I am obsessed with this Metier weekend bag. It's the perfect size, the material is divine and it's just super chic!
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