Heatherette

Heatherette


What does a competitive ice-skater trained by Kristi Yamaguchi and part of the world ice capades has in common with a competitive 100 times all-around title winner on numerous state and national horse shows. Heatherette is a fashion line created by two friends, Richie Rich who was and ice-skater that studied the wardrobe of the ice capades and created wardrobe for himself and Traver Rains who stared designing and sewing his own vests and chaps for his competitions. They both meet while Rains worked as a horseback-riding instructor at New York's Chelsea Piers. This line has been feature in editorial work in such magazines as Vanity Fair, W, Surface, Paper, YM, In Style, ID, Flaunt, Italian Vogue, and Rolling Stone among others. But the most intriguing fact of the line is that it mixes Rich’s club kid vive with Rains western outlook. This essay is going to reflect on the personal and artistic background of this two fashionista.

After Richie Rich left the ice capades he moved to New York. He was approached by Michael Alig a party promoter and the founding member of The Club Kids. The notorious Club Kids where a group of youth people that dress in artistic cloth that where made by themselves, expressing there individual self from every member in The Club Kids as well of none clubbing people. Richie Rich became a celebutante in his own right as most of The Club Kids. Note that Rich and Rain are openly gay. They once dated but breakup, it is said that Rich has a long time partner. After Traver Rains decided to retired from horse back riding, he decided to go to school. He received a degree in Economics and International Business from SMU in Texas. He later moved to New York City and meet his co-designer.

These individuals had to make there own cloth because they thought and needed to express themselves. In 2005, Heatherette landed its first major investor. FUBU owners Norman and Bruce Weisfeld invested $6 million in the label. The deal helped Rich and Rains expand to new retailers, but ultimately led to the label's demise, when the Weisfelds backed out of the Heatherette deal. After the investment problems they made a priority to save the label. Such artist as Gwen Stefani, Paris Hilton, Aerosmith, Christina Aguilera, John Galliano, Mary J. Blige, *Nsync, David Beckham, Shakira, Courtney Love, Naomi Campbell, Pink, Beyonce, Jaime Lee Curtis and others have been seen wearing Heatherette or have participated on the catwalks.

This brand has expanded from a clothing line to a makeup line and is still growing with vast amounts of projects. Heatherette is well known for there involvement with such charities as Youth Aids, Designers for Darfur, Lower East Side Girls Club, Operation Smile and others. Both members of the brand have projects outside there partnership. Rich has a CD called Celebutante and a clothing line for the mall-punk chain Hot Topic and a shoe line, Rox and Riley. Rains has mention that he has projects his developing. None the less these two designers are among the favorite to the celebrity community. From their humble nightclub show to Bryan Park Tents, Rich and Rains have kept audiences entertained with their unique mix of cheek glamour and outrageous fun.