Billy Reid (fashion designer)
[6] Billy Reid, Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford, and Michael Kors are the only fashion designers who have won 3 or more CFDA Awards.
[9][10] He helped his mother operate a women's clothing boutique located in his grandmother's home which stocked then-new brands including Gloria Vanderbilt and Calvin Klein.
[13] Reid's first job was at family friend Joe Buddy Anderson's menswear store The Royal Oak in Hammond, Louisiana.
[11] Originally wanting to become a football coach during his youth,[14] Reid attended Southeastern Louisiana University and then transferred to the Art Institute of Dallas to study fashion design and merchandising.
[16] When Reid started the business in 1998, it was a one-man operation; he lived in the Garment Center, while a room at the Hotel Chelsea served as an office, studio and showroom.
In the initial aftermath of 9/11, Reid reached out to Reebok, TaylorMade and other contacts to find freelance design work to make ends meet for his wife and young children.
After the economy improved, Reid's post-9/11 business model built up a small namesake chain of shops which reflected his "personality and his aesthetic," loaded with antiques, family heirlooms and reclaimed architectural materials.
"[31] Reid cites Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Perry Ellis as influential American designers, and has named Bill Robinson as "one of [his] biggest influences.
Design details include leather-wrapped frames, ultra-light titanium nose pads, Italian acetate, and gradient lenses.
[53] The eyewear capsule collection debuted in the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Rosenbaum House in August 2017 as part of the annual Billy Reid Shindig,[54][55][56] and 13 styles were delivered to stores in November 2017.
[57] The limited-edition buffalo horn frame sunglasses named for Billy and his wife are boxed in wood finished with an ancient Japanese wood-burning technique called yakisugi (焼杉) meaning "burnt cypress".
[82] That year, attendees included musician Jack White,[83] musician Alison Mosshart of The Kills, model Matthew Mosshart, the band Dawes, Tony Award winning actor Alex Sharp,[84] musician John Paul White and The Watson Twins, jewelry designer Pamela Love, Chef John Currence, Master Brewer Roy Milner of Blackberry Farm Brewery, former Bloomingdales men's fashion director Josh Peskowitz, and designer Natalie Chanin of Alabama Chanin.
[95][96] Billy Reid Shindig 11 will be held in Florence, Alabama on August 23–25, 2019 with musical acts including The Raconteurs, Margo Price, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Drivin N Cryin, The Watson Twins, Cautious Clay, Motel Radio, and Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and a fashion show for the brand's Spring 2020 collection.
The event included shows by Natalie Prass, Steve Gunn, Bully, Laura Marling, Broncho, La Luz, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Gill Landry and Olivia Jean.
[105] The 12th Shindig, celebrating 20 years of the Billy Reid brand, featured The Kills, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Abraham Alexander,[106] The Brook & The Bluff, and other musical acts.
[118] The brand held a month-long pop-up shop in Culver City, California, in 2017 inside menswear store Magasin;[119] the popup included Reid's made-to-measure service.
Multi-brand boutiques that carry the brand include Brigade in Cleveland, Ohio; Tenet in Southampton, New York; DLM Supply Co. in Dallas, Texas;[120][121] Sy Devore in Studio City, California; Rothman's in New York; Carriere in Westlake Village, California; Garmany in Red Bank, New Jersey;[122] Rodes in Louisville, Kentucky; Sebastian's Closet in Dallas, Texas; Weitzenkorn's in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, Martin Patrick 3 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
[133] Reid, Derek Lam, Reed Krakoff, Simon Doonan, and other fashion industry experts formed the advisory board for the Cadillac/CFDA Retail Lab mentorship program,[134][135] which provided a $75,000 grant along with business development, marketing, and PR assistance for six up-and-coming designers.
[136] The GunRunner Boutique Hotel in Florence, Alabama, has a Billy Reid Suite featuring a ladder and sleeping loft,[137] and is curated with items rotated in and out on a regular basis.
[140] In 2019 the brand partnered with Balvenie Scotch, showcasing the 12-year DoubleWood at all Billy Reid retail locations and all Shindig events.
[148] Following the catastrophic inland flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey,[149][150] with economic losses estimated at between $70 billion to $200 billion,[151] Reid hosted a warehouse sale at his Austin store and sent all proceeds to members of the Greater Houston restaurant community,[152] and donated all proceeds from a custom created t-shirt to relief efforts.
[154] In May 2018, Billy Reid partnered with the Trombone Shorty Foundation to provide music education for children in underserved communities.
[155] Reid is a fan of the New Orleans Saints,[164] and designed a custom black and gold football from Louisiana wild alligator leather for an NFL Super Bowl 50 charity auction.
