Roland Mouret
Roland Mouret | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 27, 1961 Lourdes, France |
| Occupation | Fashion designer |
| Known for | Galaxy dress, RM by the designer Roland Mouret |
Roland Mouret (born 27 August 1961) is a notable French fashion designer.
Education and Early Professional Life
Born in Lourdes, France, Mouret grew up in a devoutly Catholic household; his father worked as a butcher while his mother held roles as a waitress and tour guide. He has one sibling, Geneviève, who is both a perfumer and yoga instructor.
Mouret's formal education in fashion was brief, consisting of only three months at a Parisian fashion school in 1979. During the 1980s, he served as creative director for the Parisian gay magazine Gai Pied Hebdo, participated actively in Act Up activism, and modeled for designers such as Jean-Paul Gaultier, Yohji Yamamoto, and Claude Montana. Although he initially lacked technical skills in garment construction, his natural talent for designing alluring and sensual apparel was evident.
In 1998, Sharai and André Meyers acquired his fashion line. After moving to New York, Mouret unveiled his Spring 2006 collection, which featured the highly acclaimed Galaxy dress. This piece quickly became known as the "dress of the season," gaining immense popularity among young Hollywood celebrities, as noted by Vogue. Nevertheless, less than two months following the launch, Mouret ended his partnership with his investors due to undisclosed "managerial differences."
Break from Fashion and Subsequent Comeback
Following his departure from the original label, Mouret took a two-year break before reintroducing his brand under the name RM by the designer Roland Mouret, supported by new investor Simon Fuller. (His former investors retained ownership of the Roland Mouret brand name.) Within this new venture, Mouret holds a 50% stake and maintains full creative authority. Prior to the official re-launch, he engaged in selective design collaborations to generate interest, including a limited consignment with Bergdorf Goodman featuring 36 personally autographed dresses and an exclusive capsule collection for the Gap.
The RM debut was an innovative global event held on 4 July 2007 in Paris, showcasing 21 "easy-chic," geometric dresses. The following day, the show was streamed online, enabling customers to place pre-orders immediately. This pioneering strategy resulted in swift sell-outs of key designs.
On 9 September 2010, Mouret regained ownership of his name's rights and announced plans to open his first standalone boutique on Carlos Place in London by 2011. The flagship store spans two floors dedicated to womenswear, menswear, an atelier, design workshops, and a sales showroom. The location carries historical significance as it previously hosted showrooms for designers Michael of Carlos Place and Peter Russell.
Corporate Liquidation
Despite efforts to restructure financially prior to the pandemic—including shuttering its Manhattan flagship store in 2018 and streamlining operations—the company’s fragile financial state was exposed by an 80% sales decline in early 2020 triggered by the global crisis. Mouret and co-owner Simon Fuller’s XIX Entertainment sought outside investment to stabilize operations, with Mouret affirming his dedication to sustaining the business.
In November 2021, the firm entered administration leading to the loss of 84 jobs. Financial advisory firm Grant Thornton was appointed to manage the administration process and oversee closure of the London flagship location.
Personal life
Mouret lives in a cottage located in Framlingham, Suffolk, together with his husband, James Webster, who is both an artist and an antiquarian bookseller. He shares a close relationship with David and Victoria Beckham, having provided guidance for Victoria Beckham's initial fashion collection and choosing to spend his honeymoon at their upscale Dubai residence in the Burj Khalifa.