During the pandemic, Billy Reid has been running his global business from a cabin in Florence, Ala.
Brett Warren
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For one champion of American style, the epicenter of fashion isn’t Manhattan or L.A. Instead, Billy
Reid
has been running his global business from a cabin in
Florence,
Ala., where he and his family installed themselves at the start of the pandemic.
From that bucolic setting, Reid oversees a team of 120 that runs 15 stores, a worldwide wholesale operation, and a licensed eyewear line. “We’re more organized than when we were three feet apart from each other,” says the 56-year-old.
After 2020’s annus horribilis—Reid’s entire family fell ill, and his shops shuttered—“things have been going pretty well,” says the designer, whose stock in trade is workwear-inspired pieces in lush fabrics with luxe touches. “We’re almost back to pre-Covid levels,” says Reid, who launched his collection in 1998.
Tailored clothing has seen “a real uptick” over the last few months, he says—a reaction, perhaps, to the sweatpants and athleisure gear that felt ubiquitous through the pandemic. “People are starting to have those occasions and events, and want to buy things. It’s great to see.”
Reid’s bottom line also got a boost from a high-profile fan, actor Daniel
Craig,
who bought Reid’s sleek melton-wool peacoat from the designer’s London shop a decade ago. When a scene in 2012’s Skyfall called for a peacoat, Craig insisted on wearing Reid’s model. “The piece has been in our collection since 2001,” Reid says. “Daniel wore it in a 15-minute scene. And it went viral.”
The coat still sells out, and 2021’s No Time to Die gave it another boost. “It remains our No. 1-selling piece, and it’s taking us months to catch up on backorders,” Reid says. Supply-chain issues have plagued other parts of the business, too. “It’s been a nightmare,” he says. “Everything’s a challenge, and it’s happening at every level.”
Reid is set to launch a series of brand partnerships in 2022, including home-furnishings, athletic, and music projects. “They’re all collaborations with great folks that I can’t mention just yet,” he says.
After Covid forced its cancellation, Reid may also revive his Shindig festival this summer. Since 2009, the Florence event has featured fashion, food, art, and performers like
Jack White
and Alabama Shakes. “We’ve had a two-year hiatus. I hope we come back.”
Reid shared a few of his favorite things with Penta.
The item that represents my personal style is… my glasses. They’re the
Billy Reid
brand, made in Japan, inspired by a pair of 1950s American Optical glasses I bought at an estate sale across the street from my house.
The designer who inspires me most is…
Ralph
Lauren was the first designer to inspire me. Any American designer would probably answer the same way. When I worked for Saks, I opened
Ralph Lauren
shops for them in Texas. I became a fanatic. I have such fond memories of Ralph, too. When I met him, he could not have been kinder.
“American fashion” means… taking the world of workwear and tailored clothing and putting them together. You make a great wardrobe based on that. It’s how I built my own wardrobe.
The first piece of clothing I sold with my name on it was… a denim shirt, for [Dallas retailer]
Stanley
Korshak, under the
William Reid
label. I made 36 of them. Then I got [L.A. retailer]
Fred Segal
as an account. The following season, we had 37 accounts. Then I moved my business to New York, and had my first runway show on Sept. 10, 2001. Everything fell apart after that. I moved back to Alabama to reset my life, and relaunched Billy Reid in 2004. I wanted to design my work around my life, not vice-versa. Luckily, it’s worked.
Every visitor to Florence should see… [legendary music spot] Muscle Shoals. Watch the documentary. What occurred here, and what still does, I find one of the best stories in all of music.
The three items every man must have in his wardrobe are… I’m a traditionalist at heart. A navy blazer—one that fits you—is still the key thing to wear. And a pair of great-fitting jeans. And a wonderfully-fitting Oxford shirt. You can build from those three things.
The biggest fashion mistake that men make is… when they don’t wear the clothes, but the clothes wear them. It’s what happens when men don’t know what fits. The pants are ultra-baggy and puddling. The jacket’s to his knee. When we see a man in our shops and we can introduce him to something that fits, we’ve got him.
The books you’ll see on my nightstand are… typically design books. So right now, Thornton Dial: Thoughts on Paper by
Bernard Herman.
Dial was a folk artist. Hippie by
Barry Miles,
a great design-culture book. Down to Earth: Laid-Back Interiors for Modern Living by
Lauren Liess.
And Textile Designs – Artists’ Textiles 1940-1976 by
Geoffrey Rayner.
The one thing I wish I had not designed is… [laughs] too many to mention. Let’s say alligator gar printed bikini tops.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
