British luxury streetwear Represent lands in Los Angeles

By

Chenu Alexis

Published
Apr 1, 2024

Founded in 2014 by brothers George and Michael Heaton, British men's streetwear brand Represent is enjoying astonishing international success these days. Present in the U.S., the Middle East and across Europe through 150 stockists, Represent is now counting on expansion in the U.S. market, which now accounts for over 20% of its sales. Focused on direct-to-consumer sales, the founders have just opened the brand's very first boutique in Los Angeles, in the West Hollywood neighborhood at 461 N Robertson Boulevard. An opening that should herald others in the months to come.

FashionNetwork.com: What does Los Angeles represent for you in terms of creativity and fashion?
 
Represent: With Los Angeles having its own fashion week recently, it’s become a place that people turn to for fashion. There’s so many different subcultures and brands here, that really amplifies the phrase “the east looks west”. We’ve been coming here for a decade and we’ve consistently taken a lot of inspiration from LA, and it really reflects in Represent’s design.

Ads

FNW: And what does opening a store in Los Angeles represent in your career ?
 
R: This is a massive milestone for us. It’s something that we’ve wanted to do since the inception. We’ve spoken about this in interviews, on podcasts, and it’s something we really wanted to manifest by speaking it over and over and into existence.
 
FNW: What design and atmosphere have you chosen for this boutique?
 
R: The store is a curation of us studying and producing pop-up shop in shops in different retailers, like Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, or Harrods, and to make sure that once you enter the store, you immediately know it’s Represent. We carefully chose every aspect of the store; from hangers to fitting mirrors, to rail finishings, and have really put these aspects together to create a cohesive story and brand experience.

FNW: Your brand is enjoying great success in the United States. What does this market represent today in terms of sales? 
 
R: The brand overall is around 20-25%. Within the next three years we hope to grow that to a 50% share.
 
FNW: In 2023, you announced that DTC sales represented 70% of your business. Is this still the case today?
 
R: Yes, we want to maintain a 70/30 split for our omni channel sales, and with the launch of our new retail spaces we hope to grow that to around 75%.
 
FNW: Does your international development strategy involve opening new boutiques or strengthening wholesale?
 
R: It’s mainly to open new boutiques. We’ve honed in on a very tight and select group of retail partners, where we’d like to grow and nurture these relationships rather than expand into wider wholesale channels.

FNW: In your opinion, what was the key to your global success?
 
R: Consistency. We’ve been around for over 10 years, continuing to strengthen the classic key brand moments while improving the product time after time. 
 
FNW: How has the appointment of Paul Spencer, formerly of Puma, helped you?
 
R: Paul’s appointment has been a massive milestone and initiated a huge change in the brand. He’s excellent at bringing in talent, expanding the teams and our retail channels, and also giving us a kick that we need to make changes that we’ve been hesitant to approach. Coming from such a big organization, he really understands how to scale the business and make necessary movements and shifts to make strides.
 
FNW: You're betting on a figure of $350 million in revenue by 2025. Can you still confirm this number?
 
R: Yes, we bet on that number.

FNW: You recently launched a children's range. What other developments would you like to see for your brand?
 
R: Womenswear is something we’ve been really keen to produce and that’s been in development, and that will come to fruition in 2025 when it’s ready to debut. 
 
FNW: In terms of sustainability, what are your commitments?
 
R: All cotton is Bette Cotton Initiative-regulated, and our production is carefully overseen by the proper factories in Portugal. We try to make sure everything is made as locally as possible, and is carefully regulated for stock control to minimize waste and leftover inventory.