Red or Dead's story begins at a market in Camden, England in 1982. Wayne and his wife Geraldine rented a stall for six pounds and made seventy pounds selling second hand clothes and footwear. Within a year they had expanded to sixteen stalls and shipments were being brought in from all over the world. This was their entrance into the fashion industry.
In 1983 their first store opened in Kensington selling clothes that
Geraldine designed and made herself. The first collection she designed
was with a Russian theme; it was a great success especially with Macy's
NY, who placed huge orders.
In 1986 Red or Dead launched their first footwear range.
Prior to
this, Wayne and Geraldine had been selling fifties and sixties canvas shoes
and Dr. Martens. People began queueing up outside their newly-opened
store in Covent Garden to purchase the 'Watch Shoe' which had been made
popular by the UK hearthrob band Bros.
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Business was expanding, there was too much demand for Geraldine and Wayne as Red or Dead to cope with alone, so in 1988 they began to get a design team together. In 1989 the team produced a collection called 'Space Baby' and showed it at their first catwalk show. It was a great success.
From then on they never looked back. Stores were opened all over the UK
and in 1993, Marks and Spencers - well respected for their quality
clothing - approached ROD to become the first designer shoe company to
act as advisors.
In 1994 ROD celebrated their tenth catwalk show by opening a store in Tokyo and launching their Dead Basic range - a collection of men's and women's footwear designed exclusively for High Street retailers.
The story continues...
Red or Dead's stated aim is to produce innovative and challenging fashion at
affordable prices and on a non-elitist level.