Rag & Bone Opening Drew Crowds, Tom and Gisele
(David Neville, Tom Brady, Marcus Wainwright, Gisele / Photo by Bill Brett)
What’s better than a store opening with a surprise cameo from local darlings Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen? Friday night, Rag & Bone had it all. The royal couple — clad in R&B — posed for photos and mingled with guests over champagne and cocktails amid racks of tailored, classic pieces: black blazers, gauzy sheer blouses in tangerine and turquoise from the spring collection.
We chatted with Rag & Bone designers Marcus Wainwright and David Neville about Boston, Tom and Gisele, and their expanding brand.
Q. What about Boston made you want to open a store here?
David Neville: We were very taken by the city. It’s very pretty. It reminded us of England I think.
Q. Is there an ideal man or woman you design for?
DN: Tom Brady and Gisele.
Marcus Wainwright: There isn’t one, to be honest. It’s a way of thinking. It’s a mindset about clothes and what’s important about clothes. It’s about a style that mixes several things together, from very simple and easy casual-kind-of-clothes to very high-end pieces and a whole range of influences—a collected kind of look that is not head-to-toe and can apply to someone who’s 16 or someone who’s 60.
Q. How would you describe Boston’s style, and where does rag & bone fit in?
DN: I don’t think it is possible to define Boston’s style — or we’re not capable of it. But I think Rag & Bone is a good fit because we have a lot of classic clothing and we also have a lot of fashion, but there are a lot of different people who can wear [it]. I think it’s because our roots are sort of British and in tailoring, so some of it is very wearable — classic but still cool — and I think that’s going to fit well with the people in Boston.
Q. Does your Newbury boot have anything to do with Newbury Street?
MW: The Newbury boot is named after the town in England that Newbury Street was named after. So, sort of.
— Kimya Kavehkar