| Industry | Fashion |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1939 (1939) |
| Founder |
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| Headquarters | , |
Number of locations | Nine |
| Services | Lingerie |
| Parent | Van de Velde N.V. |
| Website | rigbyandpeller |
Rigby & Peller is a British luxurylingerie brand and retailer. The company was founded in 1939 by Gita Peller, aJewish Hungarian refugee who settled in London, and Bertha Rigby, an Englishcorsetière, with a shop inSouth Molton Street inLondon's West End.[1] As of 2011, they had seven stores as well as a website.[2][3]
In 1960,[4] the company began providing bespoke undergarments to theQueen of the United Kingdom;[5] they subsequently provided their products toQueen Elizabeth The Queen Mother,Queen Elizabeth II,Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon,Diana Princess of Wales,Princess Beatrice of York andPrincess Eugenie of York, as well as other members of the extended royal family.[1] In addition to the royal family, the company has also sold products to Hollywood actresses, such asGwyneth Paltrow andScarlett Johansson,[6] and musicians, such asLady Gaga.[1] Another notable supporter of Rigby & Peller was magazine editorIsabella Blow, who would sometimes wear the company's brassieres asouterwear in public.[4] As of 11 January 2018 they have lost their Royal warrant due to a autobiographical book written by June Kenton titledStorm in D-Cup and published in 2017 advising about her trips to Buckingham Palace.[7]
In 1982, Rigby & Peller was purchased for £20,000 byJune Kenton and her husband Harold. They were assisted in the management of the company by their children, Jill Kenton and David Kenton.[1] In 2011Van de Velde N.V., a Belgian brassiere manufacturer, purchased a majority stake in Rigby & Peller. Van de Velde, which paid £8 million for an 87 per cent stake in the company, had previously supplied Rigby & Peller with some of their products. The cost of Rigby & Peller's brassieres ranges between £50 and £200[1] and they offersizes up to aK cup. In the 21st century, the company has experienced some difficulty in competing with larger, better-known rivals and discount retailers.[6]
June Kenton has placed an emphasis on providing women with correctly fitting brassieres,[5] and the company is known for its unique bra-fitting (fitting by eye).[6] June has stated, "A tape measure doesn't say, for instance, 'she's big here with a narrow back.' It just gives you numbers. But we can look at what figure type you are and find the solution immediately."[8] Although Kenton personally measured the royal family, she refuses to discuss the particular undergarments they wear.[5]
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