"It was mostly a want of my own," Chalhoub told us. "I was looking for the perfect tuxedo to suit my lifestyle, one that was chic, well cut and also that had a nonchalant air about it. I really wanted a tuxedo that I could wear all the time, that didn't look too stiff. I thought there must be an entire market of women looking for this too, so I decided to make that the core of my brand."
She was right. Just one year in, the brand is stocked in 15 luxury outlets worldwide and launched on MatchesFashion.com this month. The British retailer, famous for spotting a brand on the brink of big things, didn't need much persuading.
"A tuxedo is perenially chic, timeless and alluring and we love Racil's take on this classic evening attire," said MatchesFashion.com's buying director, Natalie Kingham. "For spring/summer the colours that she has picked are spot on, particularly the pink and green."
Chalhoub's own background has helped the trajectory of the brand too. While her studies in fashion design and marketing in London prepared her for the number crunching that having your own business demands, growing up in Paris she was in every-day awe of the effortless, feminine interpretations of masculine tailoring seen in the French capital.
"I think that when you are surrounded by Parisian chic, it really influences the way that you look at fashion," she said. "I was born in Beirut and moved from Paris to London in the early Noughties. I think my brand reflects all of these cities with the way you can mix and match the separates in a cosmopolitan way."
To that end Chalhoub has designed a collection to complement the multi-coloured Le Smoking-inspired jackets. Silk slip dresses, cotton shirts and cigarette trousers can be teamed with Stan Smiths by day, as easily as they can a killer pair of stilettos at night - but never without the tuxedo jacket of course. "I design for the woman of today, one that has a hectic lifestyle, works hard and is always on the go," she enthused. "She embraces life, whether she is 22 or 70!"
Chalhoub looks set to stay on the go herself with all she has planned. A larger studio where she can grow her brand and her team is on the horizon, as is entering other markets such as Asia, not to mention creating a permanent collection that "will be made from the same material so you can mix and match" and "will be available for retailers all year round so that they can choose their deliveries" she revealed.
"As I manage both the business and creative side of the brand at the moment it is all about finding the right balance," she told us. So far, so good.
Racil spring/summer 2016 is available to purchase on MatchesFashion.com now.
She was right. Just one year in, the brand is stocked in 15 luxury outlets worldwide and launched on MatchesFashion.com this month. The British retailer, famous for spotting a brand on the brink of big things, didn't need much persuading.
"A tuxedo is perenially chic, timeless and alluring and we love Racil's take on this classic evening attire," said MatchesFashion.com's buying director, Natalie Kingham. "For spring/summer the colours that she has picked are spot on, particularly the pink and green."
Chalhoub's own background has helped the trajectory of the brand too. While her studies in fashion design and marketing in London prepared her for the number crunching that having your own business demands, growing up in Paris she was in every-day awe of the effortless, feminine interpretations of masculine tailoring seen in the French capital.
"I think that when you are surrounded by Parisian chic, it really influences the way that you look at fashion," she said. "I was born in Beirut and moved from Paris to London in the early Noughties. I think my brand reflects all of these cities with the way you can mix and match the separates in a cosmopolitan way."
Chalhoub looks set to stay on the go herself with all she has planned. A larger studio where she can grow her brand and her team is on the horizon, as is entering other markets such as Asia, not to mention creating a permanent collection that "will be made from the same material so you can mix and match" and "will be available for retailers all year round so that they can choose their deliveries" she revealed.
"As I manage both the business and creative side of the brand at the moment it is all about finding the right balance," she told us. So far, so good.
Racil spring/summer 2016 is available to purchase on MatchesFashion.com now.
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