Nadja Swarovski acquires majority stake in Really Wild Clothing

Nadja Swarovski, who worked at her family firm Swarovski for 26 years, has acquired a majority stake in British label Really Wild Clothing with her husband, Rupert Adams, for an undisclosed amount.

As part of the deal, Swarovski has been appointed as chief creative officer, chief marketing officer, and chair of the board at Really Wild Clothing, while Adams will serve as managing director.

The couple will continue to work with existing shareholders Gabriela Luksic and her daughter Florence Newman and brand founder Natalie Lake, now head designer of the Heritage Country Collections.

In a statement, Swarovski and Adams said under their ownership, they plan to leverage Really Wild’s core craft into a British lifestyle brand globally by focusing on its tailoring and traditional artisanship and the brand's rich cultural history with partners such as Liberty fabrics and Linton Tweed.

With Swarovski leading the creative direction, the brand added that it will continue to offer “timeless collections that span across country and city pursuits,” while also championing strong silhouettes, clean lines and evocative fabrics and preserving the brand’s heritage and specialisms in tweed and wool textile manufacturing.

Really Wild Clothing names Nadja Swarovski as chief creative officer

On joining Really Wild Clothing, Swarovski said: “Really Wild seemed like the perfect fit for our portfolio, which invests in brands that are rooted in craftsmanship and cultural heritage. We feel strongly about the preservation of craftspeople and their expertise. In the case of fashion, we believe that style vs trend supports a more sustainable business model, offering our customers products of the highest quality, which will last a lifetime.

“The connection of this brand to nature is a reminder to us that we must protect people and planet in everything we do. Really Wild has the potential to grow into a global lifestyle brand, which celebrates craft, creativity and cultural heritage in various geographic regions, combining traditional artistry with design relevant to the Zeitgeist.”

The brand investment sits as one of several new acquisitions within the Swarovski and Adams’ investment portfolio, which purchases heritage brands to maintain and celebrate traditional craftsmanship, whilst also supporting emerging designers, where technology, creativity and environmental responsibility play fundamental roles.

Lake, who founded the brand in 2002, added: “I couldn’t be more excited about the next era of Really Wild with Nadja at the helm. She’s a spearhead that I’ve deeply admired and a leader that exemplifies everything I’ve worked for Really Wild to embody.

“With so much synergy between our passions for traditional British and Scottish manufacture and celebration of nature, we are reinventing the brand’s diverse heritage together, taking inspiration from some of our earliest designs to create shapes that enhance the female form and acknowledge our wild foundations.”