For fashion’s busiest retail buyers, there’s one fashion week market appointment that can’t be missed: RIC. Founded by Rachel Iwaniec, who got her start at Khaite before launching her own wholesale agency a little over five years ago, RIC’s roster is a who’s who of emerging labels ripe for discovery. Savette, Kallmeyer, Colleen Allen, Skall Studio, Rùadh, B Sides, and Valesque are just a few of the ten-plus names she’s helping establish a lasting presence for.
A scout and custodian of fresh talent, Iwaniec’s sixth sense for sellable product has cemented her as a trusted eye in the industry. Strong instincts and an emotional response are what drive her: “I have to have an immediate reaction,” Iwaniec says. “Either it’s something I’ve never seen before, or it’s something [I recognize] as a huge opportunity for a brand going forward.”
Such was the case when she first visited the studio of New York designer Colleen Allen, who debuted her namesake label in February 2024. “The colors were just so emotionally captivating. I’d never seen so many references,” she says. (Allen designed Vogue US’s head of editorial content Chloe Malle’s Met Gala dress this year.)
Iwaniec’s ability to intuit demand has allowed her to cultivate a soft power that she wields in favor of the designers she represents. “The RIC showroom is a highlight every season,” says Net-a-Porter buying manager Lydia Zacharis, who’s worked closely with Iwaniec, from her Khaite days to the early stages of RIC, when she first introduced the buying team to Savette. In the years since, Net-a-Porter’s signed over a half a dozen RIC-repped labels, including Kallmeyer and Colleen Allen, who are both part of its Vanguard mentorship program, plus Rùadh, B Sides, Skall Studio, and soon Kartik Research.