Manchester-born brand Represent, revered for its take on contemporary streetwear and luxury craftsmanship, is now venturing into uncharted territory: womenswear.
“Launching womenswear is something we’ve been toying with for five years, trying to determine the perfect moment,” says co-founder George Heaton, speaking on Zoom from his LA home. “The truth is, there’s never a perfect moment. But with the brand growing significantly over the past few years, the timing felt right.”
Represent’s meteoric rise is hard to ignore. Last June, it was named the 68th fastest-growing company in the UK by The Sunday Times, reporting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 81.4 per cent since 2020. In 2023, annual turnover hit £81 million, with 2024 turnover forecasted to be £100 million, according to the brand (it’s yet to release 2024 earnings). What’s most intriguing, though, is around 20 per cent of their customer base are now women. “A lot of them are likely buying for their husbands or boyfriends, but we’ve seen a growing demand — especially in our social media DMs — for a womenswear line,” continues Heaton.
“Plus, our strategic partners such as End, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Flannels have constantly been requesting we do women’s,” adds Paul Spencer, the brand’s CEO.
George and his brother Michael formally established Represent as a limited company in 2014, following three years operating out of their dad’s garden shed. Today, it’s stocked by over 150 retailers in the UK, as well as several in the US (including Ssense, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus) and across Europe (including Luisaviaroma in Italy, Breuninger in Germany and Printemps in France). Last October, Represent unveiled its first UK flagship in Manchester, a sleek 5,419-square-foot space that showcases not just their menswear collections but also burgeoning categories like footwear and Represent 247, the brand’s performance wear line (currently the fastest-growing part of the business). With a London flagship on the horizon and upcoming pop-ups planned for Los Angeles and Dubai, the brand is perfectly poised to embark on this new venture.
“We have huge ambition to be a significant global player and launching womenswear is a natural progression towards this,” Spencer says.
The birth of the Represent woman
Represent’s graphic tees, hoodies and denim inspired by rock music and LA skate culture are cult classics to its loyal fan base. It’s thanks to the distinct niche they’ve carved out in the market.
“People aren’t willing to spend ridiculous amounts on luxury, but they still want to shop up for high-quality products that last a lifetime. That’s where Represent has always delivered, and we’re bringing that same ethos to womenswear,” says Heaton.
But how does a brand rooted in elevated mens streetwear make the leap into womenswear? And more importantly, who is the Represent woman?
For that answer, the brand tapped former head of design at Topshop Toni Purdie. Her vision, combined with an all-female team of designers, with backgrounds at Stella McCartney, Acne Studios, Burberry and Topshop, has been fundamental in shaping the collection.
“The Represent woman is not about being frilly or overly feminine, nor is she looking for basics. It’s about finding that edge, the balance between masculine and feminine,” explains Purdie. “She’s the kind of person who values sustainability and longevity, wearing the same piece multiple times and styling it in different ways. Our pieces are versatile — by day, by night, or even at the gym.”
The resulting core pieces, dubbed “everyday Icons”, include black leather bomber jackets with matching elasticated trousers; grey jersey cotton dresses with ruched knot finishes and an asymmetrical skirt hem; and logoless dotted rhinestone ecru hoodies, which are designed to be “the kind of clothing that people notice”, she says. “When you’re out, they’ll ask: ‘Where did you get that?’ Because it’s got that something extra about it.”
The design process began with what matters the most: fabric. “Fabric was our starting point — we invested in high-quality, sustainable materials to create pieces that feel luxurious yet attainable,” says Purdie. From buttery leathers to soft, draping cottons, manufactured in Portugal, Italy, Mauritius and Turkey, the materials reflect Represent’s commitment to creating enduring pieces that look as good as they feel.
“It’s not like we tested womenswear for years and handed Toni a strict brief,” Heaton flags. “We gave her full creative control to define who the Represent woman is, and we’re building her up from there.” It’s a marked departure from the past, with the brothers helming the majority of clothing design until now. “Men and women don’t compete with each other, they sit alongside each other,” says Heaton of the evolution. “I always describe it as yin and yang, they borrow elements from each other, but they’re not necessarily joined at the hip. They can live separately or they can live together.” This follows the playbook of several luxury labels — from emerging players like Kiko Kostadinov to heritage houses like Dior — that run their men’s and women’s labels as two distinct brands with two distinct identities.
What world does the Represent woman inhabit?
If Represent is an ecosystem, then George and Michael are at the centre of it. With a combined Instagram following of nearly 360,000 built alongside the brand (a refreshing alternative from brands born out of an influencer’s large following), the brothers have become walking ambassadors for their own creations, exclusively wearing Represent in every social media post. Their aspirational-yet-grounded image — whether on luxury vacations, in boardrooms or leading fitness challenges — offers a lifestyle that embodies the brand’s ethos.
While this alignment between personal branding and brand ethos has been key to Represent’s success thus far, it’s something the Heaton brothers won’t be able to replicate as easily with the womenswear line. It’s put a question mark over how to now engage with influencers and celebrity talent moving forward.
“We’ve never shot a campaign with a big face, and that was something we considered for womenswear,” says Heaton, who adds they ultimately decided not to. “We want to let the product speak for itself rather than the face speak for the product, so we’re going to take that strategy for the first year.” He concedes that might change come Spring/Summer 2026.
From its earliest days, Represent has thrived by cultivating a loyal, grassroots following. Whether through social media, intimate pop-ups, or community-driven events like run clubs tied to its Represent 247 line, the brand has consistently focused on connecting with its audience in meaningful, tactile ways. That same approach will guide the womenswear launch.
“We’ll take the same strategy that’s worked for menswear — organic and authentic. A lot of women already engage with Represent through pop-ups, run clubs and social media, so it’s about expanding that to speak directly to them,” says Heaton.
Key partnerships and events, including a Selfridges pop-up (launching 10 February) and an LA activation, will serve as a launchpad for the upcoming line. “These events will give us a clearer picture of who the Represent woman is and how she interacts with the collection. This is all about learning as we go. We’re not coming in with preconceptions; we’re letting the product and the consumer guide us,” Heaton adds.
For their Selfridges activation, the women’s collection will take over a key spot on the third floor of the London store, with a shop-in-shop space showcasing the collection of core sweats and tees as well as outerwear and versatile separates. “Seeing British brands like Represent build from the ground up, and then being able to work with them to scale their business is exciting and a real priority for Selfridges,” says Bosse Myhr, director of menswear, womenswear and childrenswear for Selfridges. “Womenswear is the right next step, Represent has a hyper-engaged community and the offer responds to what our customer wants to see in-store.”
As for what’s next, expect accessories and performance wear in the near future, with a 247 women’s line set to launch soon. “There’s huge potential in footwear and bags, and we’re just getting started,” says Purdie. “We’re in this for the long game. We’re focusing on slow, steady growth, with sustainability and longevity at the forefront. We’re not here to churn out trends but to create pieces that stand the test of time.”
“We want Represent to become a legacy brand — one that outlives us as founders,” says Heaton. “Womenswear is the next chapter in building that legacy.”
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