Bernard Lewis (entrepreneur)

Bernard Lewis
Born (1926-02-10) 10 February 1926
Nationality British
Education Jewish Free School
Alma mater Northern Polytechnic Institute
Occupation Founder and owner, River Island
Net worth £1.25 billion[1]
Spouse(s) Vanessa Bracey (two prior wives)
Children Leonard, Clive, Caroline, Sam and Jacob

Bernard Lewis (born 10 February 1926) is the English entrepreneur behind the River Island fashion brand and clothing chain.

Early life

He was born in 10 February 1926, and educated at the Jewish Free School, and Northern Polytechnic Institute. He served in the RAF from 1944 to 1945.[2]

Career

Lewis opened his first shop aged 20 selling fruit and veg in the North London area (on Holloway Road).[3] His first clothes shop was in Mare Street, Hackney.[2]

Lewis also founded Lewis Separates, and Chelsea Girl.[2]

He founded the Lewis Trust Group with his elder brother David and younger brother Geoffrey and Godfrey, but the latter two left in 1977.[2]

Lewis, who is Jewish,[4] is estimated to be worth £1,030m (€1,484m).[4] In 2015, he was at position 83 on the Sunday times Rich List.[1]

River Island is now run by his nephew, Ben Lewis.[5]

Personal life

His "right-hand man in the 1970s" was Leonard, his elder son from his first marriage.[2]

In 1981, he married Vanessa Bracey who had been a buyer for Chelsea Girl since 1970, and whom he had been in a relationship with since 1972. They have two sons, Sam and Jacob.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 "Sunday Times Rich List". Sunday Times (page 24). 18 May 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Musgrave, Eric (2015-11-02). "From the archive: The Drapers Interview with River Island founder Bernard Lewis | The Drapers Interview | Drapers". Drapersonline.com. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
  3. ↑ "Times Online Special Report". The Times. London. 26 February 2006. Retrieved 2 November 2010.
  4. 1 2 European Jewish Press: "Jewish businessmen prominent in British 'Rich List'" Archived April 14, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. April 24, 2006
  5. ↑ Hall, James. "Ben Lewis interview: River Island chief on reviving 80s-style Chelsea Girl". Telegraph. Retrieved 2016-05-12.


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