Richie Rich (designer)

Richie Rich is an American fashion designer, television personality, figure skater, singer, actor and author. During the 1990s, he was part of the original group of New York City dance club personalities named Club Kids.

Richie Rich
Richie Rich 2019 Press Shot
Born
Richie

California, United States
Occupation
  • Fashion designer
  • television personality
  • figure skater
  • singer
Years active1993–present
Label(s)
Heatherette

Rich was born in the New York Metropolitan Area and at a young age, his family relocated to San Jose, California where he began studying theater and competing in figure skating.

In 1999, Rich and Traver Rains founded the fashion company, Heatherette.

Early life and discovery

Rich was born in San Jose, and raised in California. The nickname “Richie Rich” derived from the teasing of other children.

Rich began figure skating at a young age with the famous Ice Capades. During his teen years, Rich would sneak out of his house to listen to music at Club I-Beam in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury neighborhood.

In the fall of 1992, Julie Jules encouraged Rich to enter the “Club Kid Style Summit” contest. Rich entered and won a trip to New York City to host the opening of Club USA on December 17, 1992.[1]

Early career

Ice Capades

While training under coach Christy Kjarsgaard Ness, trainer of Kristi Yamaguchi for the Olympics, Rich was scouted to tour as a skating performer with the Ice Capades under the choreography of two-time Emmy winner Sarah Kawahara. Kawahara's choreography subjects include Peggy Fleming, the 2002 Olympics opening ceremony, Will Ferrell in “Blades of Glory” and Margot Robbie in I, Tonya.

Original Club Kid

As a club kid in the '90s and a fixture of The Limelight, Rich created a name for himself attending parties with Michael Alig and DJ Keoki, drawing attention with his theatrical clown-punk makeup and over-the-top outfits that he made himself.

The New York club kids of the late ’80s and early ’90s picked up where Studio 54 left off. Gay kids, trans kids, fashion freaks and art weirdoes all converged nightly in cult Manhattan hotspots like Danceteria and The Limelight. They would wear outrageous outfits and party to thumping house music.

Fashion

Heatherette

The name Heatherette was inspired by an opera singer named Heather and the song by Grace Jones: "Warm Leatherette".[2]

Heatherette was launched in 2001, with a runway show during New York Fashion Week featuring a video by photographer, David LaChapelle, starring Amanda Lepore for a collaboration with MAC Cosmetics. Heatherette continued as a part of the official New York Fashion Week 16 times over a period of 9 years.

Heatherette has been featured in publications such as Vogue, Teen Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ, Time, Newsweek, Glamour, Elle, People, Paper, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Trace, W, WWD, New York Times, and others.

MAC Cosmetics

On March 20, 2008, a collaboration collection with MAC Cosmetics, called "Heatherette for MAC", was released and includes illustrations of Traver Rains and Richie Rich on the cardboard packaging. The limited edition line included much more than the original collaboration. The full line included powders, lipsticks, eye shadows, eye pencils, glitter, and nail polish.[3]

A*Muse, Popluxe, Villionaire

In 2008 Rich showed the line at the Waldorf Astoria New York Ballroom, titled "Richie Rich", with a guest appearance by Pamela Anderson. Inspired by his longtime friend, Rich and Anderson launched a capsule collection playfully titled A*Muse.[4]

The limited collection included t-shirts and swimsuits featuring images of Anderson and Rich. They launched a fashion tour, titled A*muse, in New Zealand, Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto, Miami, and Chicago.

Rich went on to launch two collections with former business partner and fashion executive, Keri Ingvarsson and with Chris Coffee of Gotham Beauty called Popluxe.

Popluxe debuted at Lincoln Center during New York's Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, with a guest runway appearance by Ellen DeGeneres.[5]

The second collection, called Villionaire, premiered at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom with runway appearances by Johnny Weir and MTV's JWoww.[6]

BEAUTYKWEEN

In 2020, Richie Rich was named Fashion Director of virtual beauty club, http://www.beautykween.com .

Television

In addition to appearances on the talk show circuit as a Club Kid, Rich was a featured role as himself on the Ashton Kutcher produced WB series, The Beautiful Life, guest judged on multiple iterations of Top Model (America, Canada, Germany), Project Runway (America, Canada, Germany) and has appeared on various other shows such as MTV's My Super Sweet 16, Made, TRL, VH1's Supergroup, Basketball Wives, The Fabulous Life of... (Pamela Anderson and Nicky Hilton), The Anna Nicole Show on E!, MTV News, Logo TV, the Tonight Show, The Tyra Banks Show, RTL German Television (mini reality series), The Today Show, Good Day New York Live, NBC's Fashion on Ice Live, etc.

Filmography

Discography
Single Single details Album
"Love You a Million"[7] Released: 1994

Format: Vinyl 12"

Label: Unique NY Records Inc.

 Love You a Million (1994)
"Magic"[8] Released: 1998

Format: CD, Maxi-Single, Vinyl 12"

Label: Swoon Records

 Non-album single
"Collision"[9] Released: 1999

Format: CD, Maxi-Single, Vinyl 12", Remixes

Label: Swoon Records

 Collision (1999)
"Celebutante"[10] Released: 2008

Format: CDr, Compilation, Promo

Label: Defend Music Inc.

 Richie Rich Presents: Celebutante (2008)

References
  1. Meter, Jonathan Van (1992-12-20). "Reborn in USA". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  2. "THE INSIDER: HEATHERETTE". NYLON. 2008-03-26. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
  3. "MAC Cosmetics - Heatherette for MAC Collection Product Pictures and Photos". Temptalia Beauty Blog: Makeup Reviews, Beauty Tips. 2008-02-10. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
  4. BlackBook (2010-02-25). "To A*Muse the Muse: Pamela Anderson and Richie Rich". BlackBook. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
  5. "Ellen DeGeneres ended the Popluxe by Richie Rich show, walking the catwalk while confetti sprayed overhead". BizBash. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
  6. Hoo, Fawnia Soo (2011-02-11). "Richie Rich's Villionaire: JWOWW + Richie Sings + Banana Hammocks". Racked. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
  7. "Richie Rich (3) - Love You A Million". Discogs. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
  8. "Richie* - Magic". Discogs. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
  9. "Richie* - Collision". Discogs. Retrieved 2019-01-15.
  10. "Various - Richie Rich Presents: Celebutante". Discogs. Retrieved 2019-01-15.

BEAUTYKWEEN Official Site - https://www.beautykween.com

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