Nisha Rathode (Editor)

Bernard Lewis (entrepreneur)

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Nationality
  
British

Role
  
Entrepreneur

Name
  
Bernard Lewis

Net worth
  
£1.25 billion


Occupation
  
Founder and owner, River Island
Bernard Lewis (entrepreneur) Bernard Lewis (entrepreneur)


Organizations founded
  

Born
  
10 February 1926 (age 94)

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

Contents

Early life

The family history of River Island: Bernard Lewis and Ben Lewis

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.

Career

Lewis opened his first fruit and vegetable shop in the North London area (on Holloway Road) at the age of 20. His first clothes shop was in Mare Street, Hackney.

During the 1970's, he launched a chain of clothing stores, later called Chelsea Girl.

Lewis also founded Lewis Separates.

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

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

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

Personal life

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

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.

References

Bernard Lewis (entrepreneur) Wikipedia


Similar Topics