take a ride with reid... — KINGDOM OF STYLE

Billy Reid that is.

Oh the universe can be a cruel place. The minute money is tight it never fails to show you the most perfect lovely things which are now financially out of reach.

Case in point these glorious leather and suede dresses from Billy which are right up Queen Michelle's street. These are a whole other alternative to the little black dress

The Moto Vest, $1,695.00

• A relaxed fit, sleeveless vest made of 100% lambskin

Billy Reid grew up in Amite, Louisiana where his mother owned a women’s boutique in the hospitable environs of his grandmother’s former home. That early influence would eventually move Reid to study at The Art Institute of Dallas and begin a four-year career with Saks Fifth Avenue. Later, he spent six years with Reebok in Los Angeles, Boston and New York, developing product and traveling extensively.

Reid launched his men’s collection, William Reid, in March of 1998; a women’s collection came a few seasons later. In June 2001, he won the coveted CFDA award for Best New Menswear Designer. Unfortunately, the dismal economic conditions in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks that year forced him to close and move his family to Florence, Alabama, to put his life back together.

In 2004, friends approached Reid with the idea for a unique retail business concept built around his aesthetic and a fully realized men’s collection, both called Billy Reid. The first Billy Reid shops opened in Dallas, Houston and Florence, where the store was located in an old home with Reid’s design studio upstairs. Word of the new company spread and the business grew, building momentum.

Today, Billy Reid operates a design studio in New York City near its Bond Street shop and at its Alabama headquarters. The company makes offerings for men, women, footwear and accessories, with an emphasis on USA manufacturing, proprietary textiles development, and high quality construction, producing classic clothes like this simple dress below...

The Raven Dress, $995.00

• A slim fit, suede shift dress made of 100% lambskin.