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 1998; a women’s collection came a few seasons later. In 2001, he won the CFDA award for Best New Menswear Designer. Unfortunately, the dismal economic conditions in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks 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.

In 2010, Billy Reid was named GQ’s Best New Menswear Designer and won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award. He was named Menswear Designer of the Year at the 2012 CFDA Fashion Awards. Billy Reid offers menswear, womenswear, footwear and accessories, with an emphasis on domestic manufacturing, proprietary textiles development, and high quality construction.

His Southern roots paired with a downtown New York sensibility, embody the aesthetic and lifestyle of the brand. Emphasizing craftsmanship, expert tailoring and the use of unconventional fabrics, Reid’s collections reflect a personal authenticity.

Today, Billy Reid operates offices in New York City near its Bond Street shop and at its Alabama headquarters. The company sells to luxury boutiques worldwide and operates 13 retail shops domestically.