“Savile Row to Supersonic: Richard James defined the look of Oasis and Britstyle.”
Cool Britannia: the Oasis reunion and return to stadiums in the U.S. is dominating pop culture news. Richard James was with Oasis from the start and reflects on their enduring relationship with the super-band and the creation of ‘Britstyle’ – a menswear movement that exploded in London and beyond. Richard James is the Savile Row Tailor that defined Oasis’s look and pioneered Britstyle. The label revisits the electric era with the new AW25 Collection.
Richard James, the Savile Row tailoring house known for redefining British menswear in the 1990s, played a pivotal role in shaping the distinctive image of Oasis during the band’s Britpop heyday. As Oasis kicks off their U.S. tour this summer and fall, Richard James revisits that legacy with a new Autumn/Winter ’25 collection inspired by its close relationship with the band and the broader movement it did much to create: Britstyle.
Richard James Design and Brand Director Toby Lamb was a junior designer at the time. “There was a lot going on culturally in London during the Cool Britannia period,” says Lamb. “It felt like Richard James became a creative hub and Oasis were right there in the mix.”
The partnership began with a spontaneous visit. “A black cab pulled up outside one afternoon and Liam and Noel Gallagher literally fell out of it,” recalls Lamb. “Noel had just come back from St. Tropez, spotted someone wearing one of our signature multi-stripe shirts, and tracked it down to us.” That shirt went on to become a defining garment of the summer – seen on everyone from Jarvis Cocker to Elton John.
From there, the relationship grew. Liam began working closely with Lamb on bespoke pieces, starting with a chalk stripe suit in a warm yellow tone. “He called it the Champagne Stripe, and from then on, so did we,” says Lamb. “He really embraced the craft of tailoring and understood how it could sharpen and define Oasis’s public image.”
Richard James designed for Oasis both on and off stage: from Noel’s suit for his meeting with Prime Minister Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street to Liam and Patsy Kensit’s wedding outfits, and the Beatles-inspired looks featured in the All Around The World video.
Richard James stylish Savile Row address became a trusted refuge for the Gallaghers, offering them precious privacy in the store’s backroom to escape the paparazzi. The brand remains a favorite of both Gallagher brothers to this day.
Britstyle – the modern evolution of British tailoring – emerged as a defining visual language of the 1990s, blending mod, terrace casual and Beatles-esque influences. Richard James was at the center of the movement – introducing bold color and slimmer silhouettes to Savile Row – creating a style revolution that attracted the new generation of creatives, artists and musicians.
The 1990s continue to style trend. Richard James revisits and reimagines this iconic era with a new Autumn/Winter ’25 collection. Inspired by the aesthetic and energy of Brtistyle mania, the collection features relaxed silhouettes with modern construction, reflecting how menswear has evolved, while remaining rooted in the sensibilities that made Britstyle influential then and so relevant now.
RICHARD JAMES / 461 Park Avenue, New York / #646-905-8733
RICHARD JAMES / 19 Clifford Street, London / #44 20 7287 9645
