The Emperor's New Clothes

It’s coming up to six years since I debuted my first Rich Enough to be Batman collection. I launched them at a time when greed was plentiful, and Sir Phillip Green was making headlines with the BHS scandal. He plundered his own business into administration, rinsing the pension fund and making thousands of people redundant. The parliamentary investigation went so far as to describe the scandal as ‘the unacceptable face of capitalism’.

I always hoped that between now and then the political landscape would change. That strides would be made to re-assess the relationship between wealth and social contribution. Yet, here we are. Six years later, emerging from a global pandemic, where the rich have got richer and poverty is at an all-time high. 

The number of billionaires worldwide has exploded to an unprecedented 2,755 – 660 more than last year. The likes of Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are now hitting the top spots, with a combined wealth of over $328 billion. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

At a time when many face economic uncertainty, my Rich Enough to be Batman collection feels more relevant now than ever. And so, I thought it was time to give her majesty a face-lift. 

This weekend sees the launch of the first pieces from my new collection: The Emperor’s New Clothes. A more pop-art take on the original Rich Enough to be Batman, the collection is playful and dynamic, and explores the pretence of wealth and opulence. These new pieces are just the start of the collection, with a variety of new styles and colourways to be released in the coming months.

Although the collection is new, the thought provoking questions remain just the same. In a world where wealth has become even more concentrated into the hands of the ultra-elite, how rich do you need to be before you become Batman?

Shop the new collection here.