‘A true gentleman who quietly led from the front’: tributes paid to River Island founder

Tributes were paid this week to Bernard Lewis, the visionary retailer who built River Island into one of Britain’s most recognised fashion brands, after he died at the weekend aged 100, just 18 days after celebrating his centenary.

For eight decades, Bernard was a constant presence on the British high street. From a wooden shack on a north London bombsite to more than 300 stores nationwide, his journey mirrored the transformation of modern British retail.

Fellow businessman and philanthropist Lord Michael Levy described Bernard as “a true gentleman – a successful and honourable man in business, a proud Jew, and extremely generous to so many charitable causes.

“In his quiet, humble and dignified way, he led from the front on so many issues. May his memory be a blessing for us all.”

Lord Stuart Polak said he was “a legend in his long and full life,” adding: “Together with his brother David they built wonderful businesses, engaged in supporting a wide range of charitable endeavours and were true British Zionists.

“I was fortunate to have a cup of tea with Bernard and his son Clive just a few weeks ago. Bernard was on top form, asking many questions and discussing long-term issues affecting the UK and Israel. He was kind and generous and at the same time thoughtful, modest and unassuming.”

Daniel Rubin, founder of the shoe empire Dune, said Bernard was “one of a group of inspirational Jewish entrepreneurs who changed the face of British fashion retail.

“He was a strong leader and the driving force behind the growth of River Island. He understood that product was the key to success.”

For many in the Jewish community, his story carried particular resonance: the son of a Jewish family who came of age in wartime Britain, educated at JFS, shaped by resilience, modesty and relentless hard work.

Born Bernard Pokrasse in 1926, he grew up helping his grandmother on her market stall and working in his parents’ fruit shop. After serving in the RAF during the Second World War, he returned to a country still scarred by bombing. In 1946, aged just 20, he built a wooden shack with his own hands on a bombsite on Holloway Road and began selling fruit and vegetables.

It was an unglamorous beginning. As his son Clive reflected when marking his father’s 100th birthday earlier this year, “the harsh times of his childhood shaped everything that followed.”

From fruit and veg, Bernard added knitting wool, recognising that customers making their own clothes might also want to buy ready-made garments. Almost by accident, he began stocking blouses and skirts – a move that would change his life. Leaving behind produce and wool, he pivoted entirely to womenswear and opened a shop in Mare Street, Hackney, under the name Lewis Separates, using borrowed money and taking risks he could scarcely afford.

Frustrated by wholesalers, he began sketching his own designs and working with local manufacturers, becoming one of the first British retailers to design, manufacture and sell its own clothing under one roof.By the late 1950s the business was expanding nationally, with stores opening in Hull and Glasgow.

In 1967, sensing cultural change, he and his brother Geoffrey launched Chelsea Girl – “the boutique on the high street.” It captured the spirit of Swinging London and grew to more than 170 stores, defining how a generation of young women shopped.

Two decades later, he reinvented the business again. Together with his eldest son Leonard, he made the bold decision to retire the Chelsea Girl name and relaunch as River Island – an unprecedented nationwide rebrand that proved an instant success.

In 2005, Drapers awarded him a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his pivotal role in shaping UK fashion retail.

Yet those who worked with him say it was never simply about profit. “What really mattered to him was being the best the business could be and giving people the chance to be the best they could be,” his family wrote on his 100th birthday.

Famously private and publicity-shy, Lewis maintained an unfussy, down-to-earth style. Colleagues recall his incisive questions, careful listening and extraordinary attention to detail. His office at Chelsea House remained unchanged for decades – no fancy furniture, no clutter, no awards on the shelves, just family photographs.

Even at 100, Bernard was still visiting the office occasionally, keeping a close eye on the business he had built. Alongside him was his wife Vanessa, River Island’s former fashion and creative director, whose own contribution to the company was significant and with whom he so much enjoyed working.

Beyond retail, Lewis was a committed philanthropist. Through the Bernard Lewis Family Charitable Trust, he supported educational and welfare causes in the UK and Israel, including the Jewish National Fund and the Jerusalem Foundation, reflecting both his deep communal ties and enduring support for the State of Israel. Clive said his father’s “commitment to Israel was total. Not in any way political, but he spoke of the pride he felt as a young man when the State was created & Jews could stand taller. He had a clear view about Israel’s centrality to Jewish identity, regardless of politics, and his commitment to and support of Israel didn’t waver.”

Despite building a retail empire employing thousands, Bernard remained reserved and modest, uncomfortable with personal acclaim.

From a wooden shack in Holloway to a household name on the high street, Bernard Lewis built more than a business – he built a legacy.

He is remembered as a pioneer of British retail, a devoted family man, humble leader and a proud Jew.

Bernard is survived by his wife Vanessa, his sons Leonard, Clive, Sam and Jake, and his daughter Caroline.