THE JOURNAL
If bad-boy style is such a classic it has become a cliche, there are a few labels that manage to play the familiar chords while keeping the song brand new. Enter Enfants Riches Déprimés, a brand that has had a bad boy at the heart of it since it began in 2012. Literally translating as “depressed rich kids”, the label’s genesis comes back to its founder, actual real-life bad-boy Henry Levy or, as he is sometimes known, Henri Alexander Levy.
If the brand name is at least a little bit sardonic, it also fits the bill. Levy was born in Atlanta into a well-to-do family. His wealthy parents took him on trips to Europe, educated him at Swiss boarding schools and helped him dry out at clinics in Malibu. While at art college, he realised he was better off turning these experiences into something creative. Enfants Riches Déprimés began with a series of designs that only fellow depressed rich kids would understand: very expensive T-shirts featuring a shredded version of the crest for Le Rosey, the exclusive boarding school, and the logo of Parliament Lights, “the cigarette of choice among prep school kids everywhere,” according to Complex in 2016.
Nine years on, and the brand – perhaps surprisingly, considering its start – has flourished and Enfants Riches Déprimés, or ERD to its many fans, has expanded to a global business. See fashion shows in Paris, celebrity fans including Travis Barker, Rihanna and the rapper Gunna, as well as campaigns starring Larry Clark and Eve “daughter of Steve” Jobs, and Richard Hell on the runway.
Then there’s the clothes. Still with that bad-boy intent – and prices that signal to those keen on real luxury – they feature bold, punk-adjacent prints, distressed finishes and focus on American classics such as track pants, plaid shirts, hoodies and, of course, lots of leather.
Rachel O-Williams, Assistant Personal Shopper at MR PORTER, says the authenticity of the references and connection to Levy’s own lived experience contrasted with the luxury-level quality of the items is part of why the brand has such devoted fans. “It’s got that raw, rebellious energy, but done with real precision,” she says. “The pieces look like they’ve lived a life, but when you look closer, the craftsmanship is spot on. It’s messy, but in the most beautiful way.”
See, for example, something like the sell-out Here Comes Alice distressed sweater. With “stains” and “marks” across it, some might be surprised by the price tag, but the quality and fit – not to mention the Jesus and Mary Chain reference – make it an investment piece.
In interviews from the start of the brand, Levy has been very clear that ERD is not for everyone. “No pieces are alike and everything is limited. I have no interest in making affordable pieces for the masses,” he told The Guardian in 2015. It’s no wonder that early fans included celebrities who like their investment pieces with a more rock’n’roll slant – see Jared Leto, Courtney Love and even Guns N’ Roses. Of course, not all of us are literal rock stars.
For ERD beginners, O-Williams advises “starting small” with a graphic T-shirt or subtly distressed knit. “That’s a great way to incorporate some of the brand’s energy to your style,” she says. “From there, you can experiment with layering or more statement pieces.”
If ERD’s aesthetic leans to the punkier end of the bad-boy spectrum, fans can look forward to a more romantic side for SS26. Inspired by Levy spending time in Paris, the 1980s tailoring, slouchy shapes and velvet – maybe a new fabric in the ERD universe – feel softer, although the character is no less compelling. “It’s like you might see him out and almost wish you could look like him, but no one would look like that,” he said of the collection’s muse, to Vogue.
ERD sits in the same fashion camp as brands like CELINE and Rick Owens, other labels that share a penchant for the rock’n’roll, the rebel, the artist and the outsider. The brand’s take is classic in its references – Rene Ricard, Tom Verlaine and Neil Young were on the mood board for SS26 – but the secret sauce still comes from the connection to Levy himself. “Truly, everything regarding the brand is connected to my heart, my subconscious and my pain,” he told Whitewall magazine earlier this year. “With other brands, it might be the market, or market trends. Everything regarding the brand, from the name to the aesthetic, to the music, scenography for the shows, to the photography – any aspect – is very personal to my experience.”
In our age of fandom, this is no doubt part of the cult appeal of ERD. Levy’s personal account on Instagram has 130k followers, with fewer than 160 posts. His work as an artist, at the same time as running the brand, feeds into the myth.
An exhibition of Levy’s drawings in 2023 explored the dark and shadowy world that he inhabits. Courtney Love, for one, was a fan. “Henri is one of those rare artists – in his fashion line and his fine art – who is not afraid to push himself and his work to the edge of a precipice, consequences be damned,” she told Hero magazine. “I keep telling him if he ever falls off that cliff, I’m not going with him.”
No matter. Such is the cult of ERD that the rest of us, figuratively speaking, of course, might well join him.