Swaim Hutson Succeeds Robert Geller as Rag & Bone Men’s Designer

The Robert Geller era is over at Rag & Bone.

After two years as head of menswear design for the New York-based brand, Geller has quietly exited the company. He is being succeeded by Swaim Hutson, whose first collection will debut at Pitti Uomo in Florence in January.

Hutson is the founder of Obedient Sons and Daughters, which was a finalist for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award, and also worked in design for 3.1 Phillip Lim, Club Monaco and Generra. He is also the founder of The Academy New York, a brand popular in the fashion, art and music communities.

In an interview, Hutson said since shuttering Academy in 2022 he’s been consulting for various brands. “But one day in late summer, I got a call from Andrew Rosen [executive chairman of Rag & Bone], who kicked off the idea of bringing me in. And of course, I jumped at the opportunity. It was a no-brainer for me to join a great iconic New York powerhouse company with great DNA and denim at its core, twisted with American sportswear. It was an ideal spot for me.”

Hutson pointed to the “authenticity and innovation” of the Rag & Bone brand as part of the reason for joining the company. “I want to build on that by creating menswear that feels both enduring and immediate — pieces that carry the soul of New York while resonating globally.”

When he joined, Hutson immediately began working with the in-house design team to “push [the fall collection] to the finish line.” He said that in his new role, “tailoring will be a big focus” for him, with an emphasis on suit separates more than nested suits. “Guys are not wearing full suits today, especially in New York. They’re wearing a sport coat with denim jeans or a trucker jacket under a blazer paired with a nice pair of pants. We’re here to mix it up and mash it up.”

Hutson also plans to lean into his background in fit and fabrics to offer classics with a modern twist, he said. And he hinted there will be “some big denim programs launching in 2026. RB Raw is one of the big stories. It’ll be back to the raw denim aesthetic.”

During his time at Rag & Bone, Geller worked to update the fit and silhouette of the collection and merged the company’s ready-to-wear and Pursuit sportswear collections. He was unable to be reached for comment but a spokesperson for Rag & Bone confirmed his departure, saying, “While we are no longer partnering with Robert, he remains a close friend of the brand. We are deeply grateful for his work and the impact he has had.”

Instead, the company is looking forward, with Rosen saying: “Swaim brings innovation in creativity and craftsmanship to Rag & Bone and his vision strengthens the core of who we are: the elegance of classic British tailoring and the grounded authenticity of American sportswear. It’s always defined us and is instrumental in shaping the future of our menswear.”

Kyle Sweeney, senior vice president of men’s merchandising and design for the brand, added: “Swaim brings a clarity of vision that sharpens our long-term menswear strategy. His design language fits naturally into the world we’ve been building, and we are energized and excited to build this next chapter together.”

Geller joined Rag & Bone as head of menswear in the fall of 2023, with his first collection debuting in the fall of 2024. The German-born designer graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2001 and worked for Marc Jacobs and Cloak before launching his own eponymous collection in 2007, which was nominated for several awards, including the CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year Award in 2017. 

There have been several changes in Rag & Bone since it was founded in 2002 by Marcus Wainwright and David Neville, who met as teenagers in England. They had no design training but thought it would be fun to make clothes, so they found a factory in Kentucky to create jeans. The brand expanded into sportswear in 2005 and Rosen became a partner in 2006. 

Neville exited the brand in 2016 to work more closely in the beauty industry with his wife Gucci Westman and her brand. Wainwright stepped down as chief brand officer in 2023.

In February 2024, the company was sold to Guess Inc. and the brand management firm WHP Global. Under terms of the deal, Guess bought all of the operating assets of the brand and a 50/50 joint venture controlled by Guess and WHP acquired the brand’s intellectual property.