on a younger consumer and pitched as being for the "new generation of Chelsea girls". Expansion and introduction of River Island In the 1980s, menswear was introduced to the business for the first time by Bernard’s son, Leonard Lewis, with the Concept Man brand. Concept Man stores were combined with existing Chelsea Girl shops, either in unused first floor spaces or adjacent premises. In 1988, River Island launched as a menswear store in Exeter, with the name inspired by Leonard Lewis’s time spent on a boat on the Thames. The name and store performed so well that the whole business was rebranded from Chelsea Girl to River Island later in 1988. High street success Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, the brand continued to grow with a continued focus on trend-led, in-house designs it became a leading high street retailer in the UK. It was also one of the first high street retailers to launch online in the late 1990s. Present day River Island is headquartered in West London, with all core teams based in this location, including its in-house design team. Including store staff, River Island employs around 8,400 people in the UK, and in 2019, over 200 staff had worked at River Island for over 25 years. Leadership River Island is privately owned by the Lewis Family through the Lewis Trust Group. Historically the business has been led by family members, including Bernard's sons Clive and Leonard Lewis and nephew Ben Lewis, who led the business for nine years up to 2019. The family remains closely involved in the business, as non-executive directors. At age 96, Bernard Lewis is also said to still work five days a week at River Island's HQ. Will Kernan took over from Ben Lewis as CEO in 2019. Formerly CEO of cycling retailer Wiggle for two years, and CEO of lifestyle retailer The White Company for five years, Kernan also spent 13 years at New Look, becoming chief operating officer in 2010. Observers praised the appointment as a "considered", "intelligent" choice, with commentary noting Kernan's appointment was likely to place greater focus on growing digital and international operations to help River Island compete with its high street rivals. In November 2022, it was announced that Kernan would leave his role as CEO in 2023. UK operations River Island sells through 300 stores in the UK as well as online. In 2022, the brand launched