In 2007, Theo Richardson, Charles Brill and Alexander Williams founded RBW, prior known as Rich Brilliant Willing, and quickly gained a reputation for simple, design-driven luminaires that took over the design world.
In 2025, RBW opened the doors to its new flagship space at 85 Franklin Street, a three story expression of the brand’s design ethos. Part gallery, part hangout, and fully immersive, the space redefined how lighting is experienced, blending tactile product displays with a hospitality mindset. With a larger footprint and deeper resources, the brand continues to push further into material exploration, modularity, and form, forging a clear path of independent design leadership.
RBW's newly opened showroom at 85 Franklin St, NYC
Theo Richardson (left) & Charles Brill (right) in front of RBW Tribeca showroom opened in 2025
Guests mingle beneath the iconic Palindrome & AllSew pendants
RBW announces a significant shift in ownership after 17 years in operation. Initially founded by Theo Richardson, Charles Brill, and Alex Williams, this trio of seasoned leaders, has diligently steered the company’s growth, remaining steadfast in their commitment to core values centered around harnessing the transformative power of light to shape environments, enhance communities, and enrich lives. Looking ahead, Richardson and Brill will continue to spearhead the business, maintaining their roles as owners and operators, while Alex Williams will be transitioning out of his position as part owner of RBW.
RBW Tribeca Showroom opened in May 2025
Part start-up, part design firm, RBW prides itself on being a different kind of company; one that builds direct relationships with specifiers and oversees its manufacturing and production details directly. What began as a three-person studio a decade ago has grown into a 50+ person team with a global network of vendors, specifiers, and customers.
Today, RBW stands as a testament to their collective vision, embodying a new paradigm in design where innovation, collaboration, and sustainability converge, as embodied by the Factory in Hudson Valley. Paying it forwards, in 2022 the trio proudly started the Rhode Island School of Design, RBW Endowed Scholarship at their alma mater.
RBW studio in Industry city as major design hub for many of its iconic products.
Proud collaborations with innovative projects in the world including Hotel Marcel
RBW Showroom in the heart of SoHo
After relocating to Gowanus in 2013, RBW became part of Brooklyn’s emerging design scene—scrappy, smart, and full of momentum. Palindrome launched soon after, quickly becoming one of the brand’s most iconic designs. Growth followed. RBW expanded to Industry City, joining a creative ecosystem of like-minded makers. That same year, RBW opened its first SoHo showroom hosting gatherings, installations, and unforgettable nights under the glow of their own LED creations.
RBW Studio in Industry City, Brooklyn
RBW took an early leap into LED, embracing its potential for both performance and design freedom. Instead of retrofitting old forms, the team designed from the technology outward, pioneering an entirely new category of contemporary fixtures.
RBW is the 'new breed' of designer. They have taken their destiny into their own hands and control the design, marketing and sales of their innovative products.
— John Edelman, DWR
Excel floor lamp designed in 2008
RBW made its debut during New York Design Week at Kiosk in SoHo, introducing the Excel floor lamp, an elegant design named after the Microsoft spreadsheet, naturally. Clean lines, a striking armature, and a strong point of view made it a fast favorite. The launch drew real attention and real commissions. RBW was officially in business.
Rich Brilliant Willing's first office in a basement of Lower East Side, NYC
Before there was a brand, there were three designers with a shared obsession: taking things apart and reimagining how they could work better. Theo Richardson, Charles Brill, and Alex Williams met at RISD and set up shop together in a basement studio on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, an early hub for their experimentation, collaboration, and irreverent design spirit.