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Edward Rayne (1922-1992) – later Sir Edward Rayne – was head of H. & M. Rayne (often simply known as Rayne), one of the foremost British manufacturers of high-end and couture shoes. With a Royal Warrant to both the Queen and Queen Mother, Rayne shoes were worn by high society and film stars. Under his stewardship H. & M. Rayne took a stake in Genesco – then the largest shoe company in the world – secured licensing deals with Bergdorf Goodman and Bonwit Teller and encouraged British designers to embark on franchising. Having served a long apprenticeship in making shoes at the family firm, he was also a skilled designer – Jean Muir described him as the best British shoemaker of his age. Rayne served on the boards of Debenhams and Harvey Nichols (director and chairman respectively) and was a high-profile ambassador for British fashion; he was chair of the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers (IncSoc) and its successor the British Fashion Council (BFC), as well as working for numerous other trade and industry bodies. He did much to place London Fashion Week on the international map; his ''Guardian'' obituary said: "If any single man persuaded American fashion buyers and correspondents to take London Fashion Week seriously, it was Rayne". As Eddie Rayne, he was a talented bridge player, representing England at the age of 21 and becoming European Bridge Champion at the age of 26. An interview shortly before he took up his role as chairman of the BFC also noted his facility with other card games: "He is the Sky Masterson of Mayfair. As a colleague said: 'Nobody beats Eddie at poker'." ==Early life and career== Edward Rayne was born in the United States – his mother Meta (née Reddish) came from New York State and met his British father Joseph Rayne in Italy, where she was training to be an opera singer. Joseph Rayne was heir to the shoe side of the family business, which was founded in 1889 as a theatrical costumier by Henry and Mary Rayne and located close to The Old Vic. Opening a store in Bond Street in 1920, Joseph cashed in on the trend for shoes as a fashion (rather than simply practical) item and by 1928 the company had become a PLC.〔 Edward Rayne was educated at Harrow School but left at the age of 16 because his eyesight was threatened by cataracts in both eyes. His sight was saved following surgery.〔 The thick pebble glasses he needed for the rest of his life also became his trademark – an obituary writer compared him to Mr Magoo, while Colin McDowell described him as looking like a character from a Surtees novel. Physical comparisons were also drawn with Sergeant Bilko.〔 He was excused from active service in the war because of this, and began a long apprenticeship at H. & M. Rayne's factory in King's Cross. His obituary in ''The Times'' noted that he would arrive at 7.45am every morning in order to learn the 200 steps required to make a pair of high-end shoes.〔 While his apprenticeship was intense, Rayne found time to master the game of bridge; he was known as Eddie as a bridge player, represented his country at the age of 21 and was part of the winning team that won both the 1948 and 1949 European championships.〔〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Edward Rayne」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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