Bernard Lewis, the English clothing chain executive who founded and led River Island, died on February 28, 2026.
Born Bernard Pokrasse on February 10, 1926, he was educated at the Jewish Free School and Northern Polytechnic Institute. He helped in his parents’ greengrocer’s as a child, served in the RAF from 1944 to 1945, and opened his first fruit and vegetable shop on Holloway Road in North London at the age of 20.
He later began selling clothing and opened his first clothes shop in Mare Street, Hackney.
Bernard Lewis (born Bernard Pokrasse, 10 February 1926 – 28 February 2026) was an English businessman, who was the founder and owner of the River Island fashion brand and clothing chain.