A multiphase model, developed in the context of elastoplasticity, is applied to the simulation and design of reinforced earth retaining structures. The main feature of this model is to combine the advantage of a homogenization approach, as regards its computational efficiency, with the ability to account for a specific failure condition at the interface between the soil and the reinforcing strips, which may have a decisive influence on the behavior of the structure. A particular emphasis is put on the stability analysis of this kind of reinforced soil structures, formulated within the framework of the yield design theory. Making use of a generalized rigid block failure mechanism, the stability of a reinforced earth retaining wall is investigated by means of the kinematic approach, leading to upper bound estimates for the stability factor of the structure, which are then favorably compared with the results of an elastoplastic analysis. Special attention is paid to assessing in a quantitative way how a specific soil-strip failure condition affects the stability of the reinforced earth structure as a whole.