Rejina Pyo RTW Spring 2023
Sisters are doin’ it for themselves. So sang the Eurythmics with Aretha Franklin, and so says Rejina Pyo, whose collection was tailored around women’s needs and desires. Pyo was one of only a few designers this season who opted to use women of various sizes, shapes and heights in her runway show, which took place in the Hylo skyscraper with views over London.
Her models came from real life — they included filmmakers, jewelers and other working women — and they all need comfortable, glamorous uniforms for their everyday lives, according to the designer.
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“These are women who’ve lived lives, and who accept themselves as they are. I want them to feel great and powerful and I’m looking at them from my point of view, not from a male gaze,” said Pyo, who recently returned to work after giving birth to her second child.
The tailored pieces were the real stars of this collection, and included doubled-breasted suits, some with sharp jackets that were nipped at the waist. Pyo made them in cobalt blue, iridescent blue-gray and a rainbow of browns and neutrals, and paired them with flat sandals for a breezy feel.
There were some lovely dresses, too, including a long and loose white cotton style that looked as cool and comfortable as a nightgown; a sleek, curve-hugging dress with with a high collar and a cold shoulder, and a long black number with white pouf sleeves sliding languidly down the arms.
Other pieces, however, missed the mark and looked either too baggy, or too tight, proof that it’s no mean feat dressing “real” women whose bodies aren’t necessarily sample size. It takes hard work, and kudos to Pyo for taking on the challenge.
Launch Gallery: Rejina Pyo RTW Spring 2023
