Rejina Pyo stuck to familiar territory this season, with the aim of reinforcing her brand’s signatures. The fall line was a potpourri of some of her most popular styles, ranging from the oversize color-blocked coats she’s been designing since graduating from Central Saint Martins, to feminine midi dresses with voluminous sleeves, high-waisted denim and bell-sleeve tops.
“There are a lot of young brands that might come out with something great, but before people get to know the brand identity, it disappears. By the time people start to want the product, they’re not selling it anymore,” said Pyo. “I wanted to nail it down to what the brand is about and what customers can get from it.”
It seems apt that Pyo is refining her brand identity now, when the company is growing. Following a presentation in New York last season, cohosted by Leandra Medine and Kate Foley, the brand gained momentum and has since been picked up by the likes of Net-a-porter, Browns and Style.com.
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While embracing the familiar, Pyo continued to look forward and set challenges for herself. She experimented with a palette of bright fuchsias and dusty pinks, and materials she wouldn’t normally use, such as sequins and florals, adjusting them to her own feminine-yet-conceptual aesthetic. There was a crushed velvet suit in baby pink, and fuchsia midi dresses or ruffled skirts done in a bonded nylon fabric to create a tension between the girly and the more graphic.
A traditional rose print was distorted with darker backgrounds and imperfect shapes. “I’m not a pink person. The brand might be feminine, but it’s not girly or pretty, and I wanted to challenge that by using pink, but making it cool and unexpected.”
Pyo, who is pregnant with her first child and taking a break from the traditional show schedule, is also developing a handbag. She is continuing her sunglasses and footwear collaborations with Korean brands Projekt Produkt and Yuul Yie, respectively, aiming to offering her customer a total look.