LONDON FASHION WEEK
REJINA PYO AW22
Words Amie Elizabeth White
Did you ever imagine yourself wanting to dress like a worker from the 1920’s? Not the glitz of the flappers or the glamour of the movie stars, or like Mademoiselle Chanel or Scott Fitzgerald and his crowd, but like the real working class of the 1920s? Like miners, or farmers, construction crew or labourers? Rejina Pyo thinks so.
A denim suit paired with worker boots walked out first, confirming that the knee-high styles will be gracing our calves again this year. An olive-toned satin shirt dress followed, before another look of utility made from a shirt of cream and cargo pants of beige came behind. But it was the suits that grounded the collection. Suit after suit came down the runway. There was one cut sharp in a brown of the smoothest chocolate, another in checks and another in blue. Blazers were cut wide, with shoulders and sides demanding double the space of the person who wears it. A waxed ochre bomber jacket with matching pants formed another, tucked into boots just like the pilots used to do. Coats included macs made of leather, double-breasted and checked, or slim puffer styles of mossy green. There were knitted vests layered with boiler-suit denim, and fisherman hats to top off some of the looks. Despite all the masculinity, this was not a display of fashion from a man’s world gone by, as Pyo’s creations were contemporary and constructed with the modern woman in mind. The naked shoulders, flashes of chest and figure fitting dresses gave the collection its sexiness, but it was a sexiness that you can wear every day.
A sentimental element taken from her era of inspiration was the idea of togetherness. Despite the hardships of prohibition and lifestyle conditions, people still connected and did what they could to have a good time. She says “there were no boundaries – everyone was welcomed with open arms” and it is here where Pyo’s talents lie, as she produced a collection of pieces that can be used in every occasion of her customer’s lives. Suits and shirts for any office, mixed with some floral dresses for any garden, coats for any weekend getaway, and some slinkier dresses just in case the evening gets away with you. The 1920s was an era that we learn about in history, but the clothes in this collection? This is for now.
