The last few years have not been easy on women in the upper echelons of the fashion industry. In October last year, Vogue Business reported that, of the top 30 luxury brands in the Vogue Business Index, only eight of the 33 creative directors were women, while Jimmy Choo’s Sandra Choi was the only woman of colour in a creative director role.
It’s why when Korean-born, London-based designer Rejina Pyo was approached by British accessories giant Mulberry about a potential collaboration, it was important to her that the key players involved were women. The resulting collection – which drops on 4 September – is a sumptuous autumnal line-up that centres around the notion of female community and womanhood, with a campaign shot by Gwen Trannoy, featuring the Argentinian artist and designer Conie Vallese.
“Women bring a deeply personal and authentic perspective to design that resonates with the realities of living. Although the fashion industry has long been dominated by male voices, the clothes we wear as modern women are intimately connected to our moods, experiences and identities,” Pyo reflects. “For me, designing has always been about creating pieces that I, and the women around me, want to wear, inspired by our own stories. After having my second child, I became even more committed to exploring what it means to be a working woman today, balancing roles as a mother, daughter, wife and professional. Women deserve to feel confident, comfortable and powerful in what they wear, and who better to craft that experience than those who live it every day?”
The limited-edition collection – which is made up of 15 pieces, covering bags, jewellery and, more surprisingly for Mulberry, ready-to-wear pieces – is the latest in a line of buzzy brand collaborations for the brand (others in the Mulberry Editions series have included Richard Malone, Ahluwalia and Stefan Cooke). Pyo’s contribution is perfectly timed for those looking to inject a little “back-to-school” polish into their new-season wardrobes: from a laptop-ready leather tote and a cargo shoulder bag (a Vogue editor highlight), to a pair of wear-with-everything beaded earrings and Pyo’s signature scarf-detail knit, all rendered in a deliciously earthy palette of brown, khaki green and grey.
