The news of & Other Stories teaming up with Rejina Pyo is nearly big enough to take the shine off pubs and hairdressers opening this week. Well, almost.
Because unlike it's big sister H&M, which drops a designer collaboration once a year (Simone Rocha being the most recent), & Other Stories' approach is a little different. Basically, you don't see 'em coming – which is why the Scandi brand waited to so long to tell the world about its new project.
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Since arriving in the UK in 2013, & Other Stories has collaborated with the likes of Brøgger, Fern Fans, Kim Gordon, Ada Kokosar and Le Petit Trous. And on Thursday April 15, a.k.a today, its most exciting designer collection to date has dropped with fashion's golden girl Rejina Pyo.
Check out the collection, ready to shop now, here:
Organza Sleeve Silk Midi Dress
Mulberry Silk Halter Midi Dress
Pleated High Waist Shorts
Fitted Belted Button Up Cotton Blazer
Voluminous Puff Sleeve A-Line Mini Dress
Boxy Padded Shoulder Wool Blazer
Pleated High Waist Wool Shorts
Textured Mulberry Silk Top
Textured Mulberry Silk Mini Strap Dress
Mulberry Silk Puff Sleeve Midi Dress
High Waist Midi Skirt
Before you hastily add the lot to basket, think for a second about the gaps in your wardrobe. Do you need another summer dress? Or would a casual suit be a better investment?
If it's the Rejina Pyo brand signatures you're after, we're not judging – and we've got good news. There's an affordable Greta-inspired dress in the collection; a structured midi with a nipped-in waist and impossibly large organza sleeves, cinched to create ruffled cuffs. It's not the only hero one-piece: there are tiered tangerine midis and a black seersucker number with off-the-shoulder straps.
Naturally, there are a few great suits from summer in there: a belted organic-cotton situation with multiple bottoms to match, or a workwear-y grey set with a super cropped blazer and generously pleated shorts. And if tailoring is never relaxed in your book, you can go for the one of the cool co-ords instead.
The high street store has kept pretty quiet about this collection until now, but we knew from the start that sustainability was at the forefront (expect organic cottons and responsibly sourced wools, as well as premium silk) and the clothes are inspired by busy, strong women. But before you start rolling your eyes at that phrase, hear this one out: Rejia Pyo went looking for inspiring 'busy' women in the most unexpected places.
The result? The campaign imagery isn't shot on models, but an array of interesting and inspiring women from all over the world; including Lotta Klemmings, Sweden’s only female oyster diver, the LA-based florist Brittany Asch, and Poppy Okotcha, a UK-based grower and forager.
The brand started teasing out these beautiful images on the weekend, when we were yet to see the collection in its full glory. Still, could make a few guesses based on the sneak preview and Rejina Pyo's brand history.
The Seoul-born designer, taught by the late Louise Wilson (the kingmaker who brought us Alexander McQueen and Christopher Kane) at Central Saint Martins, dropped onto the UK scene in 2014. Back when the industry couldn't stop banging on about 'wearable' clothes for 'real women' (whatever that means) and Phoebe Philo reigned supreme, Pyo made instant waves with her sculptural cuts, fresh colour palettes and relaxed tailoring. Yes, before suits were such a thing, Pyo was making them wide-leg and louche, in luxe crushed velvets, for trainer-pairing and daytime wearing.
But it was the designer's addictively unique dresses that became instant Insta-catnip, and could be spotted at every fashion week – on all the right people. The Greta in particular, now a brand mainstay for good reason, was hailed for its voluminous balloon sleeves, bolstered by a crispy cotton-poplin, tempered so perfectly with waist-cinching boning. It struck the delicate balance between girlish and statement-making, so it's no wonder Pandora Sykes, Kate Foley, Veronika Heilbrunner, Leandra Medine and Laura Jackson are such huge fans.
If H&M's Simone Rocha collab is anything to go by, you might need to take inspiration from Klemmings and get up early to catch this one. For those who've been coveting Rejina Pyo but can't quite stretch to a luxury budget, the affordable price points (from £55 to £175) are a dream come true.
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Abigail Southan is our Senior Fashion Ecommerce Editor and has five years' experience as a writer and editor in the industry. Abigail has a BA in History from the University of Bristol and an MA in Fashion Journalism from Central Saint Martins. Abigail currently covers all things style and shopping across titles including Harper’s Bazaar, ELLE, Esquire and Red. On a daily basis, she helps readers buy better with how-to-wear guides, first-person product reviews and deep dives into the latest trends. Previously, Abigail has worked for The Sunday Times’ Style and Fabulous magazine as their first ecommerce writer and was a founding editor of Sun Selects. She has also written for Net-a-Porter, I-D, Man About Town, Wonderland and 1 Granary, and has interviewed the likes of Paris Hilton, Dua Lipa and Christopher Bailey. You can follow Abigail on Instagram at @abigailsouthan.
