Rejina Pyo: A Scandinavian state of mind

“Its like a first date isn’t it! It is just the beginning and I am excited to go and meet people in person and all the possibility that can follow. Nothing promised yet – just all the fun of the romance at the start of something exciting.” Scandinavia is certainly amidst a romance with Rejina Pyo. Speaking to Pyo ahead of the activation she had planned for Copenhagen Fashion Week SS23, Pyo likens the dinner she will be hosting in Propaganda for her Copenhagen-based community to embarking on a new love affair, that holds all the potential and all the excitement of what might be set aflame.

With her philosophy of dressing as an 'everyday phenomenon', London-based designer Rejina Pyo quickly established her aesthetic at London Fashion Week showings: one which seamlessly merging her Korean heritage with a modern British sensibility. From her leg of lamb sleeved dresses to her louche buckled trenches and her wizardry with smart denim – all set in tonal browns, peach, apple green, camel and often offset with elegantly worked hardware – a new favourite for expressive yet understated dressing emerged, and Pyo was immediately marked as a core creative on the fashion circuit.

When it comes to describing Scandinavian style, it can hard to pin down. Minimalism has made way for colour maximalists, while craftsmanship and DIY has shaped a new interpretation and refreshed definitions of what ‘Scandi style’ actually means. When the core values are outlined however - function advising form, honesty of material, purpose and direction - these principles are what has acted as a bedrock for much of this evolution of Scandinavian creative expression and is exactly what has granted Rejina a devoted audience in the Nordics.

“The reason why we chose Scandinavia is because it feels like our brand really resonates with the Scandinavian chic style," Pyo says. There is a confidence and playfulness that feels really effortless. We do have a commercial presence, as we do sales there through our sales agent, but we wanted to engage directly with our community and the people that have supported us as a brand: the editors, content creators and all the interesting women that I am really keen to meet! I think I am always inspired by the real people, and I find everyone’s stories so interesting. The overall goal is to grow interest and awareness in the Scandinavian community.”

It makes sense, as while Rejina Pyo the brand is a burgeoning global label, Pyo the person is someone utterly fascinated with people, their lives, and their own respective creative expressions. Much like the Nordic state of mind, which values collaboration, the importance of connection and collaboration with Pyo runs deep: “I think without being collaborative with other people life means nothing. We are known as a womenswear brand but my interests – fine art, interiors, food, and in general life – I think that is what always motivates me and inspires me, and I have a plan to grow as a lifestyle brand, rather than just for fashion.”

Hosting an event in Propaganda, the format seemed like an obvious decision: Korean food has always played a huge role in Pyo’s life – she publishing a cook book 'Our Korean Kitchen' with her husband, chef Jordan Bourke, in 2017. Was there ever another way to bring people together than to give the attendees a taste of Pyo’s heritage and let them truly into her world?

“You can’t think of me without food can you! This will be our first event in Copenhagen, so we wanted it to feel really intimate and relaxed. If we are going to meet people in person and really get to know them, then its the perfect place to make real conversation and meet guests and get to know them better. Food is such an important part of my life – my husband Jordan is a chef and we created a Korean cook book together, Our Korean Kitchen – so we co-curated this Korean menu for the event. I think it will be a really natural way of bringing people together."

The role of food tied deeply into Pyo's autumn/winter 2022 collection too, with the theme behind the collection being the supper club: “I was really inspired by this Cold War time of people still reaching out to one another to have a good time: the determination to have this intimate gathering. Hosting something in Copenhagen felt like the perfect way to enjoy food and fashion," Pyo explains.

It also implied a decision for intimacy with her guests: a way of introducing herself in the most natural way she knows. “What I do normally is cook Korean food with my husband when we host people in our house, and of course for this occasion in Copenhagen I really feel like I am hosting my heritage. I am proud of Korean cuisine and every time my friends really experience it in its authentic way, people always ask me - why isn’t Korean food more known!”

With a room full of artists, editors, writers, architects, creatives, stylists, furniture designers and ceramicists, all present to celebrate her brand and the woman behind it before the Copenhagen Fashion Week shows kicked off, Pyo has established a slice of her community right in the heart of Copenhagen. Scandinavia is not only a territory but it is also a state of mind: one that Pyo has embraced wholeheartedly, whether she realises or not. Watch this space –  we predict a raft of Pyo comrades this time next season on the streets of the Nordic capitals of cool.