Life is not always a beach for young designers trying to make it in fashion, and Rio Uribe of Gypsy Sport would know. Over the past six years he’s successfully navigated the changing tides of the industry, running a fully independent business with unwavering commitment. Still, when it’s all work and no play, there’s not much room left for creative daydreaming. Which is why, these days, Uribe is making a conscious effort to make more time for himself. With palms tree lining the runway, that joyous out-of-office attitude was in the air at his show today. Showgoers at the rooftop venue were clearly feeling the vibe, too, and sipped on fruit cocktails in the warm Indian summer evening.

The sunset tangerine and canary yellow palette of the clothes spoke directly to a permanent vacation mood. Shimmying out while covered in sparkling gold body paint, the first model set the tone, flaunting a party-starting halter-neck dress fashioned from hundreds of beaded safety pins. That ingenious approach to chainmail is one Uribe has been evolving for the past few seasons and is proving surprisingly popular despite—or perhaps because of—its unabashed fashion-forward sensibility.

Uribe made sustainability part of his agenda early on and is now focused on honing signature DIY archetypes. An update on the terrific denim he showed for Spring 2019, the new jeans had an appealing tropical look thanks to the appliqué hibiscus flowers. The safety pin-studded Bermuda shorts were a showstopper when they were first worn by rapper Rico Nasty last season and are likely to be a hit in this new one. In a moment when the notion of luxury is being reevaluated altogether, Uribe’s soulful one-of-a-kind pieces are a sunny proposition.

Source: VogueRunway

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