It’s Rio’s World—We’re Just Living In It

On a Tuesday evening in downtown Los Angeles, the typical buzz was swarming the air—the hum of car engines, the flicker of neon signs, and the quick clip of heels on pavement. Paced to the typical L.A. static, the city is always moving at a maximum—but one of its particular intersections outside The Broad held the kind of charged pause that comes right before something shifts.

 

RIO, the new era of designer Rio Uribe, sent an electric pulse permeating through the bustling crowd at The Broad in Los Angeles; there was a sense that something big was about to happen, but no one quite knew what just yet.

You’ve probably heard his name before—his former brand, Gypsy Sport, rose the streetwear ranks throughout the 2010s, and he’s been a fixture in the intersection of queer culture and the fashion space since the start of his colorful career.

“This is the first chapter in the book of RIO. It’s a reintroduction, a rebirth,” he says. While Uribe has a well-established stature in design—one that is in-your-face, intrinsically youthful yet deeply knowing—RIO is the evolution of this unbridled spirit, and one that has fully metamorphosed.

Drawing from his tenures at John Galliano in Paris and Chrome Industries, where he currently serves as creative director, Uribe hones a mercurial sensibility—one where studied intentionality meets the quixotic, almost ingénue-like instinct of a designer in constant evolution. “I’m sticking to my core values, but I have a strong vision for the future,” he says.

Much like any visionary, Uribe understands that what happens in the future is always grounded in the now. Unified under the title “A Poem and a Protest,” the collection is an ode to the boldness of Angelenos, who remain steadfastly themselves in times when their communities feel in flux. “On one hand, it’s about resistance and standing up for what you believe in; on the other, it’s about poetry, passion, and self-expression—fashion as an art form.”

While subverting the source material in true Rio fashion, Uribe leaned into the classics to mark the genesis of his renaissance. “I started with a few silhouettes inspired by Cristóbal Balenciaga: a cocoon coat, a peplum, a trapeze dress. Then I brought it down to the streets with some punk and cholo references,” he says. A laid-back utilitarianism comes through in distressed denim and slouchy tees, offset by quilted leathers and elevated ruching. Coastal sleaze and subcultural codes converge with tailoring, giving way to a distinctive kind of sexiness—the sort that emerges where the sun beats down.

The duality of the polished and the unraveled forms the core vitality of the collection, a tension likely shaped by Uribe’s artistic milieu. His designs came to life with “a lot of chopped-and-screwed cumbia with vintage Mickey Mouse cartoons in the background,” revealing that there’s elevation to be found in the remix.

At any of Uribe’s shows, you can always expect deeply diverse casting. This time, a mix of faces scouted from the streets of Los Angeles and underground icons like Kerri Colby graced the runway. “Anthony Conti has done a great job casting our models since the beginning. I want real people to see themselves on my runway and in my clothes. We had over 400 people show up to the opening casting call at Superchief Gallery—let me tell you, L.A. has so many beautifully unique people.”

The pieces are not only a uniform of expression but a kind of metaphysical armor—and while Uribe is setting his sights on New York next, he’s taking the brand to its highest heights. “This is just the beginning of RIO. I’m building a whole new world.”

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Follow the wonderful world of RIO via Instagram and stay up-to-date with current collections through the RIO website.