The political climate is desolate, violence sits on the lap, we’re all ingesting plastics and seeking wellness tips from bots about it. Enter Lorena Pipenco. A Romanian born, Brooklyn based designer with a flair for the fantastical, Pipenco presents a Spring collection and a much needed dose of escapism to remind us that not everything’s gotta be so bleak.

“Lalele: A Naive Hero’s Journey” marks Pipenco’s third year in the NYFW cycle. The label’s knack for hyperbolic silhouettes and intricate knits is quickly gaining notoriety among fashion’s key tastemakers, landing Julia Fox’s seal of approval and costuming Doja Cat’s backup dancers at the VMAs.

From the rooftop of the Standard High Line Hotel, this season expands on Pipenco’s keen worldbuilding with an ode to the designer’s roots; the collection draws its narrative center from De-a-fi Harap Alb, a 1965 film adaptation of traditional Romanian folklore. The story follows a young and underestimated nobleman on his fantastical quest to save the kingdom, a journey doomed from the start yet teetering its way to triumph.


Pipenco translates the tale into an equally triumphant display of outlandish proportions. Plush hats swell to the size of overgrown melons. Bell sleeves puff to the knees and bubbled shoulders flounce all the way up to ornamental silver ear pieces. There are pillowed lapels coyly overhung with lace, ballooned skirting netted into place with red yarn.

Particularly enchanting is a globular dress that mimics an apple-like shape; as the story goes, the nobleman must shoot an arrow into the fruit. He tragically misfires but the dress certainly hits the target, its formature impossibly, impressively curved.

Yet this visual absurdity is far from gimmick. High concept appears not for sensation but for genuine artisanship’s sake  – several pieces could easily pass as day-to-day wear for the more spirited of the downtown scene. A forest green mini dress, featuring a covetable drop waist and inflated turtleneck, is immediately prone to viral-hood. A puffed lilac tube skirt is soon to be stylists’ bread and butter, head-to-toe chiffon ensembles are practically begging for a glass of orange wine, and the studded leather accessories have the moto-boho girls foaming at the mouth.

It is couture paired with cowboy boots: a curious clash that rings with crescendo rather than dissonance. This juxtaposition of aesthetics is true to the Pipenco essence, her design language often teasing the tensions of youth/adulthood, identity/fiction, and fantasy/truth.

In an industry seared with skepticism, doom-core, and recession-toned minimalism, Pipenco maintains a playful sense of humor. Shownotes emphasize that the ethos of the show “chooses not to fight cynicism with cynicism, but to lean into a different kind of resistance: softness, sincerity, naivety.” While the designs are certainly soft (I am physically restraining myself from wanting to reach out and touch them), they are far from naive. As a Parson grad, Pipenco’s technical skill is undeniable, her patterning intentional, her inventive fabrications executed with clean finish. 

Textural experimentation consistently shows off Pipenco’s design chops. Punctuating this collection is a ingenious popcorn-like motif that clusters in cotton poufs and gathers into fully pompommed sheaths. A series of sheer capes adorned with these baubles appear so airy it’s as if the clouds themselves have condensated there to rest. Other innovations include enlarged macrame, hand-felted stripes, and gauzy mesh knits.


Further contributing to the joie-de-vivre is the whimsy soaked palette. Color often plays protagonist in Pipenco’s world, and this season, the hues are assigned titular roles with fully developed backstories. From the shownotes, Baker’s Cream “speaks to the warmth of something handmade,” while Apple Red and a cast of Pastry Pastels “evoke hunger, pleasure, nostalgia, and joy.”

The final look is quite literally edible (or once was). A high neck, backless gown composed of nine hundred cascading lemons closes the runway, the model barefooted, her train floating over the shattered mosaic of moss and flowers as if emerging from the remnants of divine conception, abundance half-remembered, a far-off dream.

Indulging in a bit of lore, Pipenco shares that sourcing the materials for the finale dress caused a citrus-shortage induced inflation at the local deli, which upped their prices in response to the sudden frenzy of demand. She laughs- “it was nice because everyday the apartment smelled like lemons, everyone went home with a bag of lemons, it was lemon-core everywhere. In the movie, there’s these girls wearing actual lemons, so we wanted to literally peel it down and play on that in a different way.”

Applause can be heard across the Hudson. It’s golden hour in Chelsea, light reflecting off the water, and the industry norm of wearing sunglasses to the show has never felt less douchey or more justified. We’ve bathed in something real and glowing. We emerge warm and sincere. The imaginative reverie of the runway is so infectious that sky itself responds with a haloed sundog, the celestial anomaly of a rainbow materializing just long enough to prove the power of light.

Pipenco, however, will not be shortlived. If the young designer’s oeuvre was not already cause for celebration, this collection is sure to propel the brand into the next chapter of their upwards trajectory. For Lorena that means moving beyond couture and into immersive exhibition. Whether that means an installation at Dover Street or a brick-and-mortar space, it is clear that Pipenco has an appetite for more than exquisite costuming – we can safely assume that whatever she’s serving next will come with an aftertaste just as sweet.  CREDITS

PRODUCTION/CREATIVE DIRECTION  Ojeras
PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS  Anna Vosse, Mäité Demange
CREATIVE LEAD Erik Barshai

DESIGN TEAM Anna Bolla, Clara Hunter, Greer, Taysha Kim, Sherry, Jack Decker, Stein, Sophia Armitage, Chris Mejia
STYLING / CREATIVE CONSULTANT Dominick Barcelona
STYLING ASSISTANTS  Cassie Jekanoski, Shanice,  Kennedy Mcneil,  Shanice Gray
TIGHTS  Alice Keсић
BRACELETS Mel Diosa
STAR EARRINGS L Jardmin Jewelry
ARCHIVES  Charlota Abhors a Void Shanice Archive
CASTING Daha Casting Management

SET DESIGN Katie Bloom
FABRICATOR Kasia Hope
SOUND DESIGN  No Logo
LIGHTING  Wild Blur

MAKEUP  New York Makeup Academy
HAIR  Unite Hair Gary Baker
PR  Anthony Brooks Consulting
LOCATION  The Standard High Line