r.l.e Autumn/Winter 2023 Hug “簇”

r.l.e debuted their AW23 collection in The White Loft, Underwood Works, during London Fashion Week. The venue was transformed into an ethereal vision of white light and a blank slate, allowing the collection to flood the room with colour and imagination.

“What is the sense of security in our hearts that we are ultimately looking for?” This question is the overriding inspiration behind r.l.e’s AW23 collection. The journey of discovering our subconsciousness is always confusing; the true heart can be dimly seen through the mists of the deep. One aspect of nature that inspired the designer a lot this season was a bush she often passed, which looked disorienting in the dim light of the street lamps at night. From a distance, it looked like a thousand butterflies fluttering in the grass, while up close, it was tiny flowers. Different circumstances and emotions can lead to varied perspectives and judgments; seeing the true root brings peace. Life is like an eggshell; we are wrapped in layers of petals. It is fragile yet tenacious, sensitive but strong. The butterflies in the illusion are analogous to insecurities, and the bloom of our inner flowers can only be discovered by facing one’s true heart.

The AW23 series contains soft puffy silhouettes, pleatings, and ruffles that gently wrap around the body. The designer hopes to convey a sense of security within the collection, seeing the person enveloped in softness. r.l.e continue to celebrate their most prominent muse within their AW23 collection, the authentic beauty of nature. The intricate details found in flowers, butterflies, and branches inspire the knitted elements of the design as well as various other fabrics.

For their AW23 collection, r.l.e continues to deepen and develop its sustainable journey. The brand continues collecting the cut-off fabrics and remaking them into 3D yarns, transforming them into garments or accessories using weaving and crochet techniques. The white hanging butterflies seen in the set design of the AW23 presentation come from the cut pieces of pattern paper; they are a by-product of the development of the collection, re-engineered, and cut into the key inspirations of AW23. A sustainable romance by r.l.e; everything can be made beautiful again. r.l.e continues collaborating with jewellery designer Sara Chyan, choosing metals with a low melting point to create unique flowing jewellery pieces. The flowing metallic feel represents the metaphor between butterflies and flowers.