Rio World: A Poem and a Protest II
Within Rio World, the point of fashion is not just to look chic, but to use your platform, even something as seemingly small as your outfit, to tell the world what you are about.
Photography by Go Runway
There is perhaps no brand more representative of the push and pull between West Coast and East Coast—freedom and pressure—than designer Rio Uribe’s Rio World. Uribe got his start in New York City’s Garment District, working his way up in visual merchandising at Balenciaga before launching his brand, formerly called Gypsy Sport, in 2012. Originally rooted in a scrappy, sporty ethos, a 2021 move back to Los Angeles signaled room to breathe for both the designer and the brand.
Diversity and inclusion, for Uribe, doesn’t merely mean the inclusion of Black and Brown models but also the championing of models of various sizes, ages, abilities, and genders scouted at the brand’s iconic open casting calls by Maxwell Vice. Recent collections have been a celebration of the designer’s Chicano roots and Angeleno culture (see: long baggy shorts, big chola hair, Charlie Brown plaid) more generally.
In the aftermath of rampant ICE raids in Los Angeles, A Poem and a Protest, staged at The Broad Museum and entirely free and open to the public last November, became a masterclass in making the personal political. So, Uribe returning to New York City and deciding to stage A Poem and a Protest II, at celebrity haunt, Jean’s, for FW26, may raise some eyebrows. But of course, with New York, you can only plan for chaos.
Photography by Go Runway
That’s exactly what Rio World delivered as a defiant finale to NYFW as Planta Industrial, a Dominican punk-rap-pop duo from the Bronx—plus their energetic crew—took the floor ahead of the first look. Models wearing red and black plaid and reflective silver—hallmarks of Uribe’s code as a designer—had to literally push aside the revelers to continue their walks down the runway.
Compared to the Spring/Summer 2026 show, where artist Cain Culto had a dedicated performance time, Planta Industrial offered both a distraction and a mirror that forced the audience to contend with the clothes and the models, asserting their presence in a new way. But this choice, of Planta Industrial meets Jean’s on Lafayette, is intentional, said the stylist for the show and Rio’s longtime collaborator and Totem Magazine founder, César Álvarez.
“It’s a message for the Latino community, you belong to the art spaces,” in reference to the Broad show, “to the fancy bars,” said Álvarez on Latinos and people of color, “being able to celebrate in places that are chic.” Besides, being chic doesn’t preclude one from state violence, as employees at Jean’s recently had their own run-in with ICE, another reason why the Rio team felt a kinship with the venue.
Within Rio World, the point of fashion is not just to look chic, but to use your platform, even something as seemingly small as your outfit, to tell the world what you are about. In a literal interpretation of this theme, in partnership with the ACLU, Álvarez has styled models with “ICE OUT” pins (a runway first) to match the collection’s monochromatic white-and-black palette. (You might also catch members of the backstage makeup crew, led by David Velasquez, wearing “Immigrant at Work” sweatshirts.)
In the New York context of A Poem and a Protest, the fashion and styling become more punk than relaxed. Models sported garments designed for layering—fur-trapper hats, puffy boleros, and quilted duster jackets. These “cozier” fabrics, said Álvarez, signal life in a colder climate, yes, but there’s also a utilitarian aspect to the clothes. In LA, you can store your belongings in your car. In New York, you have to be dressed to go from work to the protest.
“We are tired of being mad—that’s why it’s a poem, we need to enjoy beauty and celebrate beauty,” said Álvarez. “At the same time, the looks are ready for whatever is coming.”
