Walking the line between fashion and art has always been award-winning designer Rejina Pyo’s trademark move. Before doing her Masters in Fashion Design at Central Saint Martins, Pyo studied fine art at Hongik University in her home city of Seoul, building the foundation for her distinctive design philosophy: an approach that blends effortless femininity with architectural silhouettes, and one that takes centre stage at her new Notting Hill store, Rejina Pyo 86.
Last year, Pyo celebrated her brand’s 10-year anniversary, not with a runway show featuring throwback looks, but by hosting an art exhibition at the Soho Revue gallery on Greek Street where she showcased works from 19 female artists who have influenced her designs over the past decade. This love for curation and shining a spotlight on contemporary artists is at the forefront of the new outpost, Pyo’s second store following the 2022 opening of her Soho flagship.
Set within a heritage building on Golborne Road, Rejina Pyo 86 is a multi-faceted space that the designer describes as “part atelier, part gallery, part living room”, inviting customers to engage with the art, garments, and design features that Pyo has curated. Beyond the yellow awning and red brick shopfront lies a treasure trove that is equal parts an homage to the building’s former life as a 19th-century grocery store as it is a peek into the mind of its new resident. Seventies lamps cast a soft glow on the Carrara marble counter stretching across the room, which displays an array of shoes, jewellery, and objets d’art; Pyo’s signature knot-handled bags stand like museum pieces on low glass tables; and the voluminous sleeves of her garments peep out from the clothing rail that runs along the wall.
The original H&R Johnson tiling acts as a backdrop for artworks by Aleksander Mechlinski, Daisy Douglas Miller, Ishbel Lowther, Jiahe Zhang, Joline Kwakkenbos and Leo Arnold – the first group of contemporary artists in what will be a rotating series. “We curate artists whose work invites curiosity and conversation,” Pyo tells Broadsheet. “Rather than acting as static decoration, the artworks transform the space and evolve over time, creating moments of reflection and discovery. It’s important to me that the environment feels alive.”
Though she calls the space a “rare find”, Pyo says launching her second London store in Notting Hill felt “instinctive” based on the large following her brand already has in west London. “Golborne Road has a very particular energy, almost like its own little village,” she says. “There’s a great mix of long-standing businesses, antique dealers, Portuguese bakeries, and food stands that have been here for years alongside newer creative spaces like Canteen, The Fat Badger, Speciale and Golborne 44. Together, they give the street a vibrant, textured quality.”
Pyo shares that while Rejina Pyo 86 is a “sister space” to her Soho flagship, it has “its own rhythm and character”, which she hopes will encourage “a sense of calm and curiosity” in anyone who walks in. The new venue is also home to the brand’s office and atelier, allowing the Rejina Pyo team to collect and implement customer feedback in real time. “That closeness makes the experience feel more personal and collaborative,” says Pyo. She plans to host food, art and fashion events in the space.
“Looking ahead, we see the store as a space for experimentation, where we can explore new ways of connecting with people and creative communities,” she says. “Ultimately, it’s about creating shared experiences, encouraging dialogue and continuing to experiment with how the brand lives and moves within the world around it.”
Rejina Pyo 86
86 Golborne Road, W10 5PS
Hours:
Daily 10am–6pm
