Unveiled with a theatrical production, the label’s Resort 2025 collection Blue Bird marries ballet-core nostalgia with a darker undertone of resilience.
Photography by Julia Clark
As I sat on the periphery of the metallic runway, the first model emerged in a dainty ballerina’s dress, donning pale fishnets stretched over ballet slippers and a shimmery 1950s-housewife-esque capelet. Under warm yellow lighting, she danced with a sparse wooden chair before us.
Founded in 2018, Zepherina originated as a series of easy clothing Renea LaRiviere designed for her friends to wear around the city, from dancing at night to running errands the next morning. And though the “wake up and go slip dresses” quickly galvanised the attention of large retailers, lending to capsule collections with Urban Outfitters and Nordstrom, the label has maintained an innate feeling of intimacy and connection. Perhaps that is because Zepherina is, at its core, an ode to LaRiviere’s own grandmother.
Inspired by familial photographs, stories, and heirlooms, Zepherina focuses on the concept of choice in maternal roles — and celebrates a contemporary woman who, though haunted by ghosts of prior generations, takes agency over her own destiny. For their Resort 2025 collection, Blue Bird, the label invited guests to watch Has it begun?, a play that highlights this tension between resilience and softness – and reflects on maternal relationships’ role in shaping our coming-of-age.
With pieces that marry ballet-core with harsher gothic undertones, Blue Bird emulates childhood nostalgia with a mysterious, chilling layer of darkness. Highlights include a black babydoll number paired with a wrist ribbon and leg warmers, a baby blue knee-length empire-waist dress topped with tulle and an asymmetrical cape, and a black and white floral print dress featuring both a confining white corset and a cape consisting of layers of pastel ruffles. Commissioned by Zepherina, written by multidisciplinary artist Ximena Prieto, and produced by Casa Semejante, Ana Sugawara, and Jemma Amos, the interdisciplinary runway combines music, fashion, and performance to convey the multifaceted lyricism at the heart of Zepherina’s work.
Take a look…
