Rianna + Nina Ready To Wear Spring 2021

Rianna Nektaria Kounou and Nina Knaudt’s colorful, vintage-inspired universe has been resonating with consumers looking for a positivity boost. During lockdown, the duo worked on connecting with their Instagram fan base and focusing on building direct-to-consumer.

For spring, they yearned for travel, inspired by the colors and imagery of the Mediterranean. The collection also paid tribute to Antonio Arcucci’s Blu Boutique in Capri, one of their first retail accounts when they launched the label, Knaudt said during a Zoom presentation from Berlin, where the label is based.

Built around souvenir scarf motifs — a logical reference given that the brand started out by upcycling vintage silk squares — parasols, giant fish and seaside vistas were spliced with bold stripes in a vivid patchwork that couldn’t help but be uplifting.

Alongside their recurrent roomy kimono jackets, tops and palazzo pants in the specially developed prints, there were blouses in a boat-neck style with silk-covered buttons on the shoulders and in a ruffle-front patchwork. They also developed their very own souvenir scarves, a first for the label as it seeks to expand its offering with products at an entry-level price point.

Their one-of-a-kind pieces for the season, meanwhile, included a coat featuring circles cut from embroidered tablecloths on vintage mattress fabric, jackets featuring repurposed Swarovski embroideries and patchwork skirts and blouses crafted from upcycled scarves with travel motifs.