“LOVE WILL BE THE GIFT YOU GIVE YOURSELF”

Not a girl, not yet a woman –– as Ryan Lo presents his first solo runway show, his heroine has grown up. The Ryan Lo femme is no longer haphazardly seeking out love wherever she goes but has learned to love and respect herself. She’s a self-contained queen of her own heart, inspired by Yayoi Yukino (the central character of the Japanese anime Queen Millennia), Anna Karenina and her native Russia, Swan Lake, and even Elsa of Frozen.

Death and rebirth. Wrong and right. Black and white swans. Powerful and the helpless. As Lo’s protagonist grapples with these juxtapositions, her attire matures in the process.

Like the dual personas of Odette and Odile, Lo’s collection takes on newfound contrasts, with his usual levels of saccharine sweetness controlled at every instance. Box pleated floral lace skirts are tempered with winter wonderland knee-high boots and swan motif knitwear. Rose prints take on a darker and more sinister palette, once again taking on the mystery of Sailor Moon’s Tuxedo Mask. The ruffles and flounces of Lo’s adolescent past are replaced with pseudo-Russian fur-trimmed flocked velvet gowns, prim but proper pleated high-necked shirt dresses, and also some serious outerwear in the form of lilac down jackets and capelet coats fit for a Snow Queen in the making. Ballet tulle skirts don’t feel like costumes when shown next to sultry Victorian lace blouses.Lo is never far away from seeking out a thrilling frill as his signature crochet florals in iridescent yarn cocoon the body like a beautiful snowflake. All fabrications are noteworthy creations of the designer.

In the end, the eternal winter of Lo’s imagination is thawed by the sheer power of love. This queen’s heart will melt.

Words by Susie Lau @ Susie Bubble

Styling: Robbie Spencer & Elizabeth Fraser-Bell/ Makeup: Isamaya Ffrench/ Hair: Tina Outen/ Nails: Sophy Robson/ Casting: Shelley Durkan/ Set Design: Gary Card/ Millinery: Noel Stewart/ Jewellery: O Thong/ Venue: Tate Britain