PIPENCO Spring/Summer 2027: The Softness Behind the Forest Guardian’s Fearsome Form

Září 10, 2026 - 23:00

For Spring/Summer 2027, PIPENCO turned its attention to Muma Pădurii, the “Mother of the Forest” from Romanian folklore.

Passed down through generations as a frightening shapeshifter, Muma Pădurii is also understood as a guardian who protects the forest, its trees and its animals from harm. Designer Lorena Pipenco approached this duality not simply as a fantastical tale, but as a portrait of a woman whose strength has caused her to be misunderstood.

Presented at Cuna NYC at The Standard, East Village, the collection translated this story through forms that appeared to grow organically from the body. Branch-like structures extended from the shoulders, waist and head, obscuring familiar contours and blurring the line between clothing and sculpture.

PIPENCO Spring/Summer 2027 — Courtesy of PIPENCO

At first glance, these constructions appeared rigid and, at times, almost threatening. Yet they were formed from tactile knits, soft fringes, fuzzy surfaces and lightweight textiles that shifted with the body. What looked sharp revealed itself as soft; what seemed heavy took on an unexpected lightness in motion. By deliberately reversing the relationship between appearance and materiality, PIPENCO gave physical form to the complexity of Muma Pădurii.

The designer’s signature manipulation of proportion remained central throughout. Circular constructions enveloped the head and body, branch-like extensions emerged from dresses, and open-knit structures created organic volumes around the wearer. Rather than pursuing orderly beauty, the silhouettes embraced the irregularity of nature—suggesting forms that had grown, tangled and spread beyond the boundaries of the garment.

Sculptural looks in yellow, orange and green evoked the fruits, flowers, moss and fungi of the forest. In contrast, dresses in white and pale pink introduced moments of quietness and visual space. As the palette deepened into burgundy and black, the forest assumed a denser, more mysterious character. Vivid colors punctuating the earthy tones prevented the setting from becoming overly romantic, instead conjuring an ecosystem shaped by continuous cycles of growth and decay.

Not every look carried the same degree of sculptural intensity. Draped dresses, compact tops, body-skimming skirts and other more restrained pieces offered the collection room to breathe. This variation in pace allowed PIPENCO to move beyond purely conceptual showpieces, suggesting how elements of the brand’s emotionally charged world might also enter everyday wardrobes.

Every fabric used in the collection was donated by FABSCRAP, the nonprofit organization working to divert textile waste from landfill. The practice of giving existing materials a new narrative quietly echoed the story of Muma Pădurii as a protector of the natural world. Rather than presenting sustainability as a separate statement, PIPENCO embedded it within both the construction and meaning of the collection.

A footwear partnership with UGG grounded the looks in another expression of softness and protection. The sense of comfort and enclosure associated with the footwear offered a tactile counterpoint to the outward-reaching forms above, reinforcing the dualities at the collection’s core.

PIPENCO did not attempt to transform Muma Pădurii from a frightening figure into a conventionally gentle one. Instead, the collection allowed fear and tenderness, aggression and protection, hardness and softness to occupy the same body. The branch-covered silhouettes therefore became more than theatrical decoration: they functioned simultaneously as armor that keeps others away and as a boundary drawn around something precious.

By asking viewers to reconsider what lies beyond a first impression, PIPENCO brought a folkloric female figure into the present. The Spring/Summer 2027 collection translated the sensitivity concealed within strength into clothing that felt tactile, unruly and vividly alive.

See every look from the PIPENCO Spring/Summer 2027 collection in the gallery below.