Counter-culture has always been a facet of Rio Uribe’s ethos. Take, for example, his decision to skip doing a New York Fashion Runway show in February 2020, and instead making his mark at Frieze Week in his hometown Los Angeles.

At the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), he debuted a collaboration with Paris-based artists and choreographers Gerard & Kelly, creating costumes for the U.S. premiere of their “State of” dance performance exploring race, gender and sexuality, all while unpacking identity politics backed by Whitney Houston’s iconic Super Bowl XXV “Star-Spangled Banner.”

It’s what American fashion is all about: creative design excellence coupled with powerful messaging.