From classic films to childhood memories, New York-based designer Lorena Pipenco draws on her heritage to create a new sartorial narrative.

PHOTOGRAPHY&nbsp;Jacq Harriet
STYLED BY&nbsp;Trinidad Alamos

For Lorena Pipenco, there is truly no place like home. The Parsons graduate, who was born in the U.K. and raised by her Romanian mother and grandmother, is the first to say so. “We are a brand that looks at Romanian stories from the past and reinterprets them for the present,” says Pipenco from her apartment-slash-studio in Crown Heights. “It’s usually women’s empowerment stories, but we have delved into all different stuff.” Her debut collection drew inspiration from the 1972 Romanian children’s musical film Veronica, while Fall/Winter 2025 riffed on&nbsp;Dracula. Traditional Eastern European crafts like macramé and crochet also seem to find their way into nearly every season.
In Pipenco’s world, home is synonymous with family, and hers has always championed her ambitions. Her aesthetic is deeply rooted in the formative experiences of learning to sew with her grandmother and wandering the mall with her mother for hours. “Honestly, it was kind of this battle that I would have with my mom because she always wanted me to be very ladylike and flamboyant with my outfits,” she says. “My collections have this tension of childhood and memories and being super-feminine but at the same time kind of goofy.”

Portrait of Lorena Pipenco. Courtesy of Pipenco.

Beneath the humor, however, is a remarkably focused career. Pipenco was the youngest person to graduate from Parsons with a master’s degree in Fashion, at 21, before going on to work with Melitta Baumeister and simultaneously building her own brand. Despite an underwhelming first impression of New York City during a school trip at 15, she now happily calls the city home. “It was interesting to see how accepting people are of new talent here,” she says, crediting New York with the creative network she has established. That support was on full display in February 2024, when more than 500 people lined up around the block for Pipenco’s first quasi-runway presentation at the now-shuttered Ansā Coffee Concept Store near Union Square. “I didn’t know anyone wanted to see this shit,” she recalls with a laugh.
Clearly, they did—and they still do. Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu are devoted fans of the label, while stylists and editors have pulled its pieces for magazine covers featuring Busta Rhymes, Karol G, Shaboozey, and Doja Cat. No matter how far the brand evolves—Pipenco hinted at a forest-core inspiration for Spring/Summer 2027—her Romanian heritage remains its foundation. “I would love to be seen as a Romanian luxury brand that respects the culture and obviously the women,” she says. “It’s almost like I’d be rewriting the narrative for people who hold onto a stereotype of what my culture is so they could see it in a different light.”

MODELS:&nbsp;Naina Agorot MARILYN NEW YORK and Lola Bebe THE INDUSTRY MODEL MANAGEMENT
HAIR:&nbsp;Ginger Leigh Ryan using ROZ HAIR
MAKEUP:&nbsp;Sophie Hartnett using MAC COSMETICS
MANICURE:&nbsp;Mamie Onishi SEE MANAGEMENT using CHANEL BEAUTY
PRODUCED BY:&nbsp;Emily Adar
PHOTO ASSISTANTS: Juan Cuartas Rueda and Evan Odiorn

How Pipenco is Bringing Romanian Fashion to a New Generation

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