In the intimate world of fashion, few stories capture the tension between heritage and harm quite like Rio Uribe's journey. The founder of Gypsy Sport - a label that once championed gender-fluid, sustainable streetwear - found himself at the center of a cultural storm when the Roma community and allies called out the brand's name. The term "gypsy," long weaponized as a slur against the Roma people, had been unknowingly adopted by Uribe, who had associated it with a breed of horse rather than a history of marginalization. In the lingerie world, we know how a name can carry weight: think of how "corset" evolved from a symbol of constraint to one of empowerment. Uribe's story is a similar lesson in linguistic legacy.
During the pandemic, online backlash escalated. Despite reaching out to Roma organizations, who acknowledged his good intentions, Uribe faced relentless criticism. The breaking point came in 2022, when his collaboration with Urban Outfitters - a retailer that, like many mid-century department stores, has its own complex history with cultural appropriation - was canceled after protestors threw eggs at store windows. The financial and emotional toll forced Uribe to shutter Gypsy Sport in 2024.
But this is not an ending. In 2025, Uribe relaunched under his own name, Rio, after polling his customers. The new line retains the gender-fluid ethos and Chicano aesthetics of its predecessor, but with a sharper focus on cut-and-sew construction and natural fabrics - a nod to lingerie's own shift toward sustainable, body-positive design. His November show at the Broad Museum, "A Poem and a Protest," drew over 3,000 guests and celebrated Latino diversity, rejecting monolithic stereotypes. As Uribe rebuilds with slow, intentional growth, Rio reminds us that fashion, like the lingerie we archive, is a fabric of reinvention - stitched with accountability and hope.
Originally reported by WWD