Tory Burch’s new campaign features K-pop star Song Yuqi as it reimagines one of its most recognizable shoes with rebellious femininity.
There was a time when ballet flats represented polished minimalism. They were the shoe of Parisian chic, office wardrobes, and effortless elegance. This season, however, the classic silhouette has acquired an unexpected attitude.
Across fashion, designers are embracing a softer interpretation of punk, replacing heavy combat boots with delicate shoes adorned with buckles, hardware, and studs. The contrast between femininity and rebellion has become one of the defining aesthetics of 2026, and Tory Burch’s newest collection captures that tension in a single shoe.
The American designer has unveiled the Reva Punk, a contemporary reinterpretation of one of the brand’s most recognizable designs. Fronted by K-pop star and brand ambassador Song Yuqi, the Summer/Pre-Fall campaign presents a ballet flat that borrows from punk’s visual vocabulary while remaining unmistakably elegant.
Rather than abandoning the Reva’s signature simplicity, the new design layers it with unexpected details. Metal grommets, mismatched buckles, and layered straps introduce a tougher character, while preserving the clean proportions that made the original shoe a modern classic. Another variation replaces the flat sole with a low block heel and a removable double-layered ribbon that wraps delicately around the ankle, softening the industrial hardware with a touch of romance.
Related story: Jo Ann Bitagcol is rewriting the rules of heritage dressing
Related story: Tory Burch’s resort collection is an invitation to dress without rules
The collection debuted in Shanghai through an event that felt more like an underground music gathering than a traditional fashion launch. Held inside Reactor, a live music venue tucked within the city’s creative C.park district, the evening blurred the lines between concert and fashion presentation.
Song Yuqi headlined the performances alongside Taiwanese singer-songwriter 9m88 and Hong Kong musician Moon Tang, transforming the venue into a celebration of music, youth culture, and self-expression. Guests moved through immersive installations inspired by the shoe’s defining design element: the circular Reva medallion. Oversized silver versions of the emblem appeared throughout the venue, from sculptural photo backdrops to the DJ booth and even interactive arcade-inspired installations, reinforcing the collection’s polished-meets-punk identity.
The choice of Yuqi as the face of the campaign also reflects fashion’s continued embrace of K-pop’s global influence. As one of the industry’s most recognizable ambassadors, she embodies the effortless mix of sweetness, confidence, and individuality that today’s luxury brands increasingly seek—qualities that mirror the Reva Punk’s own balance between refinement and rebellion.
More broadly, the collection speaks to a larger fashion movement. After years dominated by quiet luxury and understated dressing, designers are once again embracing personality—not through excess, but through contrast. Ballet flats remain feminine, yet now arrive with hardware instead of bows, buckles instead of pearls, and confidence instead of convention.
In the Philippines, Tory Burch is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc., and is located at Greenbelt 5, NUSTAR Cebu, Power Plant Mall, Rustan’s Cebu, Rustan’s Makati, and Rustan’s Shangri-La. Visit ssilife.com.ph or follow @ssilifeph on Instagram for more information.
Related story: Tory Burch Fall 2026: A modern take on heritage
Related story: Dior F/W 2026-2027 couture collection focuses on draping, pleats, and artist Lynda Benglis
