Two of the most hot-button issues surrounding fashion right now involve sustainability and the void left by Phoebe Philo-era Celine. Emerging designer Peter Do feels the weight of those issues, both as a creator trying to leave less waste in the world by utilizing leftover fabric whenever possible, and as a young designer who cut his teeth at #oldceline. It wouldn’t be a huge stretch to throw his name into the pool of brands poised to satisfy Philo’s fans, even if he’s trying to carve a name for himself first (and rightfully so).
Do launched his eponymous label in the summer with sales appointments in Paris, and left with major confirmed stockists including Dover Street Market and Net-a-porter, which launched last week and has already sold out of certain units. It’s easy to see why. He maintains an aesthetic blend of sophisticated subversion, wearability and effortless cool factor.
At a preview in his Brooklyn studio, he admitted his first collection was a bit gentle in order to test market response. For fall, his second, he balanced a refined hand with a bold shot of fuchsia and junkyard pictorials in a collection inspired by car interiors that held underlying nostalgic emotion. (The designer didn’t ride in a car until he moved to the states in his teenage years, and associates them with a transitional period in his life).
Peter Do RTW Fall 2019
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Aside from images of junkyards and vehicles superimposed on edgy skintight separates or his signature “spacer” fabric (an insulate, thick sheer), he interpreted the theme with subtlety through a modernist, at times conceptual, lens. Ideas of safety and protection translated into beautifully cut boxy and stiff coats accented by fur belts made from scraps, cocooning jackets with seams mirroring those of car seats, and lots of “seat belt” straps on knitwear and outerwear that drew the body closer to the garments. It allowed for a lot of styling options without being too gimmicky.
Convertibility, in fact, has emerged as a hallmark punctuating his clothes. Clear highlights were the cutout blazers that detached to become a vest and bolero. The latter was a surprisingly sleek layering piece that leaned more fashion than function. One of the designer’s goals is to highlight the playful, less serious, side of tailoring, which included a crushed pink blazer or one that buttoned with a twisted fold. An overall mannish ease underscored a relaxed attitude with broad appeal, making Peter Do a standout newcomer to keep an eye on.