Roving Reporter: Peter Som

It’s fair to say that Peter Som has been going through a bad spell over the past few months. If falling out with the bosses at Bill Blass wasn’t enough, he also recently parted ways with his long term investor, Creative Design Studios. Okay, so maybe ‘bad spell’ is a bit of an understatement but Som put his woes aide this week, presenting a strong self-financed presentation and created a good start to New York Fashion Week.

Sitting front row of the shows last season you were more likely to hear about the world’s economy and a moan and groan or two about increasing energy bills, than the clothes on the catwalk or the gossip from last night’s event. Never have politics and the economic downturn been more apparent in fashion than right now. The buzz words on the mouths of all the top buyers are ‘investment pieces’. In lay man terms that means that it is not only us fashionstas that are feeling the pinch and a pull on the ol’ purse strings (if that makes you feel any better).

Even the wealthy are becoming extremely conscious to buy special unique pieces rather than simply being a slave to the trends. Already before the schedule has really kicked in, Som is presenting beautiful investment pieces making his stamp as a designer that is not disappearing any time soon. His experimentation with textiles and geometry on the dresses combined with bold prints and a bright colour palette showed a sign of optimism against the bleak backdrop of the economic downturn. It was definitely a refreshing break from fall’s usual colour palette of black, purple and dark green.

The collection interesting displayed what Largerfield refers to as ‘new luxury’. The presentation showcased beautiful fur teamed with stiff tweed skirts in rich tones presenting a refined luxury compared to what we’ve seen in previous seasons and a more grown up look than what we are used to from Som.

   

Luckily the collection didn’t completely lack the femininity that Som is known for. Stiff tweeds were juxtaposed with flirty feminine pussy blouses. The collection was true reflection of Som’s childhood growing up in San Francisco, known for its easy, relaxed sophistication.

At times, the bold colour clashes and prints were too much and the collection did not seem to develop the designer’s style or see him evolve his aesthetically but it definitely compounded on his roots of elegancy and femininity that’s had the fashion world hooked since his stellar debut in the tents in spring 2001.