Peter Som will probably never have an avant-garde moment, and that’s a very good thing. His vision of cheerful, pretty sportswear has been picking up both momentum and fans over the last few seasons, and this latest collection will surely add a few more members to the club.
For Spring, Som connected fall’s mod mood to the light-and-lacy trend that’s been dominating the runways. Inspired by the wide-eyed optimism (not to mention the daring fashion movements) of the early sixties, he shortened hemlines, cropped sleeves, and raised waistlines, with happy results. Som combined airy, pale blues and pinks with white, gray, and green, and mixed up textures—chiffon, lace, satin, washed cotton, and a glittery blue-and-silver cloqué—to keep things interesting. Trailing satin ribbons and squashed silk flowers upped the femininity quotient even further.
The past may have provided the inspiration, but Som’s mind is very much on the present; his trim canvas jackets, slim cropped trousers, and skin-baring minis are clearly aimed at the toned twenty-first-century girl. Fortunately, this designer knows where to draw the line: The sweetly sexy guipure lace babydoll that closed the show balanced then and now in one seriously charming package.
