If Peter Som had his way, none of his clients would have to work. For his fall collection, the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist used the notion of Anjelica Huston picnicking at Hanging Rock, and while it produced sweet dresses and coats, there weren't many office-appropriate looks—not unless you can pull off a sheer black lace Victoriana top with your tweed skirt. Instead, he sent out a boyish tuxedo suit with cropped pants, party frocks in point d'esprit (the after-dark material of the moment), and gowns in what he described as Vermeer-hued velvets: puce, chartreuse, and peacock.
In a season of expansive volumes, Som's full skirts, including one or two prairie styles, flirted around the knees. And like many of his peers, he proposed Bermuda shorts for both day and evening. A regular on the New York party circuit, Som whipped together evening coats in crochet, silk faille, and radzimir, along with fur toppers—including the requisite cape elongated below the knee and, for the ultimate lark, a fox muff—that his socialite pals will love.
