SPECIAL interview with designer

Peter Som

It’s a tribute to his Chinese heritage that in each of Peter Som’s collections there is always a touch of red. “In China red is the symbol of fortune and good luck,” he explains. Sometimes there are simply subtle hints of the colour used as accent. Most of the time there’s a bolder statement at the closing of a show: because red is the traditional colour of brides in China, Som usually ends with a red dress.  Read more about Peter Som and see his work  View Peter Som's photos from the show It’s a tribute to his Chinese heritage that in each of Peter Som’s collections there is always a touch of red. “In China red is the symbol of fortune and good luck,” he explains. Sometimes there are simply subtle hints of the colour used as accent. Most of the time there’s a bolder statement at the closing of a show: because red is the traditional colour of brides in China, Som usually ends with a red dress. Perhaps there really is something to the belief that colour brings luck, for this New York-based designer has had plenty of it so far. At 31, Som has become known as a designer to watch. From his first collection in 1999, his clean and streamlined sportswear pieces have gotten the attention of magazines such as Vogue, Elle, Glamour and WWD, to name a few. His designs have been seen on the TV show Sex and The City. And this year the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) nominated him for the Perry Ellis award for emerging talent. The San Francisco native has wanted to be a designer since grade five, when he first began to sketch women’s fashion. So it was only natural that after attending Connecticut College for art and art history, he went on to the Parsons School of Design in New York. While there, he had the good fortune to intern at Calvin Klein and Michael Kors. More good fortune came when Som landed his first job as a design assistant at Bill Blass. “I was so honoured to be a part of that world,” recalls Som, who considers Blass “the consummate taste maker,” adding, “He does everything with elegance.” Som spent a year-and-a-half at Blass, then, following a brief stint working at Emanuel Ungaro, decided it was time to branch out on his own. With his first collection he was fortunate enough to get space at The Coterie, New York’s most exclusive trade show. The orders came in and by Spring 2000 Som was showing with the major designers at “Seventh on 6th.” Som characterizes his style as “Sexy and feminine but still clean and streamlined,” adding, “These are clothes to wear in real life.” He believes that fashion should be fun, and enjoys the challenge of creating clothes that retain an edge of femininity and sexiness, yet still allow women to be taken seriously. He worked on his Fall 2002 collection during the aftermath of 9/11. “I wanted to design an empowering collection,” says Som, who created a tightly edited colour group of navy and black with touches of khaki, gold and, of course, red. It’s a collection that emphasizes silhouette and texture; its pieces convey strength and protection as well as a contrasting softness and femininity. For example, a heavy weight wool coat is strong and uniform-like, but D-rings of gros grain ribbon add a feminine touch. Evening dresses with floaty chiffon skirts feature large belts of ebony and stainless steel. Som has proven he has a way with fur. For Fall 2002 he created dramatic and glamorous fox wraps that cross over the body, shawl-like, and fasten with long gros grain ribbons. He also worked with what he calls a “rustic” looking shearling to produce pieces with a deconstructed feel: a cape with armholes and a coat with leather appliqués. For the Beijing Fur Show 2002 in October, which he sees as an opportunity to display his talent and innovative ideas when it comes to fur, he created what he calls “mink lace”: white sheared mink strips applied onto organza in a lace-like pattern. This he fashioned into a high-collared capelet as well as a vest with silver fox collar. In another example of Som’s innovation, sheared mink is appliquéd with an all over deco-inspired fish scale design in fox – offered in both an ankle-length coat and short “chubby” jacket. And Som plays with a mix of fabric and fur in two pieces: a navy satin wrap coat features strips of natural red fox on the sleeves and hem; a short kimono sleeve jacket in camel cashmere is a standout with portrait style collar, sleeves and hem in fox. Som sees China as a burgeoning market for fashion. “It’s great to see China taking such an interest in fashion,” he notes. “It’s definitely a market to watch out for.” The same can be said of Peter Som. Definitely a designer to watch out for.