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Issue Date: March 31, 2002
Peter Som: The hottest designer you've never heard of
By Catherine McGrady
With their clean lines and effortless look, these fashions from Som's fall 2001 and spring 2002 collections showcase the influence of modern art and architecture on his work.
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Before Peter Som launched his first collection of women's wear in fall 1999, he honed his craft in the design rooms of Bill Blass, Michael Kors and Calvin Klein. Now the 31-year-old is making a name for himself as a designer to watch among the young and modern. Som (rhymes with "mom") wants the clothes he designs to be simple, wearable and sexy. His designs have been seen on one of television's hottest shows -- HBO's Sex and the City -- and are on the racks of hip boutiques and department stores from New York to Tokyo. We caught up with Som on the eve of New York's Fashion Week last month to talk about what fashion means now:
What influences your work?
My parents are both architects, so definitely there is an architectural influence. Classic film noir movies inspire me a lot -- of course, the challenge is to keep the clothes modern. Modern art inspires me, like Cy Twombly, Agnes Martin and a lot of those color-field painters who did abstract works. And there always seems to be a running thread throughout my collection. I'm Chinese -- I was born here -- so there's a subtle Asian influence. Not necessarily dragons printed on things -- more like obi belts and sleeves, the more architectural side of Asian or Japanese clothing.
Do you think your designs have relevance to middle America?
Definitely. I'm designing for real women. I put on a show, but my clothes can walk right off the runway and into the street. My clothes have never been crazy and over the top.
What do you think is the most mistaken notion people have about couture?
That it can't really be worn in real life. When someone puts on a show, they do certain outfits that are just for the runway -- for the press, basically -- and usually those are the more outlandish, attention-getting clothes. Whereas the "real clothes" that really sell to stores across the country are back in the showroom. They aren't as interesting or press-worthy.
What are the biggest fashion trends today?
One of the big fashion trends I've recognized is that there are no fashion trends. It seems like now, more than ever, designers are really doing their own thing, and they are being acknowledged for that.
Which designers do you particularly like?
I love Geoffrey Beene. I really like what Nicolas Ghesquiere is doing for Balenciaga.
Whose designs do you wear?
I don't do menswear, so I wear Prada and Helmut Lang. But on a day-to-day basis, I'm pretty much a jeans-and-T-shirt kind of person.
Any personal fashion quirks?
When I started doing my own line, I began to dress more and more simply, almost like a uniform, because I am living out all my fashion ideas in my collection. I pretty much wear a black V-neck T-shirt and Diesel jeans and sneakers.
Who do you think wears and understands clothes really well?
Cate Blanchett has an amazing sense of style and elegance about her, and it's sort of otherworldly. She can get away with sometimes wearing more outlandish clothing, but they never wear her; she always looks like she owns the clothes. Oprah Winfrey is always elegantly dressed and simply and beautifully presented. The clothes are not overpowering her; it's really her personality and her charisma that come through. And that should be the way it is for everybody, really.
Which celebs need a fashion makeover?
I think Britney Spears and Mariah Carey are showing so much, and they would still look just as sexy and beautiful in a more elegant, less revealing kind of look.
What do you think about movie and music award shows where the coverage is dominated by who wore what?
Music and fashion are always on the cutting edge of what's new and influential. It seems natural that people are looking to musicians and celebrities to see what they are wearing, because they are always doing something new and different.
What do you think of Joan Rivers?
Those shows are always a guilty pleasure. You don't tell anyone you're watching it. It's always funny, but you just can't take it too seriously. It's sort of a frivolity.
Photos by Dan Lecca
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