After his blockbuster runway debut last September, all eyes were on Peter Do. And the 2020 LVMH Prize co-winner did not disappoint with his sophomore appearance at New York Fashion Week. Witnessing his Fall 2022 show at the Korean culture hub Genesis House was like stepping into one of James Turrell’s Ganzfeld installations, which is to say like entering a new dimension.
As the lighting at the venue bathed the space in pleasing shades of buttercup, peach, lavender, sky blue, and sea foam green, models walked with the languid stride of ’70s greats. The inspired choreography was courtesy of Sigrid Lauren, who also provided the movement direction for a certain viral Mugler video.
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Do called the show “Foundation” and used the show notes to explain his vision of growth. He spent four years laying the groundwork for his brand with quiet, out-of-season appointments with press and buyers, followed by last fall’s big moment in the spotlight with a collection titled “Home.” If it wasn’t already clear, he’s playing the long game. Last season, “we claimed our ‘Home’ in New York,” he wrote. “Now, it’s time to break ground. ‘Foundation’ lays down the groundwork for the house we intend to build. Focusing on innovation rather than novelty, the collection cements the Peter Do essentials with revisited signature silhouettes from our inaugural collections, updated and refined with the knowledge we’ve learned over the past four years.”
The fall lineup indeed featured many examples of Do’s signature silhouettes: three- and four-piece suits featuring waistcoats or skirts over pants in a mostly neutral color palette. He took the clean-cut American sportswear look into after-hours territory with a series of three-piecers that combined wide-leg trousers, long waistcoats tied to reveal a slice of navel, and a coat worn shrugged off the shoulders. Denim is also a new addition to the Peter Do world, coming in two-tone washes and relaxed cuts slashed at the thigh.
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While it’s customary for brands to have a runway show and then take appointments with buyers, when I spoke to Do about a month and half before the show, he was already finished with the collection and preparing to sell it early. “We’re very far ahead and we’re super organized,” he told me. “We don’t have to have a crazy moment the night before a show. We did that last season and we did not like being so rushed and stressed.” The results on display yesterday were proof positive that slow and steady wins the race. “The great thing about having your own business is you can do what works best for you,” he said.
This article originally appeared in Harper’s BAZAAR US