Peter Som isn't licking his wounds just yet. Following the recent separation between him and his investor Creative Design Studios, the subsidiary of Lord & Taylor LLC, the fashion industry darling forewent a runway show. Instead, he whipped up 25 pieces (30 counting fur) in less than three weeks that I had the pleasure to preview Tuesday afternoon. "It's about being happy, optimistic, and graphic," said Som, in relatively good spirits. "It's all about investment dressing now, so every piece has to be special."That translated into a chic and utterly feminine collection — characteristics that have drawn women to Som since his brand's inception — inspired by cherry blossoms, video games (think Space Invaders), and the work of legendary silent-screen actress Anna May Wong. Pops of eye-catching color abound in the rich collection full of texture, where "safety green" and "safety yellow" in the form of dresses, tops, and skirts blended in harmoniously with a Ming vase print, dipped-dye Ottoman fabric, and tiger-print fur. Silhouettes were kept safe for obvious reasons, but for a tougher edge, Som included a leather motorcycle jacket, but trimmed with peplum detail. With lingo like "fluorescent chiffon trim" and "atomic flower skirt," it's easy to forget that you're dealing with stylish, everyday clothes for the modern woman. But a "techno flower trench coat with portrait color" was expressly sleek.
Good news for recessionistas: Som has lowered his prices by about 20 percent to stay competitive.
Jim Shi was born in Brussels, Belgium, and grew up in Paris before moving to New York City. For the past four-and-a-half years, Shi was fashion news editor of IMG's fashion and media industry publication The Daily, and editor of its sister Website, Fashion Week Daily. He has covered Fashion Weeks in New York, Milan, and Paris.
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