If Peter Do’s collection for Helmut Lang in New York was all about protection, his presentation in Paris for his own label projected a different vibe: poetic. Outfits were displayed in a showroom against a backdrop of gentle piano music, while iPads on the walls showed models walking in the looks.
“I wanted to dedicate a collection to my late grandma, who passed away a year and a half ago from COVID-19,” Do explained.
The designer returned to his native Vietnam last year while editing A Magazine Curated By and visited her grave. “I was just thinking a lot about what she taught me growing up about consistency, hard work and strength.”
Central to the collection were matching dresses over pants, some in striking black or ivory velvet devoré in rough brushstroke patterns. They were inspired by Vietnam’s national garment, the áo dài, which usually consists of a long split tunic worn over silk trousers.
This fluid quality extended to the rest of the collection, which featured his signature multilayered looks, ranging from barely buttoned shirts worn with knotted skirts over pants and tie-front jackets or coats, to convertible slipdresses with flowing sheer skirts that could be worn multiple ways.
Oversize suit jackets came with split sleeves lined with buttons, in traditional materials like black tuxedo satin or more surprising variations, like a fully knitted gray fabric. For evening, Do offered retro-flavored black gowns or floor-length jacquard knit dresses in concrete-like brushstroke motifs.
“I paint when I’m stressed,” he explained. “These are actually done digitally on the way to work sometimes on my iPad.”
If juggling two labels, in addition to side projects like his recent collaboration with Banana Republic, has left Do feeling a little frazzled, it didn’t show.
Though he expressed mixed feelings about going back to his homeland for only the second time since emigrating to the U.S. in 2004, connecting with his ancestor appeared to have a grounding effect.
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