Peter Do Cements His Status as the Minimalist Designer of the Moment
The New York-based fashion label Peter Do was founded just four years ago, but since then, the brand has established itself as the answer to this generation’s need for a new, minimalist Margiela. Much like Martin Margiela, Do obscures his face much of the time—and follows in the footsteps of the iconic designer when it comes to his new wave of house codes. Those references could be witnessed in the spring 2023 collection, through the mirrored tiles on suiting, white painted boots, raw basting stitches on oversized tailored pieces, and other finely executed construction techniques.
The spring 2023 show opened with Peter Do’s menswear debut modeled by K-pop musician JENO of NCT, marking the first time a K-pop star ever opened a New York Fashion Week show. Beyond that, Do engaged in a formal partnership with Korea’s largest entertainment company, SM Entertainment.
But traditional menswear this was not: from the front, the opening look of the collection solidified Peter Do as the next-generation minimalist icon of New York; from the sides, and the backs, a whole new world of flourish. Pants split at the sides to reveal flashes of skin; the back of the blazer and white button-down revealed a cut-out and a gentle doll-like ruffle. These surprising details were not uncommon for the menswear pieces in the collection—a white wrap top with XL cuffs and a midriff-skimming deep V-neck here, white jeans that transform to a cascade of transparent chiffon at the upper thigh there; flutters of flowing silk fabric hanging off the backs of white button-downs.
An undeniable play on gender—completely breaking down all borders and barriers of the very concept—was definitely at play. The womenswear looks came oversized; behemoth trench coats and power suits as well as swishy belted trousers and ginormous coats that billowed behind the models as they walked. The few prints that existed were created from digitally manipulated photos of snapshots that felt important to Do. Embellishment was sparse, save for the coats and boleros covered in hand-sewn Swarovski crystals.
“Now I’m excited to say that Peter Do is for everyone, because we don’t just dress women or men, we dress people,” the show notes read. “In pursuit of completing the Peter Do universe, people have always told us, ‘It’s about time that you launched men’s!,’ although men have been wearing Peter Do for some time now.”
We’re currently living in an era where maximalism dominates and minimal fashion can often fall through the cracks if it doesn’t have a strong enough point of view. A directional aesthetic is clearly not something Do lacks, which is why the label has become one of the most talked-about houses of New York Fashion Week. Still, such a presence means all eyes are on everything. It’s clear Do’s work is designed in a way that would have major appeal to a varied range of sizes with its powerful silhouettes and inventive styling—and casting a more diverse range of models would make the collection even stronger.
