5 Things About Peter Do, Helmut’s Lang New Creative Director. Now that he’s taking charge of one of fashion’s most influential brands, get to know more about Peter Do.
The world is entering a new age of fashion as household names are watching old visionaries leave, leaving new talents to enter. Alessandro Michele announced his departure from Gucci, Jeremy Scott left Moschino, Pharell is now leading Louis Vuitton, and most recently Helmut Lang announced that Peter Do will be the new creative director of the brand. In a statement, the brand announced that Do will take over creative responsibilities for women’s and men’s collections, starting in Spring/Summer 2024. Debut at New York Fashion Week in September, as the designer continues to be based in the city as he takes on his new role.
Image courtesy of Peter Do.
There is no questioning the impact that Lang has on a generation of fashion enthusiasts, leaving Do with big shoes to fill. Yet after the announcement, fans of both designers have generally given a positive response to the news, gathering excitement and anticipation for the debut collection. After all, Do has become one of the most favoured designers in a new generation for his fresh and edgy yet elegant take on pieces stylish enough for the occasion yet relatable enough to wear on a day-to-day basis.
1. The Five Founders of the Peter Do Brand
The designer started his namesake brand in 2018, and although the brand takes after his name, it’s to note that the Peter Do brand was founded along with 4 of his friends. Do teamed up with his friends-turned-co-founders, Jessica Wu, An Nguyen, Lydia Sukato and Vincent Ho to build and develop the brand with each of them being a key pillar to the brand’s sustenance.
2. A Recipient of the LVMH Graduate Prize in 2014
Prior to starting his brand, Do was studying fashion design at the renowned Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. After growing up in Philadelphia, the designer tells Matches Fashion in an interview that the move to New York has widened his horizons in regard to the fashion industry. But the designer shies away from the glamour side of the industry and instead focuses his attention on sharpening his craft and artistry, which led to him winning the coveted LVMH Graduate Prize for his collection in 2014. Asides from this, Do has also won the FIT Critic Award in 2014 and 2013 for his collections, and is also an awardee of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Scholarship Program.
Image courtesy of Peter Do.
3. Trained by Phoebe Philo and Derek Lam
Shortly after winning his LVMH Graduate Prize, Do went on to work for Phoebe Philo during her time in Celine. “Céline was my fashion bootcamp. I learned so much about the atelier and how you develop a collection. I played a very small part in the Phoebe Philo era, but she is a designer that truly follows her instincts,” says Do about his time there. After his time in Celine, Do moved back to New York to work as a senior designer for Derek Lam. Even before he was working for these two visionaries, Lam has also interned at Calvin Klein and Chris Gelinas. With first-hand experience working with such refined household names in the industry, it’s no shocker that Do has that sense of sharpness and class when it comes to his own creations.
Image courtesy of Peter Do.
4. Never Forgetting His Roots
Before moving to Philadelphia, Do was born and raised in Vietnam. With a fondness for his upbringing and culture, Do doesn’t forget to implement this personal sensibility into his design as you can see nods to Ao Dai in his pieces. In fact, for his SS22 collection, Do compares his clothes-making process to one of making pho, “A good Pho is reduced and edited, to an essence.” He shares that in his younger days making Pho with his father was a key method of bonding for the two, and the trial and error process of creating a recipe that works is a principle that he has taken into account in his design process as well. “Making this collection with the team, I felt like we were simmering this crazy big pot of soup! There was so much prepping, cleaning and boiling down to be able to say the right thing — to serve the right broth.”
Image courtesy of Peter Do.
5. Keeping Himself Lowkey
One thing about Do is that he prefers to stay discreet so that his creations first come to mind when one mentions his name. Even when one goes through the designer’s personal Instagram page, one would see that most of his posts are those that give an inside look at his creative process. At the rare glimpse of the designer’s personal life, he would also have his face covered up by various means, giving himself that sense of anonymity. This decision to remain anonymous was initially done out of courtesy to his fellow co-founders so that audiences wouldn’t associate the brand with just a singular entity. However, the designer has over time begun to be more open to the press and public by talking and showing about his process, his stories and his message, in order to make sure that all the stories he’s telling are delivered properly.
As years pass from his beginning, Do continues to be a young designer that’s been on the tip of everyone’s tongues. His crisp and sleek designs continue to evolve into a more innovative perspective of what the Peter Do brand is. With such a clear indication of his individuality, it will be interesting to see how Do reinterpret Lang’s DNA for the future. (Text Vanya Harapan)