Peter Som

NEW YORK, February 7, 2007
By Laird Borrelli
Peter Som transitioned from Spring's eighteenth-century romp to a Fall collection that had echoes of the nineteenth in the peak shoulder of a Chantilly jacquard coat, the ruff on a blouse, the whisper of a train. This gregarious designer's fan base relies on him for a pretty dress, something to wear to an event like the annual Neue Galerie soirée. His crowd is bound to find a suitable pick among the (rather too wide-ranging) evening options, from a blush-colored dinner dress to a layered black cocktail number with a touch of the siren.

But it was the day looks that were strongest here. The lineup felt less saccharine than past outings. It also pointed downtown, not just up—a good direction for Som to be traveling in. So if one of his front-row favorites like Tinsley Mortimer or Zani Gugelmann wants to vary her routine and try lunch at Café Cluny instead of BG, let her go to Som for clothes that will work in any ZIP code: superslim pants, an oversize short-sleeved sweater, a washed (i.e., not too tough) leather jacket, and a dark faille trench with a lot of flair.