Peter Pilotto and design partner Christopher De Vos have risen against the odds - their label has gone from strength to strength, without batting an eyelash at the current recession, which has held back many other designers. What is the story behind their success? Peter and Christopher met while they were both attending Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 2000. Peter is half-Austrian, half-Italian while Christopher is half-Belgian, half-Peruvian.
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| Peter Pilotto Spring/Summer 2009 |
Peter and Christopher’s label, named after Peter, became known for its prints, as well as its elegant, feminine silhouettes. The pair claim that Peter works on textile and print, while Christopher works on the silhouette and drape of each garment. The duo’s inspiration comes from a myriad of sources, including Sergei Diaghilev's itinerant ballet company in the Twenties, the illustrations of Léon Bakst, Byzantine churches and the warriors of Ancient Rome.
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| Peter Pilotto Autumn/Winter 2010 |
Their clothes - often colourful, with bright, gradient patterns are truly exceptional, and for the Fall/Winter 2010 collection, we saw the two designers brand out into other aspects of design, such as leather trousers and jackets, because, Pilotto says he doesn’t want the label to become categorized as a cocktail dress label:
"We don't want to get categorized as cocktail-y print designers, so we're trying tailoring and more daywear."
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| Peter Pilotto Spring/Summer 2010 |
Next season, the label will release a limited shoe collection with Nicolas Kirkwood, who has designed shoes for Peter Pilotto for the last two seasons. There is something overtly special that makes the Peter Pilotto label so desirable. It might be the vibrant colours - the way they seem to covey the seasons through their palettes, or it might be simply because they know the figure of a woman, and how to show it off with much aplomb.
The label now has stores in 15 countries around the world, and will undoubtedly continue to thrive in these difficult times, to show us that no matter what the financial situation, true talent can triumph.
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| Autumn/Winter 2010 |
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