It was unclear who would follow Phoebe Philo’s act when the British designer left Céline four years ago. Luckily, designers of a similar vein, such as former Philo trainees like Peter Do, are filling the gap. Do and a group of friends launched his namesake brand almost a year and a half ago via social media and have since amassed a solid following.
Dubbed by WWD as “one of the most promising young designers to emerge out of New York,” Do created his Fall 2020 collection based on horror movie heroines, “She’s the one who survives the journey and comes out stronger at the end.” His muse followed the thrilling narrative in this collection resembling Luca Gadagnino’s 2018 Suspiria, the psychological thriller set in the late 70s that follows young dancer Susie Bannion, played by actress Dakota Johnson, as she joins Berlin’s prestigious Markos Dance Academy.
Considering the complexity in Susie’s character, Do offered her some emotional stability in layered compositions made up of deep pleated skirts often draped over lengthy trousers, which came in soft fabrics and glossy leathers. To offset his lightweight garments Do included a shearling coat, an oversized convertible trench, and cozy fur handbags in his collection. The designer completed the ‘final girl’ look with aptly subversive square steel-toed boots. It would seem that the contrasting shapes in the collection mirror Susie’s character arc as she turns from a bright-eyed aspiring dancer to a fearsome coven member unleashing her shadow self, the unknown side of her personality.
According to Carl Jung’s archetypes model, our unconscious minds are fragmented into different selves, the “persona” and the “shadow-self.” The persona is the face we present to the world while the shadow is the face we hide from the world, the one we are afraid to embrace. One can’t live without the other, both our persona and our shadow make us strong, whole individuals and keep us grounded.
Do’s Fall 2020 falls in the cross-section of the beautiful persona and the sullen shadow self. There is no descent into complete darkness thanks to bright and neutral hues, textures, and translucent fabrics, despite the menacing architectural silhouettes conveying rigidity and structure. For instance, Do’s color palette was overall muted except for the deep reds, shades of pink, and metallic boots. The delicate contrast of the gamut wasn’t hard to cope with; in fact, the protective psychological properties of black, green and pink pieces balanced the harsh, angled lines seen throughout. Do was gentle with her heroine – loud prints or complicated designs would’ve thrown her off otherwise.
What did most of the talking was the intricate construction of Do’s ribbed knits. The 'Seatbelt' top came in a long dress form this season. Honoring its name, its close fit acts as second-skin and the stretched-out sleeves provide extra inches of coverage. The panel across the chest turns this simple garment into a conversation-starting piece and its elongated hemlines leads to a dramatic twist.
The female empowerment narrative in thriller films is usually embedded into the final girl trope of overcoming evil and defeating death. But in Suspiria, Susie’s realization of her innate power sets her apart as she sources strength from within as her shadow archetype develops. Do mirrors this sentiment in his collection embedding his identity in his pieces, now his trademark. The stripe that runs down the left sleeve of the weighty turtleneck sweaters and shrugs is based upon his own single-line tattoo. Moreover, if we consider objects as extensions of the self, then incidentally, by adding his signature touch, he portrays the role of protector. His final girl is far from just an artistic conduit, Do feels for her and stands strongly beside her.