Peter Pilotto Autumn/ Winter 2012

Voilá- another great label from the LFW -Peter Pilotto. I was already enchanted by their beautiful, colourful Spring Summer 2012 collection and their latest Autumn Winter 2012 show has impressed me likewise. So who is behind this label? Peter Pilotto from Austria ( who is actually also half Italian) and Christopher De Vos ( who is half Belgium, half Peruvian and- hey was I surprised to find out- used to be my colleague at Vivienne Westwood). Their fashion is characterized by gorgeous prints combined with sculptural shapes. This makes total sense knowing that Christopher De Vos initially wanted to become an architect and Peter Pilotto is the one being more focused on the prints and colour experiments. I wonder if they did already sense when they meet back in 2000 that 7 years later they would design their first women´s collection together and then win the award for The Best Emerging Talent at the British Fashion Awards in 2009 and scoop the Fashion Forward Award by the British Fashion Council in 2011.

For their current collection they were inspired by Asian subcultures “We were so impressed by the women we met in China when we visited Shanghai and Hong Kong last year, they definitely inspired us.” says the designer team. Another big inspiration that runs like a golden threat throughout their fashion is nature. As quoted on their website: “The duo are particularly fascinated with a scientific view of nature, as reflected in the microscopic, encrusted, hyper-real prints of the collections”

Another interesting fact that I have just read is that De Vos and Pilotto teamed up with the traditional Austrian outerwear label Schneiders, designing a collection for them where they will reinterpret loden coats and jackets. And this is a two-way cooperation since Schneiders manufacture the coats and jackets for Peter Pilotto´s LFW collections. Tradition meets multicultural mix, new prints and colours. We are waiting eagerly…

All images © Peter Pilotto
www.peterpilotto.com