Peter Som
Encyclopedia
Peter Som is an American fashion designer. He describes his aesthetic as one of "effortless elegance and refined sexiness", and aspires to provide a fresh perspective to modern American fashion.
parents of Han Chinese
ancestry who encouraged in him the ideals of purity of form, function and composition. Now lives in New York City's Greenwich Village.
http://www.usaweekend.com/02_issues/020331/020331designer.html Peter still draws from these early architectural influences as he designs clothes for tasteful and elegant women.
Peter studied both Art History
and Studio Art
and chose to make his move to fashion by continuing his studies at Parsons School of Design. During the years he spent at Parsons, he also apprenticed with the American designers Michael Kors
and Calvin Klein
. After graduating, Peter honed his skills in the design room of Bill Blass
.
as a rising young talent in its first-ever Scholarship Competition. Isaac Mizrahi
awarded Peter the Parsons Gold Thimble for his work in the school's prestigious Designer Critic program while Lord & Taylor
reaffirmed his potential in its annual Dress Competition. In 2002, Peter was nominated for the CFDA Perry Ellis Award for Emerging Talent. In 2004, he was one of 10 semi finalists in the Vogue/CFDA fashion fund initiative. In 2005, he was nominated for a second time for the CFDA Swarovski Perry Ellis Award for Emerging Talent and in 2006 Peter Som was among the 3 finalists nominated for the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for Fashion Design.
tents. In 2003, Cathy Horyn
, resident fashion critic at the New York Times, identified Peter as "one of the best young designers working today." In response to Peter Som's Spring 2007 collection, Vogue's
Andre Leon Talley
writes "it became emphatically clear that he has moved to the head of his generational class. Magna cum laude, in fact." Peter's collections have been featured in major fashion publications, including Vogue
, W
, Elle
, Harper's Bazaar
and InStyle.
, Scarlett Johansson
, Claire Danes
, Camilla Belle
, Mandy Moore
and Ginnifer Goodwin.
Background
Peter was raised in San Francisco by architectArchitect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
parents of Han Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
ancestry who encouraged in him the ideals of purity of form, function and composition. Now lives in New York City's Greenwich Village.
http://www.usaweekend.com/02_issues/020331/020331designer.html Peter still draws from these early architectural influences as he designs clothes for tasteful and elegant women.
Education
While he attended Connecticut CollegeConnecticut College
Connecticut College is a private liberal arts college located in New London, Connecticut.The college was founded in 1911, as Connecticut College for Women, in response to Wesleyan University closing its doors to women...
Peter studied both Art History
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
and Studio Art
Studio art
Studio art is made of art and studio, and the term has several implications depending on the context used. The term encompasses all art forms, be they performing or visual.-Definition:...
and chose to make his move to fashion by continuing his studies at Parsons School of Design. During the years he spent at Parsons, he also apprenticed with the American designers Michael Kors
Michael Kors
Michael Kors is an American fashion designer. He is best known for designing classic American sportswear for women.-Personal life:...
and Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....
. After graduating, Peter honed his skills in the design room of Bill Blass
Bill Blass
William Ralph "Bill" Blass was an American fashion designer, born in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He is known for his tailoring and his innovative combinations of textures and patterns...
.
Awards and nominations
In 1997, he was recognized by the Council of Fashion Designers of AmericaCouncil of Fashion Designers of America
The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. is a not-for-profit trade association of over 350 of America’s foremost fashion and accessory designers. As of 2009, Diane von Fürstenberg is the group's President and Steven Kolb is the Executive Director...
as a rising young talent in its first-ever Scholarship Competition. Isaac Mizrahi
Isaac Mizrahi
Isaac Mizrahi is an American TV presenter, fashion designer, and was the creative director of Liz Claiborne. He is best known for his eponymous fashion lines.-Early life:...
awarded Peter the Parsons Gold Thimble for his work in the school's prestigious Designer Critic program while Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor, colloquially known as L&T, or LT, based in New York City, is the oldest upscale, specialty-retail department store chain in the United States. Concentrated in the eastern U.S., the retailer operated independently for nearly a century prior to joining American Dry Goods...
reaffirmed his potential in its annual Dress Competition. In 2002, Peter was nominated for the CFDA Perry Ellis Award for Emerging Talent. In 2004, he was one of 10 semi finalists in the Vogue/CFDA fashion fund initiative. In 2005, he was nominated for a second time for the CFDA Swarovski Perry Ellis Award for Emerging Talent and in 2006 Peter Som was among the 3 finalists nominated for the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for Fashion Design.
Career
Peter Som debuted his Spring 2001 collection at Seventh on Sixth in the Bryant ParkBryant Park
Bryant Park is a 9.603 acre privately managed public park located in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is located between Fifth and Sixth Avenues and between 40th and 42nd Streets in Midtown Manhattan...
tents. In 2003, Cathy Horyn
Cathy Horyn
Cathy Horyn is an American fashion journalist, working as the fashion critic for The New York Times where she also keeps a highly noted and provocative blog called...
, resident fashion critic at the New York Times, identified Peter as "one of the best young designers working today." In response to Peter Som's Spring 2007 collection, Vogue's
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
Andre Leon Talley
André Leon Talley
André Leon Talley is the former American editor-at-large for Vogue magazine, listed as Contributing Editor in the April 2010 masthead. Talley has been a front-row regular at fashion shows in New York, Paris, London and Milan for more than 25 years...
writes "it became emphatically clear that he has moved to the head of his generational class. Magna cum laude, in fact." Peter's collections have been featured in major fashion publications, including Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
, W
W (magazine)
W is a monthly American fashion magazine published by Condé Nast Publications, who purchased original owner Fairchild Publications in 1999. It was created in 1971 by the publisher of sister magazine Woman's Wear Daily, James Brady. The magazine is an oversize format – ten inches wide and...
, Elle
Elle (magazine)
Elle is a worldwide magazine of French origin that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the world's largest fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hélène Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means "she".-History:Elle was founded in...
, Harper's Bazaar
Harper's Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
and InStyle.
Bill Blass
Peter Som announced his return to the house of Bill Blass in July 2007 as creative director of the iconic American brand. In this role, he will oversee the company's entire women's collection, including all owned and licensed divisions.Clients
Peter's clientele includes a new generation of chic celebrities and starlets, such as Michelle ObamaMichelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
, Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson is an American actress, model and singer.Johansson made her film debut in North and was later nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her performance in Manny & Lo . She rose to further prominence with her roles in The Horse Whisperer and Ghost World...
, Claire Danes
Claire Danes
Claire Catherine Danes is an American actress of television, stage and film. She has appeared in roles as diverse as Angela Chase in My So-Called Life, as Juliet in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, as Kate Brewster in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, as Yvaine in Stardust and as Temple Grandin in...
, Camilla Belle
Camilla Belle
Camilla Belle is an American actress. Her works include The Lost World: Jurassic Park, When a Stranger Calls, 10,000 BC, The Quiet, Push and Speedy Singhs.- Early life :...
, Mandy Moore
Mandy Moore
Amanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore is an American singer-songwriter, actress and fashion designer. Moore became famous as a teenager in the late 1990s, after the release of her teen pop albums So Real, I Wanna Be with You, and Mandy Moore. In 2007, she took an adult pop-folk direction with the release of...
and Ginnifer Goodwin.