Peter Do could be poised for a new level of global fame.
Just ahead of his spring runway show, he unveiled a partnership with Korea’s SM Entertainment, which will have him working with the company’s roster of K-pop stars in what almost seems like an old Hollywood studio system costume designer role.
The deal came about after Do dressed South Korean boy band NCT member Johnny Suh for the 2022 Met Gala in a sexy black silk tuxedo — vest, no shirt, long coat, and white side stripe pants, with square-toed boots.
Social media took notice of the hottie with slicked-back hair, and the star became one of the most talked about of the night, with 240,000 mentions, according to research firm Netbase Quid. MTV’s comment set the tone: ”Sorta kinda melted when I saw Johnny Suh’s outfit for the #MetGala.”
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It was the ideal way for Do to tease his menswear debut, which was made official on the runway Tuesday when NCT’s Le Je-no opened in a nipped-waist black silk tuxedo jacket, open at the back, baggy side-slit trousers and platform heel boots.
“Since Day One, we have been addressing more than women,” Do said during a preview. “Every season we have a lot of men who are VIP customers who ordered things and custom sizes and bigger shoes.”
Do is a designer who is constantly refining his ideas, and looking back to advance his sleek tailoring. This collection marked a new chapter for his brand of relaxed formality and craft.
His signature four-piece skirt suit, with blazer, shirt and pleated skirt over pants, was shown for men and women, but many of the collection’s styles could easily be unisex.
Working in black and white, he deconstructed long, languid blazers and dusters so one could see the inside work, and opened up the backs on shiny black leather jackets and coats, layering ruffle-edged open-back white shirts underneath for a cool effect and hint of skin.
He reimagined the tuxedo as a nipped-waist silk blazer with white pushed up sleeves over a long, black skirt and as a topcoat with incredible crystal studded sleeves over pants and boots.
Do focused on craft, using resin dyeing to distress a reversible trenchcoat, and paint to create shaded effects on leather and denim, and sprinkled in a few pieces in a subtle black-and-white floral.
Shirting was a standout, particularly the low-cut, wrapped styles in poplin or silk. Also adding lightness, featherweight skirts, dusters and scarf capes were made of a silk sunset photo print taken on the first day Do moved into his Brooklyn, New York, atelier.
“It’s a moment in time I wanted to remember,” he said. His new entertainment gig is another. “It’s just the beginning. There’s like a lot of things that we’ve be discussing, but yeah, of course I’d love to do a music video. The thing is that music is so integrated into fashion right now. And it’s nice that these creatives, who could easily go with the French houses, are working with an up-and-coming New York Asian creative.”