Peter Dundas filled the void he left in the market for seductive, rich gypsy style after his own exit from Robert Cavalli, and Pucci before it. Working on his own terms, he’s serving up flirtatious, hyper-feminine bohemia for cool girls who love a deluxe night out with his own line Dundas, now on its fourth season. For the first time, he traveled to Moscow to see firsthand the opulent decorative effects — Russian Orthodox churches, matryoshkas — that have influenced his aesthetic for a while, though he had never visited the source material. “I’ve always used it in my work, but it was a real eye-opener to the richness of the culture,” he said of his Russian trip, while presenting the collection via private appointment last week in his Milan showroom.
Dundas channeled folk opulence into caftans, capes and peasant dresses in deep green, purple and blue with black, red and gold gilded embroideries and tassels. There were lightweight shearlings, lambskin made to look like python, fil coupe, lots of velvet and more black than usual. Silhouettes ranged from long and billowing to extremely short. A favorite look is his version of a twinset: a cropped top paired with a high-wasted skirt or mini. The look was high-octane but quite user-friendly, and easy to wear for women who like to make an entrance wherever they go.