Peter Som is a designer really known for his exuberant taste when it comes to color and prints, but his Spring 2011 show seemed to take that aesthetic to even more thrilling heights.
With his print-mixing skill and taste for eye-popping color, Som's collections really are some of the most fun to attend during fashion week. For all designers, spring is usually a time to take fashion a bit less seriously, and Som has clearly embraced that idea, throwing all manner of eye-popping color and prints in a mix that seemed connected mostly by their focus on florals: Here, a violet floral brocade jacket; there, a psychadelic floral silk top; over there, a laser-cut tulle skirt that literally looked like a bouquet.
The stand-out looks were the ones that mixed most playfully (for those feeling anxious about trying the print-mixing trend, we'd suggest taking a look at this collection and getting a little brave): a vivid floral tank paired with electric turquoise short-shorts, a tweed-trimmed cardigan paired with a pink "poscard-print" bikini top and shorts. We also loved the styling choice to layer sweet collared button-downs under sheath dresses such that the tops of the collars just barely peeked out: sweet, but not too sweet. The jaw-dropping pieces, of course, were the ones involving layers upon layers of laser-cut tulle -- from a sunny yellow cocktail dress to a poufy black skirt -- which one can only imagine took long hours in the studio to get right. Stand-out styling moments included sheath dresses with a sweet collared blouse just barely peeking out from the top -- adding a nice pop of something different.
Oh, and we'd be remiss not to mention Charlotte Olympia's absolutely sick shoes for Peter Som: towering platforms rendered in marbled leather, watercolor-y floral prints, and even lace -- all perfect compliments to the dazzling, stylish chaos of the clothes.
