Petar Petrov Summer 2023, For me, this collection feels like a fresh new chapter. I was sensing the thrill of newness, a call for experimentation and an urge to step on and beyond my usual repertoire. Ideas of youth, adventure and freedom were at the forefront of my mind over and above commercial imperatives.
I was drawn to what is beautiful, precious, and wanted to design pieces that I felt truly excited about not only in their making, sensibility, and material but in the way the designs combine and amplify the language of personal style.
In a way, it was like starting from scratch without thinking about what sold and what didn’t in past seasons. I wanted to tap into my instincts, desires and create.
Where did that lead me? The blue-sky picture is about nature, fluidity, organic lines, and pliable, soft textures. It’s about striding out and feeling totally in step with yourself revelling in the sensuality of fabrics like suede, fine mesh like knitwear and featherweight chiffon.
Nothing is made to be sharp but it does have clarity. I was fascinated by the challenge of deconstructing the process of ‘flou’ working with chiffon to achieve different volumes, ruffles, and drapes. The abstract custom print scapes suggest water, ripples in the sand and sunsets. The juxtaposition of this super fragile material with men’s shirting cotton material felt right. I was also attracted to leather and suede crafting this supple hides into lace front tunics, hipster shorts and fluid flares threaded with fringes.
Rudimentary DIY actions of cutting, knotting and tying fabric were the cue for a series of body sculpting silk jersey dresses and tops. The feeling of heat, the vision of a summer haze, the purity of water, desert sand – these were all in my frame as I sought out natural textures and gestures. Pieces that feel light but precious.
All images Petar Petrov Summer 2023 by Petar Petrov