Peter Do's quiet takeover of the fashion industry continues. The press-shy New York designer has built impressive buzz around his eponymous label thanks in part to his willingness to partner with likeminded companies like Helmut Lang, where Do was recently named creative director.
For his next big team-up, Do is collaborating with Banana Republic on a capsule collection, likely destined to become his most accessible offering ever.
The Peter Do x Banana Republic partnership, which launches October 10 on BR's website and select flagship stores, has a vision that stretches beyond merely providing Do's sought-after clothing designs at cost-effective prices.
For one, the Banana Republic line broadens the visibility of the Peter Do brand, spreading awareness and interest in a young label on the rise.
For another, being attached to a buzzy designer like Peter Do burnishes Banana Republic's name, which comes at a time when the GAP-owned company is crucially angling for a rebrand, or "brand transformation" as itself says in a press release.
Revealed during Peter Do's Spring/Summer 2024 runway show, first looks at the PD x BR collection debuts clothing as sophisticated as anything that's ever born the Do name.
There are longline tunic shirts, crisp overcoats, flowing trenches, draping henley tank tops, and pleated tuxedo slacks, versatile separates evocative of Do's aesthetic and Banana Republic's approachability.
Inspiration for the Peter Do collection purportedly came from Banana Republic's archives. Expect "genderful ready-to-wear pieces and accessories in Peter Do’s signature neutral color palette, brought to life in Banana Republic’s classic silhouettes," which means crisp trench coats, silk shirts, and blazers executed at heightened level of quality.
Compared to parent company GAP's flagship clothing company, which has fostered high-profile designer collaborations with the likes of Kanye "Ye" West, Balmain, and No Vacancy Inn, Banana Republic has maintained a comparatively lower profile, though it long held lofty aims.
The company used to hold understated runway shows at New York Fashion Week, for instance, and once partnered with designer Greg Lauren on an edgy offering of made-in-USA staples.
However, Peter Do is Banana Republic's highest-profile designer team-up to date, particularly in terms of nabbing tastemaking creatives currently setting fashion's pace.
Peter Do is one of New York's fast-rising fashion stars, with an ardent following devoted to his Phoebe Philo-honed vision of elegantly refined womenswear that actually does deserve the "quiet luxury" moniker: Do's clothing is luxurious, unostentatious, and demarcated by clean lines with a palette to match.
Despite his reluctance to be photographed, Do is very keen to collaborate, as evidenced by this Banana Republic line, his recent Farfetch/Opening Ceremony tie-in, and At.Kollektive project.
Between the BR collection and his Helmut Lang appointment, especially, prepare to see a whole lot more Peter Do.
This article was published on August 15, 2023, and updated on September 26
