From Pucci to Cavalli, Fashion Veteran Peter Dundas Speaks On The ‘90s, His Namesake Label, And Going Virtual

Not everyone can say that they’ve dressed Beyoncé for the Grammys, designed a custom gown for the Crown Princess of Norway, and gone fully digital having launched a collection in the metaverse after three decades in the game. But for fashion designer Peter Dundas, founder of his namesake label, it’s just another day on the job. “One of the things I make sure not to lose sight of, and one of the reasons why fashion is so important, is because it's fun. Ultimately, at the end of the day, it's about having fun and about letting loose,” Dundas says. Dundas’ influence has punctuated fashion catwalks since the ‘90s. Starting out his career in fashion as a costume designer for the Comedie Française, it wasn’t long before the Norwegian’s work was recognized by some of fashion’s most high-profile players. In 1993, at only 23 years old, the fledgling talent got his foot in the industry door after being appointed as design assistant at the legendary Jean Paul Gaultier brand, where he remained for eight years. A life achievement ticked off in less than a decade, for Dundas, this was only the beginning. Following his tenure at Gaultier, the designer’s flair for bold, brash palettes was snapped up by the likes of Christian Lacroix and Emanuel Ungaro. The Dundas Effect At the height of his métier, Dundas was catching the attention of major noughties fashion houses. Most notable of these was Emilio Pucci, where he served as artistic director for seven years. Inspired by the unapologetic sexiness of the nightlife crowd, Dundas drove Pucci to become a notable player in the fashion scene. With a number of iconic design names already under his belt, Dundas moved to Roberto Cavalli in 2015 to succeed its namesake founder as creative director (Dundas had previously worked at the brand in 2002 for three years as chief designer). Cementing his legacy at Cavalli before his swift departure, Dundas’ exotic motifs and ‘70s-style silhouettes have become almost inextricable from the house’s 50-year history. One could argue that the conversation on the disposability of creative directors was accelerated by Dundas’ departure from Cavalli, which happened less than two years into his second appointment there. The news made global headlines and shone light on the fickleness of fashion and its treatment of designers, likened to that of an artistic revolving door scrambling to keep up with the times. Over the years, Dundas cultivated a distinct design aesthetic that celebrates feminine sultriness with a rebellious punch. It’s easy to spot a Dundas woman; she’s typically wearing a vibrant split leg maxi — or perhaps a slinky midi — towering heels, and a skinny scarf slung across the neck. The Birth Of A New Brand But Dundas’ exit from Cavalli was in some ways a blessing. For the designer, forming his own brand was a natural progression of his career. It was something that was perhaps predestined from the day he started sketching. “I've always wanted to dress the woman who was glamorous and sexy, but with a little bit of a rock and roll spirit. That's what we continue doing,” he says. Over the years, Dundas cultivated a distinct design aesthetic that celebrates feminine sultriness with a rebellious punch. It’s easy to spot a Dundas woman; she’s typically wearing a vibrant split leg maxi — or perhaps a slinky midi — towering heels, and a skinny scarf slung across the neck. In 2017, Dundas made the jump to go solo. But he wasn’t fully alone. The designer launched his eponymous brand alongside his life and business partner Evangelo Bousis. “A lot of people had asked me before why I hadn’t started my own brand,” he says. “For me, it was really a question of meeting the right partner to do that. I realized pretty soon that we make a great team.” Based on a non-seasonal structure, the brand would go on to cater to the demands of the steadfast clientele the designer had cultivated over the years. A Star-Studded Arsenal With over two decades of experience in an industry as tantalizing as fashion, it's inevitable that Dundas would find himself rubbing shoulders with the globe’s rich and famous, from Bella Hadid to Michele Obama. But those who are considered celebrities to us have become long-term friends to him. Take Beyoncé, for whom Dundas’ designs have become a closet mainstay. “It was quite funny, we were putting together a retrospective for the tour of all the costumes that he's created for her, and the team was like, oh my god that was Peter too,” his partner Bousis remarks with a laugh. The musician helped Dundas debut his eponymous label at the 2017 Grammy Awards. The look included a gilded golden gown, complete with an ornate, halo-like headpiece. The designer attributes a proportion of his label’s success to the black book of connections he’s accumulated over the years. With a phone call, he can round up an entourage of notable names and muses to support — and sport — his silhouettes. “When we spoke about who we wanted to launch the brand with, we both were like Beyoncé, obviously. We knew that Peter had this huge celebrity following and that that was how we should showcase first, instead of a debut fashion show,” Bousis continues. “We wanted to use friends of the house and friends of Peter, like Beyoncé and Emily [Ratajkowski], that have really helped build his whole career.” “I think that the power of celebrity is much more important today than probably anything else,” Dundas adds. A huge milestone for Dundas was the custom Cher-inspired gown for model Emily Ratajkowski at the 2019 “Camp: Notes On Fashion” Met Gala. Following its reveal, the crystal-draped, wings headpiece (a recurring accessory among the label’s custom pieces) quickly went viral across social media. Virality Versus Vitality The internet’s progression has spurred brands to seek virality. From Coperni’s spray-painted dress, to AVAVAV’s falling models, fashion appears to have pivoted towards creating clothes and events that generate social media buzz. Dundas isn’t fazed by the increasing pressure to go viral. “Everyone is trying to create a moment, nothing really has changed. So I don't see it differently. It's [just] being expressed through the internet and the opportunity for visibility is magnified,” he says. “But we all wish for that, and it’s amazing when you can do that. You want to do something that's special, that's unique, that's personal. I think that's part of what becomes a moment.” Speaking of visibility, the metaverse has amassed a lot of hype over the past five years. It’s something that Dundas and Bousis have both taken note of, and are using their new avenue to explore. “It was a new way of expressing myself as a designer, and an opportunity to play in a different way,” the designer explains. “I didn’t want it to replace anything else that I was doing, I just wanted it to compliment it and add a different layer to it as well.” “Everyone is trying to create a moment, nothing really has changed. So I don't see it differently. It's [just] being expressed through the internet and the opportunity for visibility is magnified,” he says. “But we all wish for that, and it’s amazing when you can do that. You want to do something that's special, that's unique, that's personal. I think that's part of what becomes a moment.” A New Chapter Of Self Expression The DUNDAS label dipped its toes into the metaverse last year by participating in Decentraland’s inaugural Metaverse Fashion Week, where it showcased a fully digital runway collection alongside Ukrainian virtual marketplace DressX. Less than a month later, it teamed up with Paris Hilton to transform her handset Swarovski crystal Grammys purse into an NFT collection, which served as an ode to the classic martini cocktail. While some consider his latest endeavors to be an unconventional move, for Dundas, they’re simply a means of moving with the times. “I think that there's a very exciting, bright future ahead for designers with the changing culture towards sustainability, inclusion, and technology,” he explains. “The digital world is going to be massively important and I think that's something our generation hasn't really embraced in the same way. But I think that's a necessity. One of the key ingredients in staying relevant is that you embrace these new things.” The eponymous venture also gives Dundas a newfound sense of creative freedom. When working under a major luxury house, designers can often find themselves tied to specific visual codes with stringent creative boundaries. Now, in 2023, Dundas is welcoming this break from restrictiveness. “Starting a new brand, you can set your terms on what you want to do and what you want to be. When you are new it allows you to embrace new solutions. I think that's one of the things that have been so interesting with having our own brand is to be able to do that with ease,” Dundas says. When a creative as prominent as Dundas forms their own design house, it isn’t always plain sailing. There’s the risk of the label becoming lowbrow or commercialized. But he and his partner have kept up the sexy sensibilities of his previous portfolio. They also haven’t lost sight of the designer’s clientele. “I think we've stayed very much on track in terms of who our client is. What maybe has changed or evolved is how we communicate that and how we communicate with our client,” Dundas adds. Not every fashion veteran is as open to change as Dundas, but he believes that change is what will usher in the next generation of industry greats. His advice to the rising creatives hoping to shape the future of fashion? “Really believe in yourself and find a personal voice. Be open to youth culture and open to new technology and adapting to change. And, finally, you have to love it. Somebody once said to me if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life. And it really is true.”

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From Pucci to Cavalli, Fashion Veteran Peter Dundas Speaks On The ‘90s, His Namesake Label, And Going Virtual