Peter Pilotto – Pre Spring/Summer 2016 Ready-To-Wear

There are a lot of good reasons for brands to collaborate. But maybe the best one ever is the explanation behind this season’s Peter Pilotto-Ancient Greek Sandals range. The story goes like this: As they embarked on their new collection, Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos decided to elaborate on the board game theme they’d pursued last season. Their research into the history of board games led them to discover one played back in ancient Greece, i.e., an ancient Greek board game. Cut to: Peter Pilotto x Ancient Greek Sandals—a pretty terrific collection of colorful slides and gladiator sandals embellished with sculptural hardware.

Of course, there was more to that meeting of the minds than wordplay. Pilotto and De Vos riffed on the aesthetics of that ancient Greek board game by creating patterns with a vaguely Aegean feel. There were colorful embroideries, placid pastel-toned jacquards, and cozy intarsia knits—not a digital print to be found. The Pilotto boys have searched out other outlets for their graphic sensibility. They’ve also expanded their horizons in terms of the attitude of their clothes: This collection boasted a new sense of informality, thanks to relaxed dress silhouettes and the emphasis here on separates. There were a few signature pencil-shaped looks, but the standout pieces were easygoing, embroidered cotton poplin dresses and blouses and unfussy evening looks in a squishy black jacquard fil coupe. Intarsia knit cover-ups had a similar insouciance, and a tracksuit in the knit was another—albeit unlikely—winner. Summoning a vacation-y vibe seemed to release Pilotto and De Vos from the pressure to make their clothes look, and feel, fastidious. Their own sense of ease carried through the collection.