Peter Pilotto S/S 2018

Scene setting: Peter Pilotto and Christopher de Vos have been busy. Today, as part of London Design Festival, they opened a design pop-up in South Kensington, boasting an assemblage of exclusive products from their artist and designer friends, including Martino Gamper and Max Lamb. Simultaneously, they have been developing the brand’s S/S 2018 collection, presented for the second season at the Waldorf Astoria’s Palm Court. As with last season, seating came in the form of Gamper’s ‘Arnold Circus’ stools, divided across the space into a spectrum of colours.

Mood board: The duo had travelled to Japan over the summer, visiting the island of Okinawa near Taiwan, where the average age for women is 86. There, they practised ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement, echoed in the label’s vibrant collection of slinky floral print skirts, verdant palm jacquard dresses and sorbet-hued petal-lace evening wear. Urban hints came in silk tracksuit trousers and bomber jackets, and striped bias-cut dresses and shirts, finished with sporty drawstring pulls.

Team work: Pilotto worked with young London-based shoe brand Neous – founded by Vanissa Antonious and designer Alan Buanne – on a selection of chunky gold heeled sandals, featuring a selection of colourful uppers. The angular dimensions of the shoes emphasised the urban thread which ran throughout the collection; a show soundtrack of thunderstorm, birdsong and panpipes completed the tropical theme.