By: DENISA PALSHA
With Beyoncé front and center of his label launch and red-carpet dressings, Peter Dundas and his partner, Evangelo Bousis, talk about creative life in California, upcoming genderless make-up launch, and what goes on in their atelier, hours before dressing the most-watched performers in show business.
DP: You dressed the stars of two Super Bowl half-time shows – we have to start here! How was working on Shakira and Mary J. Blige’s costumes for America’s most-watched show on television?
EB: We got calls from celebrities to work on these special shows, as Peter comes from costume design background. He understands performance needs, and how to make a garment work on the stage. Movement is fundamental.
PD: We had only a few weeks. For Shakira’s first fitting a week before the show, I developed 25 prototypes, editing down to the final two. I needed to transform her from one song (and costume) to the next in the 12 minutes she was on the stage. We worked with Shakira as she was building the performance through many rehearsals. The last fitting was an hour before she went on stage. She dances at an “athletic level.” Her costumes had to allow significant movement, so I worked with materials that gave her that range. The same applied for embellishments. Fifty seamstresses hand-applied 30,000 Swarovski crystals on the costumes, one by one, working in go-carts driving to the backstage of the final show.
DP: And you covered Mary J.’s costume in mini-mirrors!
PD: Mary J. Blige performed with other R&B artists so I wanted her to have an iconic moment. She asked for nine outfits in record time! She wears a lot of cream, so I considered that, but made her main costume silver to stand out. We developed embellishments of mini-mirrors. When she told us that was going to “fall backwards” during the show, we worked with plexiglass. Each mini-mirror was different in shape and hand-applied to a specific body part, to allow great motion.
DP: Is your proximity to celebrities behind establishing one of your ateliers in California?
EB: We see California as the intersection of art, film, music and fashion. The influence of California on the fashion industry is undeniable. Celebrities today drive trends. We’ve always worked with celebrities, so it was a bit of a convenience, too. Peter can do fittings in their homes.
DP: How is the connection to show business impacting your creative work?
PD: It started with Beyoncé two decades ago. I’ve dressed her since she was in Destiny’s Child. We ‘grew together’. My design has always been inspired by music, often from the ‘60s and ‘70s, when music and fashion had a particularly strong connection. I’ve worked with a number of music artists over the years, and it’s always an organic collaboration. I go with their needs, adding my DNA to their vision.
DP: What is the influence of the French and Italian fashion houses where you were the creative leader?
PD: Jean Paul Gaultier was my alphabet, Lacroix was about playing with couture, Ungaro was about French tradition and Cavalli was about having fun with fashion. Pucci is one of the most accomplished lifestyle brands, and that made me appreciate prints in a new way. I was fortunate to get schooled by such prominent brands, and all those experiences translate to my creative work today.
DP: Your clothing brand Dundasworld is not all for the celebrities. You collaborate with Revolve on selling affordable pieces, and we have seen you in Metaverse! Who is Dundasworld clothing for today, and where are you taking the brand next?
EB: This year we are focusing on luxury, yet we continue embracing a full range of customer segments. For younger customers we have an extensive lower price point offering at Revolve.com, but we also see the importance of joining tech. We were curious how Peter’s design would translate in that space and discovered that it is a strong platform of expression. We sold thousands of pieces through Metaverse Fashion Week and got close to the very young generation. And we continue doing runway shows around the world – Beijing, Paris, New York. Later this year we are launching a completely new segment; a genderless makeup line with Anastasia Beverly Hills, in LA. Near-term we are adding additional segments of the lifestyle offering, with more activations round the corner.