Per Götesson steers his brand with a careful, steady hand. In place of the attention-grabbing theatrics or flashy runway shows that often define upstart London labels, he’s built up Per Götesson the brand in incremental steps, fully developing each facet of his offering—outerwear, jewelry, denim—before moving on to the next. So it’s a pleasure to see him produce his biggest collection yet, fusing a number of signatures he’s been working on over the past few seasons, including the pieces made from collaged doilies, wraparound trousers cut from denim and leather, and his recently-designed rope logo.
The collection’s title, “Posing,” was intended to reflect the experiments with textiles Götesson embarked upon this season, from a twisted jersey-meets-nylon jacket that was first draped, then 3D-scanned to create the pattern, to an exquisite denim coat overlaid with a patent leather-effect foiling technique. “I wanted to explore the idea of clothes posing as something else, or pretending to be something else, whether through materials or garment archetypes,” he said. As is often the case with Götesson’s collections, however, peel back a layer and the word posing also seems to carry a subtle, sexier meaning, with the models in the look book flaunting their chests under delicate jewelry harnesses made by Götesson’s partner, Husam El Odeh, or offering a cheeky glimpse of skin through crochet underwear.
The queer undertones of Götesson’s collection offered a touch of something playful—Swedish surplus army uniforms crafted into thigh-skimming shirt dresses, crystals from chandeliers repurposed by El Odeh into netted necklaces dangling with trinkets, an Anne Boleyn–inspired necklace featuring the letter P for “Per, patriarchy, and penis.” But it was the technical know-how behind his inventive use of denim, jersey, and upcycled fabrics that impressed most. “I’ve always been interested in making something elegant from ordinary fabrics,” Götesson said. “I think it’s part of my Swedishness, that sense of pragmatism.” Götesson’s use of black linen for the tailoring was something of an homage to his native country, while the collection’s genderless elements were inspired by something more immediate: namely, the students he works with teaching menswear design at the London College of Fashion. “I want to embrace that fluidity, to express the complexity of the modern man I see in them,” he said.
It’s also worth noting that Götesson has signed with a Japanese agency, which will be building his list of stockists across East Asia. You can see some of the more accessible versions of his outré designs, like a long-sleeve ribbed tank inset with a doily, or the hybridized varsity jackets, having strong commercial appeal too. “I always want to jump into the next thing, so I think it was quite a nice exercise for me to calm down and look back across the previous collections and edit,” he said. “It still feels like us, but a little more elevated, I hope.” Götesson is ready to step up a gear and his timing couldn’t be better.
