..:: AUTO REPORT AFRICA ::..
Related Articles
The Mercedes-Benz China Fashion Week which started on October 29 and ends this Tuesday, November 7, 2017 in Beijing featured the newly-launched DUNDAS label from the Norwegian-born acclaimed designer, Peter Dundas as the collection really generated lots of excitement at the event.
Regarded as one of the most talented and trailblazing figures on the international fashion scene, Peter Dundas presented his debut collection at Mercedes-Benz China Fashion Week, a move which further enhances the reputation and significance of China’s growing importance in the global fashion industry and the fashion platform itself.
Through the International Designer Exchange Programme, Mercedes-Benz has cemented its commitment to nurturing emerging and established designers, by providing them with the unrivalled opportunity to access key international markets.
The inclusion of Peter Dundas at Mercedes-Benz China Fashion Week, with his undeniable fashion pedigree, is pivotal in the event’s continued growth and significance. The platform was established in 1997 and in partnership with Mercedes-Benz since 2011; the biannual showcase of contemporary Chinese design has evolved into an unmissable event on the international fashion calendar. Thanks to the luxury automobile manufacturer’s support and initiatives such as the International Designer Exchange Program, a spotlight is shone on the thriving fashion scene in China at what is a time of unprecedented global interest in the region.
After moving to the US with his family at the age of 14, Peter’s path into design began at Parsons a fashion, art and design school in New York before moving to Paris, where he became an assistant to Jean Paul Gaultier in 1992. Eight years later, he moved to Christian Lacroix where he remained for two years before arriving at Roberto Cavalli. That would prove the catalyst for a storied decade-long career at the helm of Emanuel Ungaro, Emilio Pucci and Roberto Cavalli.
Having successfully revitalised these three iconic brands, earlier this year Peter, alongside his partner Evangelo Bousis, launched the much anticipated label DUNDAS. In his life as in his art, Peter does not do things by half measures – his collection made a grandstand debut on Beyoncé Knowles at the 2017 Grammy Awards, and then by Emily Ratajkowski at the Cannes Film Festival. It is testament to Peter’s flair and craftsmanship that his dresses have long been some of the most sought-after on the red carpet.
Dundas sketches prolifically, working in a very instinctive and intuitive manner, which bears itself out in the fluidity of his designs. Throughout his career, his aesthetic has pivoted around the trinity of freedom, sensuality and rebelliousness, giving his creations a playful yet inherently seductive femininity, adding emphasis to his dedication to a vision of the modern woman as someone with unfettered license for self-expression. The DUNDAS brand will carry these unmistakable hallmarks – embellishment, luxury, sensuality, and above all a celebration of women.
Never afraid to blaze his own trail, the DUNDAS label has been conceived around a non-seasonal structure; instead of offering up to four runway shows following fashion’s traditional seasonal structure, the DUNDAS collection will be released strategically and succinctly, in carefully-timed drops to coincide with the demands of clientele. Presenting this new format at Mercedes-Benz China Fashion Week speaks volumes about the rapidly changing ways that luxury fashion is now being consumed by an increasingly global audience. Avoiding the traditional Spring/Summer, Fall/Winter fashion axis, the collection can speak to a truly global consumer – it is modern, reflecting both the demands of the globalisation of the fashion industry, and the key importance of travel in the contemporary luxury lifestyle.
Uniqueness, individuality, made-to-measure elements, and the idea of a designer retailing direct to their clientele via online channels ideologically connects to this new business model for ready-to-wear. It is a modern proposition – about closeness between creativity and commerce, about freedom from restraints and about satisfying women’s needs. Certain items from the collection will be offered custom-made; others are high-end ready-to-wear.
The DUNDAS collection partnered with key retailers to offer capsule collections, as well as retailing direct online. The first partnership, with Moda Operandi, launched the debut DUNDAS collection in July this year. The collection is also available from The Webster (Miami), Bergdof Goodman (New York), Elyse Walker (Los Angeles), Matches (UK), AZEL (Russia) and Moda Boutique. Moda Operandi will also exclusively launch the accessibly-priced collection, created to complement the debut collection in early December for pre order.
Mercedes-Benz International Designer Exchange Programme
Over the past 22 years, Mercedes-Benz has established itself globally as a key player and partner at selected international fashion events. The brand is currently involved in more than 60 fashion platforms including Mercedes-Benz Fashion Weeks in Australia, Prague, Russia and Paris amongst others. As part of its global fashion commitment, for over seven years, Mercedes-Benz has continued to support young and talented fashion designers through the Mercedes-Benz International Designer Exchange Program (IDEP). Launched in 2009, the Program offers emerging designers a unique opportunity to present their collections outside of their local markets to an international audience.
The IDEP is currently active across all of the Mercedes-Benz supported fashion platforms including London, Beijing, Berlin, Budapest, Prague and Istanbul. The Programme is often supported by an awards initiative commenced by Mercedes-Benz and underpinned by a panel of experts.
