Equipped with a mix of Austro-Italian and Belgian-Peruvian DNA, designers Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos have managed to fillip their young label Peter Pilotto towards critical acclaim and an impressive sales graph, against all economic odds in a period marked by a financial crisis. Their signature designs unite otherworldly prints with soft, sculptural shapes and keep evolving from one collection to the next.
They have come to Berlin for one night only to present an installation at an exhibition involving Mercedes-Benz cars and curated by the Antwerp fashion museum MoMu. Though they haven’t been here in over seven years, their impression of the city is pretty spot-on: “It’s an exciting city that relates to youth,” says De Vos, “It seems as if you’re young and cool and naughty, you have to be in Berlin.” Pilotto adds: “In London, everybody considers moving to Berlin. In that sense it must be quite exciting, how the city is becoming more international. A place that only has locals is boring. But in terms of fashion, we belong in London.” They both agree that the Berlin design scene is too casual for their high fashion range.
As for the design process, creative decisions are made together. “I won’t say there are no fights, though,” De Vos says with a smile. “But communication is very important,” Pilotto adds. “The business is growing and we have to be careful to take the right steps.”