If the sound of thumping bass and the swarm of models spilling into the Soho streets wasn’t indication enough, then the T-shirts worn by the attending staff declaring “I <3 Dundas” gave it all away. Inside, sporting his signature yellow-tinted shades, was Peter Dundas, holding court at 57 Greene Street where the latest in his series of roving flagships opened its doors to reveal an all-new troupe of Dundas-designed creations. The displays, full of black sequins, delicate lace, and deep-hued flowing floral frocks—along with the kitsch T-shirt or two—were undeniably catered to a New York clientele, a purposeful balance between sensibility and sex appeal.
“The traveling flagship concept matches our lifestyle,” Dundas told Vogue, freshly returned from a two-day jaunt to Burning Man and a stint in Mykonos, Greece, where he just debuted another pop-up boutique. “We’re always traveling for inspiration for our work between England, Italy, France, the States, and lots of other places, so it came about very naturally. It felt like it was already apart of the brand DNA to have these traveling flagships.”
The designer, whose pedigree includes roles at the helm of Roberto Cavalli, Emanuel Ungaro, and Emilio Pucci, is a master at catering to jet-set women, which undoubtedly includes his de facto muse Natasha Poly, who cohosted the opening celebration. “I first met Peter about 10 years ago when he was one of the designers under Cavalli, and I already thought, ‘Wow, this guy is amazing,’” Poly reminisced, wearing a daringly cut gold lamé minidress custom-designed by Dundas. “Then I saw him improving, and now he finally has his own brand, so to see him progress this way makes me so proud.”
Like a sort of glamorous nomad, it’s unclear where Dundas might set down his bags next, but for now, in New York, the tunes will continue to pulse, the tequila will continue to flow, and his traveling troupe of attractive admirers will know exactly where to find him.