Vogue’s best looks from the Peter Do and Tory Burch spring/summer 2023 shows

Peter Do SS23

10-word show review: K-pop sophistication by way of belted tailoring and billowing coats
Designer: Peter Do
Location: One Chase Manhattan Plaza, New York City

The soundtrack: “Hey, remember how we would tear through life with this desperate urgency, like we were hurtling towards it all because there was no way it would wait for us?” said the voiceover at the start of the show, reading from a letter written for the Peter Do spring/summer 2023 collection themed ‘Time’ by Mary HK Choi. “God, we were giddy. The conviction was stigmata levels wasn’t it? It never occurred to me that we would fail.”

Touching on themes of loss, ambition, love and grace, it set the emotional resonance for the show, and personally, was aptly summarised in this spoken passage: “But it’s so funny how life is short but interminably long.” Take home message? Cherish the present.

Key silhouettes: With NCT’s JENO opening the show, Do paraded a romantic collection characterised by tailoring (often with deconstructed open backs) cinched at the waist with thin long black belts that trailed behind the models like tails; razor-sharp leather pieces by way of high-waisted trousers and coats; billowing silk trench coats that brushed the floor; and that interplay of textures, such as sheer tops and satin shirts paired with luxurious wool blazers, that offered depth and interest despite Do’s signature muted colour palette.

A style tip for Singapore: A collection of white outfits in breathable fabrics, but still deliver on that Peter Do drama, are your best bet. For example: that white shirt dress paired with a black belt featuring a plissé full-length skirt (look 6); that white sleeveless dress worn by Korean model Yoon with a cape of rectangular silk (look 16); and, of course, that handsome white wrap peak-lapel jacket worn under a sleek single-breasted jacket and anchored with towering platform boots (look 55).

Tory Burch SS23

10-word show review: Rich minimalism as expressed through structural silhouettes and translucent layers
Designer: Tory Burch
Location: Pier 76, New York City

On what women want: “I just think women just want things that will last,” shared Tory Burch post-show. “There is this concept of minimalism for the show, but I wanted rich minimalism that had more detail and structure to them.” Case in point: those hourglass sleeveless jackets with metallic organza draping from the hem (looks 22 and 24) that are removable for a transformable look.

On the show location: “I wanted a vast place that was about architecture. It’s a palette for a very focused collection,” noted Burch. The spring/summer 2023 show was defined by clean lines and sporty separates that drew from her memories of the 1990s when she first moved to New York: “I wanted to look at my signatures with a fresh perspective, reflecting what feels modern now.”

On what she wants customers to feel: “I want them to feel empowered, sexy and romantic. Also, I definitely think, unencumbered.”