Don’t you hate when a museum shuts down the bit with your favourite painting in it? That’s what happened to Per Götesson a few months ago. The National Portrait Gallery closed the Jan Van Eyck section, making Per’s yearning for seeing the iconic Arnolfini Portrait in real life grow even stronger. So strong, actually, that it turned into an obsession. He started drawing it, reinterpreting it in his mind, on the paper and through fabric. And just like that, Per found his direction for Spring/ Summer 2019. The incredibly detailed draping on the wife’s emerald green dress became the focal point of the collection, posing the challenge of translating that extremely feminine detail into menswear. Unlike the highly conservative sartorial choices Van Eyck portrayed in his painting, Per’s looks were decidedly more sexually explicit. Random slashes exposed the model’s skin, while plain white jersey tees got a rough trompe l’oeil makeover that make its wearer, whoever it may be, look like he’s got a mean six pack underneath. A strong sense of humour carried on throughout the collection, particularly with the porcelain jewellery created in collaboration with Husam El-Odeh – Princess Meghan, Prince Harry and the Queen herself all made it in. But the Royal family wasn’t the only one in play – the show was a family affair of Per’s too. Husam is Per’s partner, while his mother and grandmother embroidered the cloths attached to the back of a couple of jackets, creating a form of blankets layered over the outerwear. This might have been Per Götesson’s first catwalk show, but after such success, it certainly won’t be the last one.
