Picking Peter Jensen

Peter Jensen's signature bunny rabbit is a telltale sign of his quirky accessories and smile inducing touches that always accompany his collection.

Peter Jensen is one of those designers that I have often admired from afar but for one reason or another his designs have eluded my wardrobe. No longer. Over the weekend the designer opened his studio doors on Shacklewell Lane for a sample sale and this opportunity was too good to miss. Jensen's whimsical creations offer a Scandinavian approach to directional day wear that reaches out to the comical and the colourful in all of us. As soon as I entered the well organised sale space my eyes were drawn to the SS10 rail and a printed long sleeve shirt in particular...

A closer look at the silhouette scene

My apprehension towards prints in all of their myriad of forms is well documented on the blog, as is my desire to turn this sartorial uneasiness in to a gun ho approach of colours and designs. Who better to hold my cautious hand and confidently lead me through in to the world of prints than the playful London based Dane? This SS10 find evokes memories of my childish attempts to create paper cut portraits. Of course, my creations come along way short of this silhouette scene. Here, children play with balls, playful dogs excitedly pull on their leads, hatted gentleman confidently totter down the road. I'm not quite sure what imagined scene the print depicts but I'm quite sure that I would have there if I ever visited.

To ease myself in to the world of print I decided to layer the printed shirt under a simple navy cashmere sweater from M&S.

A close up of the collar detail. One quiet day I might name the characters...

The playful cuff.

Jensen has carved out a reputation as a designer whose impeccably produced creations thread together mischievous humour and a celebratory approach to individuality, with an impressive attention to detail and lightness of touch. This approach is clearly apparent in his designs for both men and women - the results of which always deftly remain on the wearable side of unconventional. His is a spirit which manages, seemingly effortlessly, to be simultaneously modern and timeless, fun yet rather clever, too. It is infectious. For me, this sample sale gem embodies everything that is wonderful about the designer.