Peter was raised in San Francisco by architect parents of Han Chinese ancestry who encouraged in him the ideals of purity of form, function and composition. Now lives in New York City's Greenwich Village.

Peter still draws from these early architectural influences as he designs clothes for tasteful and elegant women.

While he attended Connecticut College Peter studied both Art History and Studio Art and chose to make his move to fashion by continuing his studies at Parsons School of Design. During the years he spent at Parsons, he also apprenticed with the American designers Michael Kors and Calvin Klein. After graduating, Peter honed his skills in the design room of Bill Blass.

In 1997, he was recognized by the Council of Fashion Designers of America as a rising young talent in its first-ever Scholarship Competition. Isaac Mizrahi awarded Peter the Parsons Gold Thimble for his work in the school's prestigious Designer Critic program while Lord & Taylor reaffirmed his potential in its annual Dress Competition. In 2002, Peter was nominated for the CFDA Perry Ellis Award for Emerging Talent. In 2004, he was one of 10 semi finalists in the Vogue/CFDA fashion fund initiative. In 2005, he was nominated for a second time for the CFDA Swarovski Perry Ellis Award for Emerging Talent and in 2006 Peter Som was among the 3 finalists nominated for the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for Fashion Design.

Peter Som debuted his Spring 2001 collection at Seventh on Sixth in the Bryant Park tents. In 2003, Cathy Horyn, resident fashion critic at the New York Times, identified Peter as "one of the best young designers working today." In response to Peter Som's Spring 2007 collection, Vogue's Andre Leon Talley writes "it became emphatically clear that he has moved to the head of his generational class. Magna cum laude, in fact." Peter's collections have been featured in major fashion publications, including Vogue , W , Elle , Harper's Bazaar and InStyle.

Peter Som announced his return to the house of Bill Blass in July 2007 as creative director of the iconic American brand. In this role, he will oversee the company's entire women's collection, including all owned and licensed divisions.

Peter's clientele includes a new generation of chic celebrities and starlets, such as Michelle Obama, Scarlett Johansson, Claire Danes, Camilla Belle, Mandy Moore and Ginnifer Goodwin.

• Council of Fashion Designer's of America profile