Claire Danes in a Peter Som original

It's only fitting, since he thinks his customer "tends to be a dreamer with her head in the clouds," that Peter Som would love to try skydiving. "I'm scared of heights really. But facing my fears is something I'm into these days," says the designer. And these days, Som has every reason for that face to be a happy one.

"A collection first has to make me feel good," says Som. Actress Claire Danes in a Peter Som original.

He has survived on his own for seven years, without the backup of a perfume or a handbag line, and while adorable he may be, he has never held the title of critics' darling. All he has to show for himself are clothes that airily embrace the lighter side of a fine romance.

Trust us, finding a happy moment in fashion is not easy--nor is it all that easy to find time for.

"I've always wanted to make the beautiful things that come into my head," says Som. "What you don't realize when you're merely thinking of being a designer is that it's only going to be one eighth of what you do. There's so much marketing and finance involved. Getting that dress of your dreams on your girl means you have to build a machine to get it to her."