Peter Dundas on Designing Paris Hilton's Swarovski Martini Purse
Fashion

Peter Dundas on Designing Paris Hilton's Swarovski Martini Purse

Leave it to Paris Hilton to walk the red carpet with a martini glass the size of her head as a fashion accessory. At the 2022 Grammys this past Sunday, the over-the-top hotel heiress attended music’s biggest awards ceremony in Vegas wearing a silver Atelier Zuhra cape and sheer gown alongside husband Carter Reum.

Rather than a traditional purse, though, Hilton posed with a blue bespoke flask designed by her close friend, Peter Dundas, in collaboration with Grey Goose, the event’s official spirits partner. Are you really sliving in Sin City without a dirty martini in-hand?

“I cannot think of a better person to debut the bag on the carpet,” Dundas says of Hilton, who was in town to DJ Olivia Rodrigo’s official after party (although she deserves a retroactive Grammy for the timeless bop that is 2006’s “Stars Are Blind”). “Paris is a certified style icon. She is all about fun and knows how to have a good time, which is what this martini bag is for.”

For Dundas, the martini cocktail symbolizes some of his “favorite moments in life,” while the shape innately exudes a certain glamour, “since everyone I know who drinks martinis are stylish,” he says, also referring to himself as an “avid martini lover.” (His order? “Grey Goose vodka, very dirty and with three olives for good luck.”)

To bring the boozy design to life, Dundas worked with his “dear friend,” Marina Raphael at Swarovski, to embellish the bag with 3,404 crystals, all set in-hand “in an ombré from majestic blue to a clear crystal.” The creation took nearly two months to complete, since Dundas explains that creating a flask bag “required a bit of engineering” and a “great amount of attention to detail to perfect.”

He considered Grey Goose’s signature branding when developing the design, leaning into its “clean, natural taste” and famous bottle, both of which speak to Dundas’ own Celtic roots. “I wanted to incorporate the frosted glass and metallic-blue tones from the bottle into the final design,” he says. “I also incorporated handcrafted silver goose charms attached to the crystal strap, making the piece even more unique.”

While Hilton was the first to debut Dundas’ bag, he’s making it accessible to the public by releasing it via NFT on DressX for shoppers across the metaverse. If they purchase a virtual version of the piece, they’ll also be given passes to a corresponding New York Fashion Week event this fall. This is Dundas’ second digital red carpet design, following a Super Bowl look for Mary J. Blige.

"When you combine forces between the energy of a Dundas and an iconic brand like Grey Goose, magic really happens, so this bag certainly reflects my brand’s sensibilities,” Dundas says. “My designs are made for moments filled with fun and excitement, where you can enjoy a martini with your loved ones. This handbag is a perfect symbol for what my brand is all about: pure joy and celebration.”

Photos courtesy of Grey Goose