In the ensuing years, Jensen has consistently had his wares stocked in some of the most on-it boutiques around the world, charmed the fashion pack with his twice-yearly catwalk presentations - not least the one which was shown at an ice rink a few years ago - as well as pleasing an ever-growing fan-base with his distinctive, seasonal collections for men (designs which are always boyishly-cheeky and mischievous) and for women. In the case of his womenswear, specifically, the stylistic inspiration he has routinely drawn from infamous female spirits such as actress Sissy Spacek, artist Cindy Sherman or disgraced Olympic ice skater Tanya Harding, for example, have always ensured that both the reference points and overall results are appealingly left-of-centre yet always wearable.
With his hot-off-the-sewing-machine debut Resort collection successfully unveiled to the press last week - taking its visual cues from photographer Diane Arbus’ notorious Triplets image, boasting a fresh and playful use of colour, and playing host to Jensen’s archive Rabbit print motif - the designer continues to delight with his fashion offerings while subtly upping his ante. All of which seem like good enough reasons to now unveil seventy seven Jensen-isms…
1. Peter was born in Løgstør, Denmark
2. Peter’s best friend at school was Lise Lotte, who was cross-eyed and wore bigger glasses than he did.
3. Peter is dead chuffed that legendary film maker John Waters is a fan of his work - he thinks that it’s, ‘Really, really great!’ - and, incidentally, his most-loved films by John are Female Trouble or Polyester.
4. Peter likes best to relax by watching telly, and his favourite programme is Waterloo Road.
5. Peter’s personally most-memorable source of inspiration, from throughout his years as a designer, is that scandal-strewn Hollywood actress of many moons ago, Mary Miles Minter.
6. Peter’s best friend is his fellow Dane, stylist Jacob K - to whom he can talk to about absolutely anything.
7. Peter’s very first thought this morning was, ‘Breakfast…’
8. Peter is a long-time keen cyclist - a familiar and furiously-pedalling fixture on the highways and byways of London town - yet he has somehow managed to avoid ever being involved in a bike-related accident.
9. Peter likes dogs and thinks that they bring out the true nature of people and that you can really tell a lot about a person when a dog is around.
10. Peter has never seen a ghost, oh, but hang on, he thinks that if seeing Central St Martins’ matriarch Louise Wilson once a week counts, then yes, he probably has!
11. Peter’s idea of paradise is playing cards with people who take it seriously, while drinking copious coffees and smoking loads of cigarettes.
12. Peter thinks all UK politicians seem weird, but is quite fond of Margaret Beckett whom he thinks looks a bit like the Princess Royal.
13. Peter taught Kim Jones when Kim was a student at Central St Martins.
14. Peter’s most horrifically-embarrassing-incident-ever occurred, as he reveals, when he fell over in front of a potential love interest: ‘ I was 17, in the local gay bar, in front of this man that I thought was the most beautiful man that I had ever seen. Needless to say that me laying there, with my big glasses, didn’t make him look, and I swore that I would never return… until at least the following Friday.’
15. Peter was once stung by a jellyfish.
16. Peter is not sure if he has any enemies though concedes that there must be someone, somewhere, who doesn’t like him.
18. Peter’s most upsetting telly-viewing experience happened while watching a Channel 4 documentary a few years ago: ‘It was about this English woman living in Denmark with her husband who was a diplomat - they very much liked to go to the opera and read books and things like that. The husband died and the lady wanted to return to the UK. She didn’t have any children but did have a niece who found a place for her to live for old people. Oh, it was so sad, the evil niece would make this lady play bingo and all that sort of thing. She hated it and in the end she died. How sad.’
19. Peter last cried was when his dad died before Christmas.
20. Peter is lucky because nothing keeps him awake at night.
21. Peter doesn’t usually blush, but did turn beetroot red once while having his picture taken by Tim Walker, with Karen Elson dancing in her underwear and looking beautiful, while Tim told Peter to show some teeth.
22. Peter’s favourite snack is Smorebrod, which is a tasty open sandwich.
23. Peter’s favourite smell is Chanel No. 22 and freesias.
24. Peter’s favourite song is The Wedding List by Kate Bush.
25. Peter’s favourite season is Autumn.
26. Peter’s favourite Danish pop group are Shit & Chanel, who were renamed after being taken to court, to Shit & Chalou.
28. Peter’s favourite booze is Schnapps.
29. Peter’s favourite parts of his body are his lips and ears.
30. Peter’s favourite time of the day is morning, in the office, when nobody is there, so he can sing along with the radio and think to himself that he has a pretty good voice… until the music stops and he realises that he actually sounds like a cat being strangled.
31. Peter has never purchased anything from any of the shopping channels on TV.
32. Peter likes to read while on the toilet, especially comics.
33. Peter’s ruminations about the meaning of life are a philosophical: ‘God knows!?’
34. Peter thinks the best thing to spread on toast is Marmite (his right hand man Gerard introduced him to this most divisive of savoury toppings).
35. Peter has never seen a UFO.
36. Peter believes that fashion should offer some sort of taste and style, hopefully.
37. Peter’s worst habit is farting
38. Peter reckons the quality his friends most like about him is, basically, that he is nice.
39. Peter would be flying around the office at Vogue if he could be invisible for a day.
40. Peter would, ‘Have children and nag…’ if he could change gender for a while.
41. Peter doesn’t know any red hot gossip at the moment.
42. Peter dislikes the way his neck sticks out from his shoulders.
43. Peter would describe himself thus, if placing a dating advertisement: ‘Don’t kiss me once, kiss me twice and treat me nice. I wear big glasses and am very good at cleaning.’
44. Peter’s most recently-sent text message was to the aforementioned right hand man, Gerard, saying, ‘Hi is everything alright?’
45. Peter’s fridge currently contains two of his life’s essentials - Rye bread and milk.
46. Peter’s preferred way of dying is highly specific and goes like this: ‘I would like to die really slowly, one of those ones that takes years, and I will get more and more bitter knowing that the evil niece waiting in the wings will come every day to see if I’m dead yet, thinking that she will be getting everything - only to find out after I am dead that she won’t get a thing, not a penny, ha!’
47. Peter’s biggest regret is not saying hello to Vivienne Westwood when he once saw her.
48. Peter’s worst ever part time job that he had years ago was when he worked at McDonalds.
49. Peter’s absolute most cherished item of clothing is a simple, yellow sweatshirt that he got way back in 1999.
50. Peter’s favourite sort of butter is Lurpak.
51. Peter last lost his temper in the bank, and just can’t believe how utterly useless the English banking system is, and thinks that John Waters should do a film about it.
52. Peter is a carnivore and his preferred meat to eat is veal.
53. Peter sees no need to have cleaner ‘do’ for him, as he is, he boasts, ‘ Very, very, very good at cleaning, like, really good…’
54. Peter has seven fillings in his teeth, which he feels is way too many.
55. Peter, rather worryingly, discloses Alison Moyet’s album, Essex, as the last piece of music he listened to.
56. Peter has never been fishing but would quite like to sling his hook, so to speak.
57. Peter thinks it’s sexy if someone smells good and can’t understand people who don’t make the effort to.
58. Peter hopes that in ten years time from now he will still be doing what he does at present, but by then would be massively rich and own a summerhouse in Sweden, as well as two pug dogs - one called Thelma and one called Olga - and would look fantastic and talk like posh women and say things like, ‘How silly!’
59. Peter’s all-time style icon is the one and only Lynn Wyatt.
60. Peter’s most embarrassing record, nestling in the most cringe-making crevices of his collection, is an album by cheesy 80s pop band Wet Wet Wet.
61. Peter knows a transsexual who claims that he/she is Liz Taylor from the waist up, and Brad Pitt from the waist down - the person in question is 71 years old, by the way.
62. Peter, when asked if he knows anyone who smells nice, retorts, ‘Yes - myself.’
63. Peter is not good at Maths, but says he knows when someone owes him money.
64. Peter’s favourite song lyric ever is, ‘Eddie’s got one crazy eye that turns him into a cartoon when a pretty girl goes by…’ which is from Living it Up by Rickie Lee Jones.
65. Peter thinks that if Saturday was a colour it would be black, whereas Monday would be blue.
66. Peter does not watch Big Brother which probably makes him quite avant garde, really.
67. Peter has no qualms about being no good at any sporting activities whatsoever.
68. Peter’s favourite person is his long-term love interest, Daniel.
69. Peter says that answering all these questions for
www.ponystep.com is what it must be like being the relentlessly-interviewed Jordan.
70. Peter most recently caught a bus last Wednesday, and it was a number 38.
71. Peter’s heart beats faster - and not in a good way, either - when someone tries to push in front of him in a queue: he hates that.
72. Peter confirms that the best gift he has ever been given is a boxed set of telly crime series Prime Suspect.
73. Peter apologetically reveals that his most-used swear word is, ‘Cunt’!
74. Peter and his friends often talk about their toilet habits - well, quite a lot, anyway.
75. Peter does not believe in karma.
76. Peter reckons the words and expressions that he most over-uses include, ‘Nice’, ‘jolly’, and, ‘for god’s sake!’
77. Peter confirms that Ponystep is, ‘Jolly nice’.