The story was filled with love, friendship, sun, sea, and magical realism. Every detail was written in her journal, then translated into her show, which is always more of a performance art than a way to sell clothes.

Artworks created by the designer dotted the venue. Petsa created the paintings as votive offerings to her summer loves, some platonic, some erotic. Petsa smiled backstage as she said, “You can discover me through my creations.”

The show opened with the models’ hands in the air blocking the bright lights overhead like the sun as they swayed and glided down the runway in white terrycloth skirts printed with the phrase “sea water, holy water”; gold-leaf dresses with ribcage slits to resemble vulvas; transparent dresses that acted like a second skin that could only be worn by mythical mermaids; white denim sheath dresses ripped at the genitals and nipples; spikes peeking out of bikini tops and jeans, “Birkine Jeans”