GARETH PUGH
FASHION DESIGNER
Gareth Pugh
Bio…
Bio…
FASHION HIGHLIGHTS
The Reconstruction
Pugh’s new season invention is entitled The Reconstruction, and takes the form of a huge portfolio of creative output contributed by a glittering ensemble cast of artists from a multitude of disciplines, with the designer’s addition of 13 typically haunting looks at its center. Instead of a show-show, Pugh is bundling his work and that of his collaborators into an exhibition opening in Christie’s in St. James and running for the duration of London Fashion Week.
The elements of what Pugh calls a “visual concept album” are shaped around his 13 looks, each of which is inspired by a song. These looks have been photographed by master image-maker Nick Knight of ShowStudio, who has also overseen the shooting of 13 short films to accompany each image and piece.
Instead Pugh and designer Melissa Mehrtens have collaborated to make a series of limited-edition jersey garments printed with imagery from The Reconstruction project, which will be sold online via a zero-waste digital platform named Hit + Run.
"Right now, there are no rules. There are no limits. We are being offered an opportunity to invent the future.”
House of Montana x Farfetch
Pugh reveals he will not be showing a new collection this fashion week, he unveils a new collaboration with Byronesque and Farfetch which revives the legacy of eighties rockstar Claude Montana. Vogue speaks to him about how, and why he’s changing his way of working – as well as what Montana’s legacy means today.
Few designers are such kindred spirits as Claude Montana and Gareth Pugh: the former, the rockstar of eighties fashion; the latter, the anarchic spirit of London subculture; both united by their love for razor-sharp tailoring and an architectural silhouette. So, there was little question in the mind of Byronesque founder Gill Linton that, if someone were to oversee the re-issue she was organizing of Montana’s original work, it ought be Pugh.
“The attention to detail, cut and craftsmanship that went into creating Montana’s collections was meticulous and couture-like – and when you think of pioneering and meticulous cut and craft, Gareth is an obvious choice,” explains Linton. “I knew there wasn’t anyone else we wanted to work with. Luckily, he said yes.”
" If there is any justice in this world, the women of ‘Pose’ will be wearing these for season two. All will be well."
S/S19 London Fashion Week
In tribute to London’s late great iconoclast Judy Blame, in late 2018 we staged a major show in the gutted shell of the Old Selfridges Hotel, featuring a cast of largely gender non-conforming artists, activists and changemakers.
The dancers prowled the runway wearing dramatic masks, bodysuits, and disc-shaped headpieces that called to mind the theatrics of nightlife legend Leigh Bowery, and were covered in a red-and-black archive motif from Pugh’s graduate collection.
The bondage element to the collection was a familiar Pugh trope as well, and would have been right at home at The Two Skin Club, the cult fetish night spot of the 1980s where progressive sexual attitudes and inclusivity were the dominant culture.
Chrome Hearts: Bella Hadid, Met Gala
As part of an ongoing collaboration with luxury American jewelry and accessories brand Chrome Hearts, H+S dressed Bella Hadid in a signature look from the Gareth Pugh x Chrome Hearts capsule collection for the red carpet of the 2018 Met Gala.
As far as outfits go, Bella Hadid always manages to outshine those around her. Whether it be a holiday yacht look or a red carpet, Hadid always amps it up. And for the 2018 Met Gala, this was no different. Arriving to the Metropolitan in a villainesque custom Chrome Hearts gown, Hadid proved there’s something to be said about making a statement in black.
S/S18 at the BFI IMAX
An uncompromising visual tour-de-force, created in collaboration with Nick Knight and the performance artist Olivier de Sagazan, in September 2017 we presented a a 18 minute fashion film at the BFI IMAX — the biggest cinema screen in Europe.
Pugh has always been a creator of indelible images and a strong storyteller with his fashion. It’s not hard to imagine him following in the footsteps of Tom Ford and the Mulleavy sisters in developing a career, or side-career, in film.
This was a collection born in fire. Pugh seemed to be establishing his own creation myth here, demonstrating, via allegory, the tortured process of how his avant-garde looks come to be made.
"You’re so money” means you have so much value. You are so very good. Gareth Pugh’s latest collection was so, so money."
Gareth Pugh A/W15 London Fashion Week
In early 2015 H+S staged a triumphant homecoming show — inspired by inspired by the legend of St. George, staged in the cavernous Raphael Gallery of the V&A in London — an explosive return to the LFW schedule, following 7 years of showing in Paris.
The models walked with faces painted in a red cross like fans by Alex Box, their hair pulled back into a pony tail by Anthony Turner. Pugh gave them clothes that were scaled up for impact, and protection: black capes, face-framing funnel necks, that were as voluminous as a wrapped duvet, a Mongolian in a silhouette-warping shag, flaring dresses that swept the floor.
Picture fashion’s middle point between Shakespeare and Clive Barker. That was kind of where Pugh started 10 years ago, and this collection was his way of going back there, giving himself, as he said, “a kick in the backside.”
S/S15 Fashion Week
“I wanted it of the earth, rather than landed from a spaceship,” he continued, in tacit acknowledgment of the fact that his clothes often remind people of something extraterrestrial. So there were corn dolly hats, and steer skulls made from papier-mâché, and a playsuit fashioned after Scottish Burrymen, who would be ritualistically covered with thistles and other sticky things (here, the “thistles” were little flowers of chiffon, arduously attached by hand).
He cleverly transmuted those obvious showpieces into actual clothes. Handkerchief-hem dresses composed of chiffon rags in white had a virginal purity that seemed destined for the May queen. The sackcloth was cut into the same silhouette. “It hangs like silk gazar,” Pugh enthused. “I love the inexpensive looking luxurious.”
His precision as a designer may have been most obvious in the way he took the big leather pentagrams he’d had made (rustic paganism gone truly occult) and turned them into sensational harnesses, the kind of item that would add sinister spine to any old piece of tat you chose to wear.
Anniversary Exhibition 2015
Staged over the duration of London fashion Week, in early 2015, in collaboration with Brazilian footwear brand Melissa, H+S presented ten iconic archive looks to the public for the first time, celebrating the ten year anniversary of the label.
‘It hasn’t been easy, but nothing of value is ever won without sacrifice – ten years is a massive chunk of my life. Giving up was never an option,’ he says of the milestone. ’I’ve had the opportunity to do such amazing things and I’ve worked hard to maintain the original point: to do something singular and compelling.’
Gareth Pugh x Ruth Hogben x Wayne McGregor: MOVEment
Alongside Prada, Alexander McQueen, and Hussein Chalayan, at the invitation of AnOther Magazine — as part of a larger project pairing choreographers with fashion designers, — H+S worked with Wayne McGregor and Ruth Hogben to create a stark and provocative film short presented to the public at Sadler’s Wells Lilian Baylis Studio.
S/S11 Paris Fashion Week
In collaboration with fashion filmmaker Ruth Hogben and iconic supermodel Kristin McMenamy, in late 2010 in place of a runway show H+S presented a large scale fashion film presentation on an IMAX size screen at the Palais de Omnisports Bercy in Paris.
This Spring collection suggested a move toward something softer, though equally bewitching. Flowing kimono shapes were cut from a nylon printed with aluminum to give an extraordinary two-way mirror effect. Pugh pulled off a feat of cutting in tunics he called “modular,” the same front and back. And, keen as he was to avoid the sci-fi tag that has been continually attached to his clothes, he still showed sinuous silvery pieces that clung to the body like thirty-first-century armor.
ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS
‘Soul of a Movement’ Documentary, 2019
In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, Gareth Pugh and Carson McColl present a radical, poignant short highlighting the LGBTQ+ community’s ongoing battle for acceptance
The memorial fountain dedicated to trailblazing trans activist and Stonewall Riot veteran Marsha P Johnson – dubbed the Rosa Parks of the LGBTQ+ movement – lays at the end of Christopher where she was found dead in 1992, and marks the point at which the inspiration for Gareth Pugh and Carson McColl’s latest project struck.
Christina Aguilera: London Fashion Week
In the summer of 2019 we were commissioned to create the stage design, digital content and a series of custom looks for an explosive live show by Christina Aguilera on stage at the Royal Opera in London, celebrating our collaboration with Virgin Voyages.
Christina Aguilera, ‘The Xperience,’
In 2019 we were approached by Christina Aguilera to create the opening look for her sell-out residency resulting in a look later adapted for the international leg of her Liberation Tour.
Madison Square Garden Project
In 2019 we were invited by MSG to reimagine the visual world of the iconic Radio City Rockettes, in collaboration with choreographer Wayne McGregor, set designer Es Devlin and musical director Marius de Vries, to work across digital content and costume design.
The Ballet, 2018
At the invitation of Sarah Jessica Parker we created costumes for the debut of Matthew Neenan’s ‘The Exchange’ as part of the Ballet’s annual fundraiser.
‘Alea Sands,’ The Opéra Garnier, 2018
In 2017 we were commissioned by the Paris Ballet to create the costumes for a new ballet choreographed by Wayne McGregor to celebrate the the birthday of the legendary composer Pierre Boullez.
Nicki Minaj, ‘Krippy Kush’
One of series of custom pieces created for Nicki based on a key look from our
Spring/Summer 2018 show.
Rihanna: W Magazine, 2017
Commissioned by Edward Enninful to create custom looks for Rihanna’s cover story of W Magazine, shot by Steven Klein.
Cardi B: ‘Money’
One of series of custom pieces created for Cardi based on the closing look of our
Spring/Summer 2017 show.
“The locations we chose were significant to us: Glasgow and Sunderland are our hometowns and where we grew up, and London is where we live today. We also chose Belfast because we know that Northern Ireland is a particularly hostile environment to be queer. That said, we had no idea just how much pressure the community in Northern Ireland is under, which just highlights how much work is still to be done.”
Beyoncé: ‘Mine’
A custom look adapted from our Spring/Summer 2014 collection created for Beyoncé’ video ‘Mine,’ directed by the celebrated image-maker Pierre Debusschere.
Beyoncé: ‘Run the World’
A custom piece created for Beyoncé based on our Autumn/Winter 2013 show, which now resides in permanent exhibition at the Rock and Hall of Fame in Ohio.
Lady Gaga Artpop / Artrave
Alongside Marina Abramović, Inez & Vinoodh, Jeff Koons, and Robert Wilson, we
worked with Gaga on the visual treatment for the launch of her album ‘Artpop’ in a landmark cultural event that took place at the Navy Yard in late 2013.
Beyoncé: ‘Diva’
One of several customs looks created for Beyoncé for her ‘Diva’ video, based on our Spring/Summer 2009 show at Paris Fashion Week.
Lexus Design
In collaboration with Lexus, in late 2014 we took over a 125,000 sq. ft. venue in Lower East Side, headlining NYFW with a major multidisciplinary event featuring a series of large scale film presentations, and a major new dance piece by Company Wayne McGregor. Sarah Jessica Parker, in attendance, described it as “one of those nights… People will say, ‘I was there.’”
COMMERCIAL DESIGN
Selfridges Corner Shop Takeover
As part of their ‘Radical Luxury’ programme, in the summer of 2018 we were commissioned by the Creative Director of Selfridges to stage a full scale takeover of their then-new ‘Corner Shop’ space. In addition to presenting our own work, we also invited a raucous group of emerging designers to host daily activations in Selfridges’ Oxford windows, with explosive and memorable results.
DeBeers Forevermark
In late 2012 we were commissioned by DeBeers to create a piece of jewellery showcasing their ethically-sourced Forevermark diamonds. The final piece — worth in excess of £1M — was set with 100 Forevermark stones and was unveiled in a major ceremony in Mumbai in the summer of 2013.
Virgin Voyages
In 2018 we were approached by Richard Branson and Virgin Voyages to design 100+ uniforms for Virgin’s latest venture: a fleet of ultra-luxury cruise ships, due to launch from the port of direction and rollout of the project, the collaboration was announced in September 2019 with a major event at LFW.
MAC Cosmetics
In 2010 Gareth was commissioned by MAC Cosmetics to create a full scale make up line for global sale. The line was release in late 2011 and was an immediate success, selling out globally within weeks of its release.
Chinese Superstar Li Yuchun
Following in the footsteps of Ricardo Tisci and Jean Paul Gaultier, in 2015 we designed the costumes for Chinese pop superstar Li Yuchun’s annual mega-concert in Beijing.
Chrome Hearts – Ongoing
In close collaboration with the American luxury brand’s founders, we have worked with Chrome Hearts across several major projects — including a three way collaboration with the celebrated choreographer Benjamin Millipied at NYFW — but most prominently with a capsule collection released in 2014, and via a forthcoming jewellery line, slated for release in 2021.
Veuve Cliquot: ‘A Beautiful Darkness’
Invited by Nick Knight to contribute to his take on Veuve Cliquot’s ‘Widow Series’ we created a fashion film with Ruth Hogben and an immersive live experience as part of the project’s launch event in an abandoned building on London’s Kingsway.
Grey Goose x Elton John’s AIDS Foundation
Invited by Grey and Elton John to create a custom bar to be sold at auction in support of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, we designed and produced a fold-out ebony cube drinks cabinet. It sold at auction for £40,000 — the most raised by any lot in its category.
"Like the look of the bar, I wanted something very simple and stripped-back- no bells and whistles,"
I.T. Hong Kong
Designed in collaboration with Daytrip studios, in 2010 we were commissioned by Chinese retail giant I.T. to open the first Gareth Pugh standalone highly stylized LED-lined ‘black box’ — proved a huge success, trading until 2017.
Absolut: ‘Absolut Mode’
In 2010 we were invited by Absolut to create a limited edition bottle titled ‘Absolut Mode.’ The design was an immediate success and sold out within days of its release.
Nick Knight x Mercedes Benz
In late 2009 Gareth was commissioned by Nick Knight to create a custom look to feature in a global ad campaign starring model Julia Stegner, showcasing the new Mercedes SLS.
Beijing Fashion Week: Mercedes Benz
Invited by Mercedes Benz to reimagine our Spring/Summer 2017 show, as headline designer at Beijing Fashion Week, we initiated a full scale takeover of Beijing’s district, culminating in a live fashion show.
Nymphenberg
Alongside Viktor + Rolf, Vivienne Westwood and Christian Lacroix, in 2007 — as part of Nymphenburg’s couture series reimagining the Commedia dell’arte — we designed this limited edition figurine, later sold for a six figure sum to Nymphenburg private clientele.
Fragrance for Six Scents
Working in collaboration with french perfumer Symrise, in 2008 we created a limited edition fragrance, launched at New York Fashion Week and sold exclusively at Seven NY. An immediate hit, it sold out within days of its launch.
"The whole series of fragrances is intended for recollecting money for charities."
HSBC TV Spot, Directed by Jake Nava
In 2005 we were commissioned by director Jake Nava to collaborate on the visual treatment for a global ad for HSBC for which we worked across casting, set design and costume.
GARETH PUGH
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