NYFW: Gareth Pugh

After having his collections shown in Paris for the past 6 years, Gareth Pugh, the British avant garde designer, has moved his collection to New York with the help of Lexus, who sponsored the event for him. His entry was nothing short of bizarre but nonetheless, intense, magnificent and one of a kind. The choreographed performance focused mainly upon the idea of abstract art and image rather than the conservative concept of fashion. The most successful and interesting part of this event was the end; The dark and foggy atmosphere set the scene for that performance, as seven dancers from Wayne McGregor's Random Company moved to the music in minimal clothing whilst various images of "The Phoenix", an angel who was spreading and raising her wings in slow motion, were shown in the background. 

Being one of my all time favourite designers, I love his bursts of energy and this abstract fashion experience is no different. I wonder if other designers will follow in his foot steps or stick to the more traditional shows. At the beginning of the performance, his Spring 2015 garments were shown but the performance most likely took centre stage and captured the imagination of the attendees more than the garments. Thankfully, Pugh's image-maker, Ruth Hogben, will create a lookbook from the footage of the performance for practical reasons which will be released shortly.

(all photos from Vogue.co.uk)

With the dancers wearing hardly any clothes at a FASHION show, it begs the question, what is Pugh suggesting about fashion week and fashion in general? Is there a deeper meaning behind his expressive performance? One source suggests that the piece was to imply the emotions that went into designing and making the clothes. What do you think?

G xxx