Paris Fashion Week was the last stop for the Spring/Summer 2011 season and it started off with a bang with English avant-garde fashion designer Gareth Pugh displaying his 11-minute film for all to see.
Like many, I really liked how Pugh chose not to have a traditional runway show but rather present his collection through the short film with the help of director Ruth Hogben. We never known what to expect from Pugh when it comes to his designs so it's no surprise (for me at least) when he chose this path than the other.
Image courtesy of: Tokyo Dandy
The trippy, futuristic images in black and white in addition to the haunting music composed by Matthew Stine really captures one's attention. The slender models move to the beat of the music showing the movements of the clothing as various kaleidoscope-like shots are presented throughout the film. From twists and turns to moving up and down, the various movements allow the audience to have a better idea of how the clothes look in motion, not just walking straight up and down a runway. Pugh wanted the audience to be able to see more.
Style.com's Tim Blanks praised Pugh for his genius approach, "If that hard edge would once have been equally applicable to Pugh's clothes, his 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. Scales of rubberized neoprene added a snaky futurism to tops and pants. 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."
With all the praise and glory there's always something that has to bring it down and many questions have been brought up. Most importantly, will film presentations replace traditional runway shows?
Pugh expressed his gratification with film presentation, “If a model trips or has a problem with shoes, that is the thing that endures. It is liberating for a designer not to have to worry about a show. You can get the models to be even more expressive and do it all in a more concise way."
Pugh also found the video sequences more exhilerating: "It sets the mood and conveys the essense of his vision, backed up with a lookbook focused on the clothes."
But to some, choosing to not have a runway show is a sign of weakness. Unlike the Lady Dior films starring Marion Cotillard, they complimented the runway show. Thus, fashion was getting a 2-for-1 deal, but not with Pugh. Instead, you get the opportunity to purchase items right off the runway. That's something you don't see everyday.
So what's your opinion?
This is good. An interesting subject and well constructed. One thing, i wouldn't link on Pugh's name but rather on the part of the sentence that implies the subject of what you're linking to. I like you asking a question of the audience at the end. Approp to the medium.
ReplyDeleteGood.
B