A flurry of black confetti discs fell from the sky to open Pughs show. It was a dark inversion of Burberrys rainy-day trick from an altogether different sort of London designer. While Christopher Bailey had a front row filled with fresh-faced models and Hollywood smiles, Pugh had Daphne Guinness, Rick Owens and wife Michele Lamy (whose smile comes fanged and gold-plated). Where Burbs had brollies, Pugh had bondage.
But both designers have a tightly defined vision. In Pughs case, that means looking to the dark side of beautystarting with lots of black leather.
Shaggy silk fringing and all-over fur made a pack of yetis of the opening models, down to the furred gloves on their hands. That evolved into tight leather bodices sprouting sleeves and skirts of spaghetti-style cotton fringing.
Shredded leather hung in swags on a black jellyfish coat suited for a warrior queen. Princess-seamed coats were hardened with leather piping and fur-capped shoulders.
The bondage element entered the frame in harness-like headpieces, coats with built-in arm restraints, and dramatic collars which, turned backward, become facemasks.
I started off looking at those amazing Masai necklaces, Pugh told us of his Batwoman muzzles after the show. I wanted it to look quite primitive or earthy, which is very different than last season.
Really, I wanted to get as far as I could away from what I did last season. Although I loved last season, its nice to do one thing, and then prove to yourself that you could still do the other thingsa bit like a yo-yo.
And what did the Hon. Daphne Guinness make of it?
Perfect! she said. It was elegant, it was blackit was everything that I expected from Gareth and everything that I like . I am very keen on the muzzles.
