Gareth Pugh In Malaysia: Interview
Last Saturday, five lucky girls (among a whole lot of others) won invites from TiC to catch Gareth Pugh and Matthew Stone on the decks at Zouk KL. I managed to grill the designer - a rare occurence as the presence of fashion royalty is rarely felt in our city!
Before I go into the Q+A, let me dabble in a little Pugh history. Gareth Pugh began working as a costume designer at the age of 14 and graduated with a degree in Fashion Design at St. Martins in 2003. His final project at the university grabbed the attention of Dazed & Confused magazine's Senior Editor, who swiftly placed one of his designs on the cover.
Dazed and Confused archiving Pugh's collections from 2003-2008 in the April 2008 issue
This served as a platter, as Fashion East doled out to Pugh for his AW 2005 show. Pugh had 4 weeks and a lack of a studio, assistants and money to create a collection that would eventually become a critical success.
Pugh is currently known to construct intricately profound looks, using materials like inflated latex and PVC, with a theatrical twist. He brings the dramatic and futuristic side of fashion to the front lines, challenging pre-set attitudes towards design. And with critics like Anna Wintour backing him up, there's no way down for Gareth Pugh!
Interviewing Pugh was a delight - he was friendly, humble and kinda looked like Jared Leto! He was dressed down in layered tanks and skinnies with a peeling black manicure. Naturally, just because it was Pugh, I found myself drawn to them :p Here's the interview!
Your designs are very distinctly Gareth Pugh. And distinctly Gareth Pugh means incredibly contemporary avant garde. Do you ever feel the pressure to commercially compromise your runway collections?
Not in the least! It is important to respect and focus on the essence of what you're trying to express into something that's wearable at the same time.
The stage is the dream and I see no boundaries on the runway, but I do understand the importance of taking the essence of what's on the catwalk and breaking it down to ready-to-wear. There's also plenty of stuff in the stores that I'd never take to the runway, like T-shirts, that balance out every collection's vision.
Because your past collections run along the same thread, so much so that you've established a style that is distinctly Gareth Pugh, do you feel you've cornered yourself into a specific style that restricts you from future inspirations?
Well, I'm not the sort of designer who translate things literally. I was once inspired by Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, but the ideas mutated and you didn't see any ruby red shoes in the collection. Because things get abstracted along the process, I don't think I'll run short of ideas! I went to Hong Kong, and instead of inspiration from the exotic, I incorporated references from the window-paneled buildings there.
Google Gareth Pugh and there's always a "That's so Sasha Fierce" reference. How does being associated to a big star feel as a prominent upcoming designer?
The funny thing is that Beyonce never asked me to design her a dress. In fact, the piece she's famed for wearing was designed years ago. I see it as a good thing because she brought my designs to a very different, more mass audience. From hits that came in the thousands, Sasha Fierce propelled it to millions of views. And even though my career was at its infancy, that image built it more rapidly to another point!
So what's the story with Dior Homme?
Well, so far, there's been no forms of communication or dialogue between me and Dior. (Writer's note: But I wouldn't write it off!)
Any backstage superstitions?
Always get a manicure before a show! And never let the photographers backstage - there's always more photographers than models! Because shows are always ages of envisioning that give you 3 hours to put everything together, people shouldn't be in my way!
If you could name one person to dress, who'd it be?
Annie Lennox! She's a little more matured, more sure of herself, more eclectic, and I've always likened her to be the Linda Evangelista of the music industry which interests me heaps. But celebrities aside, I would like to go back to costume designing some day; for a ballet or opera.
Are you as good a DJ as you are a designer?
(laughs) I'm so not a DJ! It all started when Richard, the organizer of Club Boombox started bringing in non-DJS to spin for fashion parties, a really niche market in London right now. For me, it's more like selecting fun songs more than actually spinning! In fact, Matthew (Stone) tried teaching me the night before in Singapore.
So what's the relationship between you and Matthew Stone?
I believe that music and fashion go hand in hand, and Matthew does all the music for my shows. It's like an ongoing process; a never-ending thread between collections, his music, and collaborating the two to sync.
Mattell commissioned Gareth Pugh to create his version of Ken
What's the funniest faux paus you've had?
Some years back, I had long hair... And people never knew whether to place me as a boy or girl. The airport security for example, didn't know whether to get a girl or guy to feel me up!
What's the last thing you'd get caught dead in?
I'd never say never... Oh, Crocs!
Pugh with Dazed & Confused Senior Fashion Editor Katie Shillingford, his partner Carson McColl, and Matthew Stone!
[Photo Credits: Derive, Diane, a Shaded View on Fashion, Style Skilling, Maricazottino, Lost at E Minor, Style Republik, Look Book Fashion Forum, Laboratorio De Moda, ELLE UK, De Zeen, Women Blog , The Look, Frillr, Plastic as Metaphor, Style Salvage, Niwdenapolis]
