Gareth Pugh FW11 - Paris

[Sombre]

Seconding this being a "gay" collection. Seeing visual similarities to drag costumes. The totally unstructured lower half of the body in the men's looks brings out a feminine silhouette.

That makes it feminine, not gay. Gay is a sexual orientation. Ascribing inanimate objects that characteristic only stereotypes those individuals who are, in fact, gay.

[ironman]

I think the reason we don't like the mens is because its a gay vision of man; i can't see any straight guy wearing this stuff. His womens is very close to rick but ricks mens is still a straight mans view ?

i'd say it's mostly the billowy pants being paper thin that makes it look feminine

i would buy this jacket and this sweater

http://www.style.com/slideshows/2011/fashionshows/F2011RTW/PUGH/RUNWAY/00090m.jpg

http://www.style.com/slideshows/2011/fashionshows/F2011RTW/PUGH/RUNWAY/00180m.jpg

[copacetic]

"Feminine" is also an orientation--a cultural construct.

"Performing gender" a la Judith Butler...

[Sombre]

"Feminine" is also an orientation--a cultural construct.

"Performing gender" a la Judith Butler...

But it is completely separate from gay. You're using the two as synonyms.

[Faust]

Seconding this being a "gay" collection. Seeing visual similarities to drag costumes. The totally unstructured lower half of the body in the men's looks brings out a feminine silhouette.

I sometimes feel that Pugh takes kitsch and fetish and camp and elevates it. Forgetting if I should back up camp being uniquely homosexual terrain: I think Susan Sontag pushed this point home in the '80s.

In the 60's. But we are not in the 60's anymore. Plenty of non-gay camp these days.

Again, I don't see this as particularly gay. I see it as a comic book. Gareth comes from a London club scene, and this is exactly where a lot of it will end up - so all the over the top gold, etc. makes total sense. This is why Seven in New York does well with it (and Barneys does not).

[ES3K]

it's a joy to just look at this collection. and i love the blue suit with the damir collarless jacket, would like to try it on to see if it might work with me. with a top underneath though.

[copacetic]

And the London club scene is a queer scene. (@MonaDahl)

Maybe we can settle on club-hopping gay neu rave superheroes?

[edhohoho]

it's a joy to just look at this collection. and i love the blue suit with the damir collarless jacket, would like to try it on to see if it might work with me. with a top underneath though.

I agree. Never seen this designer's work before but at first glance I really thought it was visually stunning and pleasing to look at. Sure, most of this stuff is not my style and I can't imagine myself wearing any of the men's clothing, but as a collection it does look extremely futuristic, albeit costume-like. The women's line was certainly more captivating.

[sagill1119]

I like the blue

[interest1]

What Gareth has succeeded in doing is taking that original allegiance of his to the leather-clad cyber heathen, corners sharp & black as night, and manage to tone it down – without watering it down – in the quest for commercial viability. If you can't sell your shit, it doesn't matter how cool your shit is.

A look at his early work, below, as proof:




The only major difference is that now, I see pure refinement and wearability:




Sure, he's had his hand held through much of it, and considering who those "helping hands" belong to, who could blame him? This is the best of Gareth Pugh because it strikes a better-than-just-good balance in pleasing both his fans and his sponsors – without betraying himself in the process.

That said, no young designer should be content to whisper their creative vision. When they can scream it.

Show makeup, btw, was sick as fuck.
.

[Calimero]

That's a very nice collection. I'm not much into gareth men's collection, but women's collection is very nice, i like the different materials and the zipers.

This coat is fantastic

[Inxight]

It comes off for me as Pierre Cardin channeled by Gareth Pugh. My problem with this type of futurism is that it's all too predictable. We know the references, and this doesn't add anything new to that dialog let alone challenge our assumptions of what futurism can be. It's as if there is no middle ground between the clean starkness of StarTrek and the post-apocalypsism of Mad Max.

My second problem is this feels very much Pugh for _____ (fill in the blank: Pugh for Versace, Pugh for Pierre Cardin, Pugh for Theory, Pugh for Topshop, Pugh for the Matrix Vs. Hellraiser movie, etc.). It feels very controlled and sanitized to maximize commercial viability. Maybe a better word would be compromised, and that's an unpleasant idea for me.

[Patroklus]

I really don't see Versace, Topshop, and especially Pierre Cardin releasing clothing like this.

[diamonds]

this is totally pierre cardin

[Heirloom]

it IS totally cardin, and thanks for pointing it out. I've been feeling it all from the start. however i think he's translating it to clothes that people can wear and that aren't just wacky showpieces. interest1 showed this very clearly. it's not groundbreaking, but it's fun and pretty.