I watched Gareth Pugh's fashion film and I'm afraid I'll never sleep again
In lieu of a traditional (well, as “traditional” as Gareth Pugh can get) runway show, the designer debuted a fashion film to showcase his spring/summer 2018 collection.
For the film, which Pugh played for a group of editors at London’s BFI Imax, Pugh worked with British photographer Nick Knight — and the results are…bizarre.
The film begins with two men slathering their faces with clay — and it gets weirder and weirder as it goes on. From nearly-nude bodies moving in an otherworldly way to “American Horror Story”-style cutaway shots of blood, guts and….more guts?!
An article written by i-D on the film is titled “Gareth Pugh wants to hijack your mind with his visceral anti-fashion film” — and hijack my mind he did. This film made me squeamish and got under my skin — which is exactly what it was supposed to do.
“Overall the film is a journey from torment to salvation,” Knight told i-D of the film. “We wanted to create a very emotional film that conveyed the power of Gareth’s stunning collection.”
Knight added that, ultimately, he thinks film can replace the catwalk.
“Fashion shows are feeling unsustainable as a system for showcasing fashion,” he said.
“Great fashion films can really provide an amazing vision of a collection where the designer has much more ability to really show off their collection in the way they want it to be seen. It can be more imaginative, more powerful and more expressive for the designer than simply asking models to walk round in a circle, or up and down a catwalk.”
Once you get over the ultra-creepy vibe of the initial few minutes (the film runs just over 16 minutes), the video does a stunning job of showing Pugh’s unique designs. From black dresses with flame detailing to a striking red coat with metal accents to a cage dress illuminated by a laser, the out-of-the-ordinary designs that Pugh has become known for are showcased in a way that shows just what they are — art.
Watch the film above and let us know what you think in the comments.
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