Upon arrival editors, buyers, and stylists who were all expecting to see a slew of models hitting the catwalk for Gareth Pugh’s Fall/Winter 2009 were surprised to find Natasa Vojnovic being the only model credited on the credit sheet.
Following the likes of Viktor & Rolf and Halston, Gareth Pugh stunned this season when he eschewed a traditional runway show for an eight minute long video.
The video – which was simultaneously broadcast on SHOWstudio (http://www.showstudio.com/
The mostly black and white film had a demonic, robotic feel to it with eerie music and sound effects. Vojnovic was a good choice for the artfully crafted video. Unfortunately, though it was wonderful to get to see how the clothing pieces actually move, at times it was hard to make out the look and feel of the pieces for a true understanding of this season’s collection.
While I’m all for using various mediums to help showcase a designer’s vision, the video Pugh presented would have been better as a complement to a runway show rather than as a substitute given how difficult it was to actually make out individual pieces.
When asked why he opted for this route the English designer noted that he finds traditional runway shows “a little half-assed, for lack of a better word. It’s a well-trodden formula and I think it’s time for a change.”
It may be time for a change, but whether or not this will be an adopted route remains to be seen.
Images courtesy of the Fashion Spot forums.
