Online and offline, menswear seems to become an increasingly showy affair. Gareth Pugh kicked off the season as women’s guest designer at Pitti Uomo in Florence with a film presentation of his collection. The lean silhouettes of his futuristic
Online and offline, menswear seems to become an increasingly showy affair. Gareth Pugh kicked off the season as women’s guest designer at Pitti Uomo in Florence with a film presentation of his collection. The lean silhouettes of his futuristic clothes were screened onto the vaulted ceiling of the 700-year-old Orsanmichele church, resembling a digital complement to the manifold renaissance frescoes nearby. During the show, burning candles emanated a warm light and created a spiritual, almost sacred atmosphere. For the first time with a hint of colour in his collection, a gold leaf dress, a blue cape, Pugh hit a religious note and reworked these catholic influences into his trademark style, and gave the dark nihilism a slight chance of eternal life.
In Milan, master of ceremonies Thome Browne placed his Moncler Gamme Bleu show into an equestrian arena. The models, clad in quilted outfits in Houndstooth and Prince of Wales check, or emerald green paired with a red turtleneck, paraded down the soft ground with Beagle puppies by their side. For his Paris show, the designer chose a more historic setting and restaged Thomas Jefferson’s visit to the court of Versailles just before the French Revolution at the Westin’s Baroque Salon impérial. It was a feast for the eyes, 18th century Americana, big top hats, walking sticks, long trailing coats worked with powdery Rococo make-up; lush materials like astrakhan and shearling combined with big puffy sleeves and long leather gloves reaching up to the elbow.
John Galliano had a look at the life of the ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev and channelled his vision into a tour de force starting with opulent Tartar inspired coats, reflected the looks of Russian émigrés arriving at Ellis Island with silverware and musical instruments, and suggested to wear chunky knits while rehearsing in the ballet studio. After the show, the master himself walked down the runway in a steady pace, now and then nodding to the applauding audience, which made a dusty cloud of chalk come out of his furry hat.
If this sounds like fun to watch, Nicola Formichetti, who took over as creative director at Mugler this season, hit a darker note, employing the ‘human skeleton’ Rick Genest as principal model, who has human bones tattooed all over his body. The show was accompanied by a video premiering the song ‘Scheisse’ (the German word for shit) from Lady Gaga’s new album. Mr Formichetti knows the internet generation perfectly well, releasing teasers of the forthcoming collection on his blog and twittering constantly about it. No wonder the film was all over the web on the day after the show.
Be it digital or live in a specifically chosen location, it is not the sole privilege of a couture or women’s wear audience any longer to enjoy the theatrical thrill of a conceptual show. Menswear is moving away from its drab image of presenting boring suits in clean spaces, pretending to put the product in the foreground, and starts to introduce witty ideas to set the looks in scene. The shows become genuine happenings, bold, extraordinary experiences that make the images last and let the brands grow.
Text by George Ghon
