The theme behind Gareth Pugh‘s autumn-winter 2016 collection is women empowerment – which dangerously blurs between a strong political statement and S&M nods. The models, wearing exaggerated, yet appealing Mugler-ish silhouettes and leather skirts looked fierce and powerful – while the sleek blazers, sheer turtlenecks and gorgeous, leg-flattering flares in camel beige made these women feel as the ones you don’t want to mess up with – and surely not if you are man. What caught the eye of the observant ones were the details. Suitcases were handcuffed to models’ wrists; the aggressive “man-eater” masks were made of leather, and had this “danger zone” aura all aorund the place; painfully tied strings around the faces were surely trouble-some for most of the cast, but looked sharp with the plum-red lips. And this Tom-Ford-at-Gucci era vibe, which is a contrast towards Pugh’s previous, much more arty collections. Although I’m not ultimately certain whether I like or dislike this collection – it was one of the most confident and self-assured outings of the season.
Women Empowerment. Gareth Pugh AW16
