The crow has always had different interpretations depending on the cultures that we take into account: in Irish mythology ravens were associated with the goddess of death and war, Morrigan.
Norse tradition, instead, talks about two crows, Huginn and Muninn, flying around the world and diffusing God Odin's word.
Thanks also to just these two examples, it's pretty clear which is the meaning hidden behind this figure: extreme strength.
Gareth Pugh seems to have exploited this aspect, by trying to instill in the Fall Winter collection much more than we seem to see.
Thanks also to just these two examples, it's pretty clear which is the meaning hidden behind this figure: extreme strength.
Gareth Pugh seems to have exploited this aspect, by trying to instill in the Fall Winter collection much more than we seem to see.
We must go deeper than just the mere surface.
What I immediately imagined by looking at the collection was a modern conception of what the bird is.
I thought about Hayao Miyazaki's "Hauru no ugoku shiro"aka "Howl's Moving Castle" (2004), where the wizard Howl transforms himself into a huge crow, and soon the feathers, the fringes and fur reminded me of this figure.
Proyas's The Crow (1994), instead, tells the story of, as IMDb says, "A man brutally Murdered comes back to life as an undead avenger of His and his fiancée'smurder.".
Even though in the movie the main character is played by a man, Pugh turns the tables on creating a story where the main character is a woman, even starring in similar leather clothes.
Gareth knows his own way, infact, for this collection he seems to have been more edgy than usual: the use of feathers, the fur and fringes were the new features of the season, but his typical touch of black leather is not lost.
GS
Photo Credits: Karla Otto
