Gareth Pugh

Uncompromising, anarchic and at times fiercely confrontational, it’s fair to say that provocation has always been one of British fashion designer Gareth Pugh’s governing principles. Described by Andrew Bolton — Chief Curator of the Costume Institute at The Met — as “the Fellini of fashion” and by the The Sunday Times as “Britain’s most exciting designer,” he is, as Dazed put it “the designer who shattered the monotony of an era of commercial fashion.”

Born in Sunderland in 1981, Pugh studied at London’s Central Saint Martins. He graduated in 2005 determined to redefine what it means to be a designer in the cultural space, and nearly two decades later, despite global recognition and critical acclaim, he remains defiant — steadfastly refusing to take his place among the ranks of the establishment, preferring to remain an outlier, viewing fashion not so much as an industry but instead as a vital cultural force.

Over the past decade Pugh has worked with some of the most popular artists of our time – including Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Rihanna – and has collaborated with some of the world’s most important cultural institutions, designing shows for the New York City Ballet, the Opéra Garnier in Paris, the Dutch National Opera and The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

In 2018, with a view to expanding and diversifying his creative practice, alongside his husband and longtime creative accomplice Carson McColl, Pugh co-founded HARD+SHINY, an award winning independent creative studio based in London. To describe the studio’s output as multi-disciplinary would be something of an understatement. Their client portfolio is a rich and colourful line up, ranging from Stonewall to Selfridges & Co, Madison Square Garden to Rolls Royce Motor Cars.

Together, Pugh and McColl also founded This Bright Land, a month-long not-for-profit cultural festival taking place every two years at Somerset House in London. Launched in the summer of 2022, This Bright Land welcomed more visitors in Year 1 than Glastonbury (210,000+) and was described by the Evening Standard as “The summer’s most joyful festival! A radical addition to the cultural scene, unlike anything before it.”