
Our
October cover story concept was dreamt up by Gareth Pugh and Nick
Knight. Starting with the sculptural elements from Gareth's a/w 08
collection, we wanted to focus on the grey zipped pieces that opened
the February show. Nick was interested in mixing Gareth’s very hard-edged structures with some kind of organic and natural element- a woodland
landscape. Gareth especially made horse armour for Castiano,
the Royal Dutch Friesian horse who was shot in the studio and the woodland was shot beforehand by Nick and his team in Richmond
park.
One of the season’s top girls, Abbey Lee
modelled for the shoot and was covered in an array of unsavoury hair and
make-up products including clay, charcoal, treacle and sand to create an
Amazonian, warrior mood by make-up artist Alex Box and hair stylist
Martin Cullen. Abbey proved to be a real trooper and accepted the role
of warrior swamp girl with real gusto. We all looked on in awe as she
happily struck her poses whilst being burdened by an excruciatingly
heavy safety pin dress (probably not far off her own weight!) and
allowed Martin to pour treacle on her hair.

In
addition to the uncomfortable clothes and sticky, heavy hair and make-up, I
really wanted our heroine to have long, jagged talons that looked as if
she had just crawled through a swamp. I think our manicurist, Sophie
Robson, thought we were joking when we told her to burn the fake nails
before applying them, but we soon won her round! She cut long acrylics
into a fork, like a snake’s tongue, burnt the edges and then spray
painted the nails before applying. The process was time consuming but
worth it!
We decided to feature Gareth in Dazed right
after his February show and when the news was announced that he won the
Andam award, the story seemed even more perfectly timed. I’ve been
friends with Gareth since we were at college and working on shows since
his debut at Kashpoint so it’s incredibly exciting to be going to Paris
with him- we have kind of grown into what we’re both doing at the same
time. I love working on his shows, visiting the studio in the months
beforehand, trying on the toiles and helping to create his woman. We’re
great friends and somehow it just works.