Gareth Pugh has yet again revolutionized couture with his 10th anniversary show, receiving inspiration from his homeland, Britain.

The V&A Museum was the venue for Pugh’s presetation, providing for an austere yet alluding showroom that allowed the music to plunge throughout the room and bright lights to define the textures of black on the runway. With the main soundtrack made from Sunderland Football chants, choppy hair inspired by Queen Elizabeth I, stiletto nude nails mimicking claws, and red paint taken from a photo of Wayne Rooney, the collection is in every sense a tribute to Britannia. Chaos, hope, and ambition all came together in the warrior-esque looks on the runway.

The show opened with a short film directed by the legendary Ruth Hogben, showing a woman looking in the light as she chops off her hair and paints her face red for liberation. Dresses and gowns draped to the floor in his signature cape designs, accentuating bold, stiff shoulders and also featuring spiked chokers.

 

We had the chance to go backstage with Mac Cosmetics senior artist Alex Box to learn all about the bold beauty look:

“The inspiration is a tough, ball-breaking, unstoppable strong woman. She’s adorning herself with a statement as opposed to makeup. She’s Joan of Arc so keeping the look as rough and raw as possible, she’s emblazoned with a St. George’s cross for a Britannia vibe. The skin has no moisturizer, keeping the skin as raw as possible and only concealing where absolutely needed, the color is red chromacake and pigment mixed with water and applied using finger a cross down the face.”

 

Key Products:

Charged Water Cleanser

Studio Finish Concealer

Mac Chromacake in Basic Red, Mac Pigment in Basic Red

-Tristen Yang