Claude Montana® re-issue collection: Farfetch announce exclusive collaboration with Byronesque and Gareth Pugh
Farfetch Limited (NYSE: FTCH), the leading global technology platform for the luxury fashion industry, has joined forces with Byronesque – the authority in contemporary vintage fashion and celebrated British fashion designer, Gareth Pugh, to deliver a collection which honours the visionary designer. The 11-piece womenswear capsule collection paying homage to French designer Claude Montana, re-issued by Byronesque with Gareth Pugh as Design Consultant, launches globally 12th February on Farfetch.com. This reissue collection marks the first time that landmark pieces of Claude Montana®‘s previous collections are available to buy in two decades.
Claude Montana was the ‘rockstar designer’ widely considered to have defined the fashion aesthetic of the 1980s. His combination of creativity, bold silhouettes, craftsmanship and theatrics captivated a global audience. Gareth Pugh – a designer who himself is known for razor-sharp tailoring and meticulous execution – was invited by Byronesque to ensure the collection respects exactly Claude Montana’s original creations. This is uncompromising product, designed to speak to both original Montana fans and a new, global audience via Farfetch who will no doubt recognise the inspiration Montana® provided to many of today’s designers.
This limited reedition ready-to-wear collection showcases a breadth of Montana®’s signature designs and techniques from as early as 1979 - 1994. Byronesque has reissued a collection that is true to Montana®’s original design codes, sourcing archival pieces as reference, and using many of the same manufacturers who worked with Montana the first time around.
The research and attention to detail has been a long labour of love for Pugh and Byronesque to ensure every detail is true to the original, decades later: the leather pieces within the collection have been made by the company who originally worked with Montana®. The eagle embroidery on the leather dress from 1979 – one Montana®’s most iconic pieces – is made with one of only two remaining machines of its kind, guided by craftswomen who also worked with Claude to develop his embroidery designs. The resulting collection offers Farfetch customers, Montana® collectors and future fans, global access to unique designs that still feel modern today.
Giorgio Belloli, Chief Commercial & Sustainability Officer at Farfetch said, “This collection really brings to life the fact that Farfetch offers lovers of fashion an unrivalled and inspiring range of incredible pieces you cannot find anywhere else in the world. Byronesque has worked tirelessly to bring back to life a unique, curated edit with such a rich heritage, to our global audience. The collection is the perfect homage to Montana® ’s iconic years and we are honoured to unveil this collection to our customers.”
Gill Linton, CEO/Editor-in-Chief at Byronesque said, “It’s easy to get distracted by giant shoulder- pads that kept Montana® stuck in the ‘80s, but when you explore the breadth of his designs, you can see how the brand shaped fashion history, not just shoulders. We have re-issued a collection of clothes that look like they have been designed for today, such was his genius. This is our love letter to Montana® and Farfetch is for the love of fashion - it’s a perfect match.”
Gareth Pugh, designer, comments: “Claude is considered something of a cult figure, but his influence is immeasurable. To engage with his legacy in this way comes with a great deal of responsibility... but ultimately these are clothes which demand respect and recognition; befitting a new generation of formidable Montana® women.”
In addition to the collection, Byronesque, in partnership with Farfetch, have produced a short documentary film paying homage to Montana®’s legacy with industry figures that worked closely with the designer or have been influenced by his work. The film explores the paradoxes in his work - the lightness as well as the power in his clothes, and the fanaticism around the brand - specifically his shows and Claude’s own carefully curated image. The film features commentary from fashion journalist, author and critic Alexander Fury, photographer Joe Gaffney, who shot one of the most famous images of Claude in 1979, Sarah Mower, one of the leading fashion critics today who discusses how the Montana woman was perceived; Stephen Jones, who created provocative headwear for Claude’s shows and worked very closely with the designer, and delves into what it was like to work with him and his creative inspirations; Suzanne Von Aichinger and Yasmin Le Bon who modeled for Montana®, who discuss why it was the most important show to walk in, and Duran Duran’s Nick Rhodes who provides cultural context and explains how Montana® was, culturally an important part of the mood of the moment. Additonally three generations of designers - Gareth Pugh, Olivier Theyskens and Marc Jacobs, discuss how Montana has inspired them and why his design legacy has endured.
Byronesque and Farfetch would like to sincerely thank the Parisian companies Montana Trademarks and Montana Creation, who, as owners of the Montana® and Claude Montana® trademarks and the exclusive and worldwide rights to these womenswear capsule collection pieces permitted this exclusive collection.