The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2023 - Issue 33

bitedesignerprofile Pam’s lifetime work ‘Dr Hogg’s Divine Disorder’, shown at The Gallery in Liverpool, featured stud- ded leather jackets, wild colour-blocked bodysuits and fantastical headdresses. She designed costumes for the National Theatre of Scotland’s production of Cyrano de Bergerac . One of her headpieces evoking the extravagant 18th-century headdresses worn by Marie-Antoinette at Versailles was fused with the New Romantic subculture of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. She dedicated her AW20 catwalk show 'Will There Be A Morning / Will There Be A Mourning' to all outsiders, encapsulating powerful black, red and gold palettes and celebrating individualism and expression. The collection featured over-the-top millinery, patent leather aesthetics, ruched tulle and stunning headpieces with messages of seduc- tion, inclusivity and forward fashion. It was like a parade of rainbow meshes of striking fabrics and symbols. Pam is the original sustainability ambassador, re- cycling fabrics for over 20 years. She advocates for people’s rights, believes young talent should have a voice, and has a revolutionary holistic creative process. “I don’t see myself as a fashion designer; I’m a creator. The underlying belly of it is passion, the discovery of a gem born from the collision of all my loves. I capture these fragments that float around my brain, tiny touches of things that even- tually fall into place like a jigsaw.” In light of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing in Septem- ber 2022, the designer elected to go ahead with her SS23 collection ‘My Profession is Dreaming’ at London Fashion Week, celebrating over 30 years as a designer and champion of the outlandish indi- vidual. Scottish actress and model Eunice Olumide wore a plunging v-neck skintight gold catsuit from Pam’s 2009 collection with a studded leather crown worn by the designer on the cover of i-D Magazine in 1989. We saw the usual parachute jumpsuits, printed coordinated pants and artistically dripped bleach print among oversized velour tracksuits and skin- tight silhouettes. The ‘80s references were walked in patent PVC and Lycra pants, with orange and black splatter graffiti patterns teamed with black and white platform boots. It wouldn’t have made the scene without the punk rocker hair and make- up mimicking London’s punk club scenes. The black latex v-neck bodysuit with teal blue ruf- fled edging was daring. Another deep v-neck black ruffled Lycra and PVC bodysuit with long ruffled sleeves, sheer black insert, and thigh-high lace-up boots made a theatrical entrance with a gorgeous black train. Pam Hogg once again outshone her previous presentations with thought-provoking, recycled designs that are current and speak vol- umes to those new to or a veteran in the electric punk-esque era. www.pamhogg.com