The Fashion Man: Clifford Pugh
An Editor’s oasis: Houston’s renowned fashion guru, former CultureMap Editor-In-Chief, and long-time journalist, Clifford Pugh regularly covers fashion shows in New York, Milan, and Paris. LCAHouston International Society News Editor, Ruchi Mukherjee had the privilege to attend the New York Fashion show with the pro. Clifford sits down with Ruchi for a tête-à-tête.
Clifford Pugh and Ruchi Mukherjee
RM: You inspire so many journalists and fashion forward readers (including me!), but who is your inspiration?
CP: For fashion coverage, I continue to be inspired by Washington Post fashion editor Robin Givhan and The New York Times chief fashion critic Vanessa Friedman. When I first started covering fashion (for the Houston Chronicle) around 2004, all the major newspapers sent reporters to cover New York Fashion Week. Now there are only a handfull. They have been replaced by bloggers who post pretty pictures of the runway and themselves but they offer no critical evaluation of the collections. Robin and Vanessa continue to write well-reasoned critiques of all of the major collections in New York, Milan and Paris, with a view of what fashion means as part of the bigger picture of life. I am fortunate to continue to cover New York Fashion Week, now for PaperCity, and try to do the same thing. What people wear says so much about the trends in our society and the times we live in.
RM: You’ve traveled extensively both professionally and for leisure. What’s left on your bucket list of places to visit?
CP: I am looking forward to an extensive stay in Greece this summer as my spouse is of Greek ancestry and speaks the language fluently, so I have my own tour guide. I would love to visit India with an expert on the area. So let me know when you are free to travel, Ruchi!
RM: Absolutely! What fashion statement does Houston best portray?
CP: Houston women are partial to colorful clothes and they love to dress up, so it’s no wonder fashion designers are crazy about our city and come here often on personal appearances. With a few exceptions, Houston men aren’t nearly as adventuresome from a fashion standpoint.
RM: You’ve witnessed Houston’s lifestyle and cultural scene explode over the past 25 years. What has been your favorite change and what have you dreaded the most?
CP: Houston is a much more sophisticated and diverse city that it was when I first arrived around 25 years ago. Compare the Super Bowl in 2004, when downtown Houston was still quite desolate and the big news was that the light rail had just opened, with the Super Bowl in 2017, when many of the activities took place around Discovery Green, surrounded by a number of major hotels, including the new Marriott Marquis. And the many different cultures, all getting along, make the city special. But I continue to have a pet peeve that many Houston leaders continue to feel compelled to defensively boast that we’re a world class city instead of letting Houston stand on its merits.
RM: What do you see as the greatest potential for change in Houston in the next decade?
CP: I’m looking forward to seeing the next generation of young leaders put their stamp on the city and tackle its problems with innovative solutions. And I can’t wait to see what they’re wearing.
Photo By Sonya Abid
