Born in Sunderland, he studied on the Art Foundation course at City of Sunderland College and completed his degree in Fashion Design at Central St Martins in 2003. During a work placement assisting Rick Owens at luxury furrier Revillon, Pugh met Michelle Lamy, the Parisian fashion consultant largely responsible for the commercial ascent of the Owens label. In the Autumn of 2006, Lamy became official backer to Pugh, their collaboration marking a more luxurious direction in his work with the introduction of cashmere, leather and mink to collections.