He may be known for his outlandishly unwearable creations, but Gareth Pugh has officially been accepted as part of the fashion establishment. The 26-year-old London designer, hailed as the new Alexander McQueen for  shock tactics like a coat made of real mice or a dress made entirely of zippers, was this week awards the prestigious ANDAM Fashion Award. The Parisian award is supported by the LVMH and Gucci groups among others, and is aimed to help young designers develop their fashion label.  Pugh wins a prize of 150,000 euros, as well as having the chance to show in Paris for the first time. "Showing at London Fashion Week has been amazing," the designer said in a statement. "To now be able to enjoy the international platform of Paris will propel my business even further." Pugh follows in the footsteps of Stella McCartney and McQueen, both of whom abandoned the UK in favour of showing in Paris.

See pictures from Gareth Pugh's autumn/winter 2008/9 fashion show on handbag.com 

Picture: Gareth Pugh, taking a bow after his autumn/winter 2008/9 fashion show