PORTFOLIO
Behind the scenes and on the streets during the fashion shows in London.
London is probably the hardest fashion week to define. I love it; I loved the old Somerset House days before Instagram cannibalized the experience, before there were influencers and editors arriving to shows wearing the designer’s brands, when one could walk around that place and happen upon some amazing people just standing around, having a chat, sipping a coffee.
Back then, I could simply ask a designer’s press agent for access. It was amazing how many of them said yes. They didn’t pay me, but I wasn’t working for them, and I also wasn’t obligated to share my images with them.
If they had space and they liked my work, I was allowed to go backstage, where shooting is completely different than it is on the street. The space is tight, there are way too many people, and there’s an excruciatingly small window in which images can be collected.
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
This season, in both New York and London, I have seen several shows whose entire casts are Black models. It’s long overdue, and I hope it’s not just a fad, as is often the case with runway casting.
Ultimately, I realized that I do miss the change of pace, oscillating between the street and shows. Being able to experience all aspects of the events helps pull London’s identity into better focus. It may be smaller than it was prepandemic, but there are still a lot of people involved.
In a sense, it’s strange to think about London being the smallest of the major fashion weeks. It’s always at its best when it isn’t trying to compete directly with its bigger siblings, but rather embracing a quasi-punk attitude that is tolerant of interesting characters and a little vibrancy.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18