Life is indeed a box of chocolates, at least sometimes. What are the odds of taking my son to the dentist and to end up making backstage photos at an international fashion show? This is basically what happened to me last Saturday and it is the result of random encounters and luck. I particularly want to thank Tamar, journalist at Rustavi 2 Georgian TV channel for her help and kindness in that course of events.

Tbilisi fashion week is a pretty big thing during which about two hundreds designers, buyers and fashion medias from around the world meet up in Georgia to discover the new creations of local designers. I must confess I did not even know the event was happening, and I have never been to a fashion show before, not to mention photographing it. But to me, any opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and experience different types of photography is good to take.

Before going further I want to say this is only my personal take on fashion shows, the take of someone who knows absolutely nothing about the world of fashion and modeling except for the usual clichés of glamour conveyed by the media. The photos below are a mix from the nine shows I attended in three days. Whatever the subject that I document, I try at all costs to remain respectful of my models and to present them with dignity.  Failure to do so here only reflects the neophyte clumsiness about the world of fashion, certainly not a judgmental or biased approach.

I just have time to get back home and grab my gear before the next show begins. As I start thinking about my goals, it is obvious to me that I am not going to cover the event as a fashion photographer since I am not one and would be a fool to pretend competing with the many fashion photographers who are covering the event. I want to try and transpose street/humanist photography to the world of fashion if that makes sense. I opt for black and white to avoid the distraction of the colorful clothes worn by the models and to focus on light. The events I cover are happening in an underground parking lot, and while the showroom is perfectly lit, what is happening backstage is my main interest and the area is in the dark if not for the makeup stations. That means grainy and sometimes blurred photos as I don’t want to use a flash. Shadow and light, that will be my take for better and (or) for worse.

The models arrive in scattered groups and rush to the stations to be made up and hair styled by a horde of professionals. The tension and the urgency are obvious, people are focus, smiles are scarce and things are happening without much talking. Models mostly stare at their smartphones while makeup artists and hairdressers do their job. The models then move to the dressing station to put on the outfit that is assigned to them. As there is no fitting room, the change of clothes happens in the open space and models gather to form a protective barrier with their bodies and offer a little privacy to those who are changing. I find this demonstration of peer solidarity refreshing in a business which is often depicted as individualistic. The designer checks the outfit and makes some adjustments, adds an accessory. Sometimes models have to go back to the makeup station for a final touch and it is not always easy to sit with the new outfit.

More often than not, the shoes are not the right size and whatever it takes, models must get their feet into the shoes and then walk gracefully in front of the public. Faces often twist in pain as soon as the models are no longer in the spotlight and they rush to free their feet, which is not always an easy task.

Once they are ready, the models hang out in small groups, walk around, maybe to get used to their new outfit, or isolate themselves with their smartphone. There is a tangible feeling of loneliness around me and some models seem a little lost but it may just be the concentration building up while awaiting for the show to begin.

It is also the moment when the models make themselves available to the fashion photographers who want to capture the new outfits and the fresh faces. I step aside or backward to make shots where photographer and subject meet in the frame or to capture things in a different angle and with some deep shadows.

It is show time and the models line up. I attend only one show from the public side as it is not the most interesting part to me and is anyway much covered by all the other photographers. I prefer to set up at what seems to be the edge of two worlds, to capture the moment when the models have theirs exits and their entrances. Everything is going very fast and each of them spends hardly more than a
minute under the spotlight, a minute during which no error, no
approximation is permitted, their minute of glory. I feel like Charon, I let them cross the Styx and come back in the shadow, for the price of a photo instead of a coin.  

Relief is obvious when the models have accomplished their lap. I see them smile for the first time or almost and discover that some of them still have braces. It is striking to see how much stress these young persons are putting on themselves. It may simply reflects the pressure the fashion industry is putting on their frail shoulders. The photos below are all from the same show. It is the only time I witness so much expression of joy. I believe it is the last show of the fashion week, that may be an explanation. 

I am very happy that I had the opportunity to cover this event and very grateful to the people who gave me access. I am also very grateful to all the staff working backstage on the preparation of the shows who I may have disturbed. I have not once felt unwelcome or a source of trouble. But most of all I want to thank the models for letting me take all these photos of them. One may argue it is their job or even their dream to be photographed, that’s true but it is usually done in a very controlled environment where they know they are at their best. I felt complete freedom in taking all the photos I wanted, whether the models were properly made up, in a good light and posing, or not.

While I was out between two shows in a nearby cafe I exchanged a few words with a young woman who was working on the event and I asked her if she was on the next show. She replied to me “Oh no, I’m too old for that shit”. She was maybe 25. I can’t help but draw a parallel with mayflies, light and gracious aquatic insects: they mature as nymphs called naiads for years before they hatch and become adults and die in a few hours. They are also very sensitive to light and unable to fold their wings over their bodies. Mayflies belong to the order of Ephemeroptera. Can I be more cliché?

I leave the fashion show. Outside, life goes on but I must be more affected by the experience than I think as I start seeing people posing with outstanding outfits on the street. ;)

Full size photos and more are here