London Fashion Week, home to a staggering amount of arrogance and pomp.
If you can ignore that and the 16 hour days though, you're on to a winner as the it does make for some startlingly good images and attracts well-known faces from the celeb/fashion worlds and beyond. Plus there's free champagne at every big show, which, let's face it, makes all the hard work a lot easier to deal with.
So, all this aside, what actually makes up my work at Fashion Week?
The work starts weeks before, with obtaining an official photographer's pass from the organisers. This allows you access to the shows at Fashion Week's new home - the impressive Somerset House. However, may of the other big shows - Vivienne Westwood, Burberry, PPQ etc - take place at other venues around London and require an additional invite from the designers' PR. These are hard to come by, with access tight, so takes a great deal of work to secure an invite.
Come the day of the show, you need to get to the venue early to mark up. There are a huge amount of photographers, from all over the word, fighting for the best possible vantage point to photograph the models from cramped area at the end of the catwalk. Typically I'll get to the venue and claim a spot (putting down tape and writing my name on it) at least two hours before the show. A good position is vital and you need to stay vigilant that no-one else tries to take your spot, which inevitably someone does.
The catwalk show itself last around 10-15 minutes and generally looks great to shoot - with lighting, clothes and models all amazing. Of course, attention needs to be paid for any well known models, such as Naomi Campbell (below on the right) and quirky outfits which the press love. Here's some of my catwalk photos from the week.
I was lucky enough to gain backstage access to most of the shows, so would generally spend a hour doing general reportage of the models getting ready, having their make-up applied and the last minute panics involving things like clothes malfunctions. I'll also take some time to do some portraits. This is one of the best parts to covering Fashion Week as you get to see how everything comes together, while guests are oblivious to all this, knocking back champagne, air kissing and.
The models don't usually mind being photographed getting ready, probably knowing that they look good whatever state they're in. One exception was Daisy Lowe (pictured below on the left) who would only let me photograph her with her dog after eye make-up was applied.
After getting what portraits and coverage I can from backstage, I rush out, re-check my position at the end of the catwalk, which inevitably ends up with an arguement with another late-coming photographer trying to take my spot and then go on the look for any celebs who might be attending the show. They tend to be given front row seats, but only take them at the last second, so it requires a few quick shots before changing lenses, removing flash and taking up my crammed position as the models walk out.
The big designers are often the stars of their show meaning such well-know faces as Vivienne Westwood and Henry Holland will parade out with the models at the end.
At the end of all that, there's the editing to do and photos to be sent off to clients before moving on to the next show. Time restrictions mean this isn't always possible, which means editing into the early hours of the morning after the shows are finished.
Naturally this means a lack of sleep and a consisting largely of champagne, coffee and take aways, but it's certainly worth it when I can sit back a week later and see the full scope of my coverage.
www.samirhussein.com
