Catwalks at Graduate Fashion Week

Not only did my AAA pass at Graduate Fashion Week allow me to access a lot of areas that were out of bounds for the general public, it also meant that I could get into the catwalk shows as a member of the press, blag a front-row seat, and photograph away to my heart's content. The photos I took of the catwalks and the designs weren't going to be used on the official GFW blog, I knew that much, because there was already a designated photographer/writer team who were covering them. That meant that I could take as many photos as I wanted, but had to be careful; if I'd spent too much time away from my own designated tasks it would've looked like I was slacking off, and as a result I only went to 4 catwalk shows. Out of those 4 I only took photos at 3 - Salford, East London, and the university I was most impressed with design-wise and show-wise, UCA Rochester. These are my favourite photos from each show.

East London:

Salford:

  

UCA Rochester:

  

   

What I really liked about the work of the UCA Rochester students was the amazing diversity between all of the designers, and the amount of effort that appeared to have gone into not just the designs but the show itself. The catwalk show opened up in silence, with a faded milky light on the entrance to the catwalk. From the empty, sterile environment two figures emerged, dressed like scientists in white coats, and reached out for a row of coat hangers that had been suspended above the stage. Under the discerning gaze of the entire audience, they dressed the first model in his outfit, left the stage, and then - just like that - the music began, the lights intensified, and the models starting walking. Each set was something new, and brilliant. The decorations used to adorn the models was extremely imaginative, and every set of clothing had a perfectly apt song choice to accompany them down the catwalk. Not only that, the students had gone to the effort of creating a fashion magazine, which was placed on the seats of those in the front few rows, entitled Geist. I read through this magazine on the hour-long journey home, and was really impressed. From interesting case studies about unpaid interns, to androgynous fashion shoots, the magazine is well researched, well presented, and was very well received. It might have been because UCA Rochester was the last show I got to see before I came back to Norwich, but it really seemed like there was something special about the work I saw.

Backstage at Graduate Fashion Week

The backstage area of Graduate Fashion Week was guarded at all times by burly men in suits. My Access All Areas badge changed 3 times in the time I was in London, first consisting of a wristband, followed by a handwritten AAA on my Blogging Team badge, and finally an 'Access All Areas Graduate Fashion Week Photographer/Blogger' badge. Needless to say, this confused the security men each time I flashed my different pass, and they never really seemed sure whether to let me through as a legitimate, hired photographer - or whether to stop me from passing in case I was a crook trying to sneak by and get stealthy shots of the work of the graduates.

When I managed to get through, I mainly focussed on getting photos of the makeup artists and hair stylists at work. Two of the partners/sponsors of GFW were L'Oreal and Rimmel, and the makeover teams consisted of staff from both companies who had volunteered their time for the graduates. Being the sponsor photographer, I was asked to get photos primarily of them at work to showcase their involvement in the week, as well as photos of their merchandise and signage. I think the photos I got really exhibit the professionalism and dedication of the members of both teams, and in particular the way that the work of the makeup artists complimented the work of the hair stylists - and how both tied in beautifully with the work of the designers.

  

The world of backstage wasn't nearly as hectic as I'd imagined, with each university perfectly organised, and hair and makeup separated into two individual dressing rooms. Everyone was wonderfully compliant with having their photo taken - especially the models, who liked to pretend the camera wasn't there whilst subtly pouting for the lens. No complaints here, though! These are my favourite photos from the bunch:

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My experience at Graduate Fashion Week

Last Saturday was, I thought at the time, one of the most hectic days of the last couple of months. After an 11 o'clock finish the night before, I was up at 9am for a 10am-6pm shift. And, once I'd finished ringing newspapers and alcohol through the cash register, I had less than an hour to pack up my things, get on a coach and travel 119 miles to Victoria Station, London. Upon arrival, I had another hour's worth of travel to complete before arriving at my destination: the house of my boyfriend's parents, in North London. However despite the exhaustion settling into my bones after the non-stop day of work, panic, and travel, the next day, the first day of Graduate Fashion Week, turned out to be far more difficult.

In the official Graduate Fashion Week blogging team, I was assigned the role of sponsor photographer. This meant focussing on the stalls, events and products of the key sponsors of GFW- namely George, Barclay's, Karen Millen, L'Oreal, Mulberry and Rimmel - as well as the various partners dotted around the exhibition such as Coca-Cola. From the moment I received my Access All Areas badge and was told I was the only photographer without a real schedule, I was excited. This meant that I could go wherever I want throughout the entire exhibition, from backstage to the sponsors' lounge to the press office, whilst only having the obligation of returning to the Artsthread Blogging Bar every couple of hours to upload my photos to the server. With free entry to all of the catwalk shows and the privilege of being allowed to photograph the works of the students (a privilege only permitted to members of the press and the official team), I had a lot to photograph. It took me a while to find my feet in the large exhibition space, and even longer to build up the courage to flash my AAA pass to the men guarding the backstage doors; but, when I did, I found myself enveloped in the world of fashion and everything to do with it. It was exciting, not to mention intimidating, to wander amongst the awe-inspiring designs of the graduates and photograph them moments later on the catwalk, or to find myself being led around the entire event and introduced to some big names by the director of events.

But, by the second day, I was having mixed feelings. Whilst the exhibition housed some amazing work by the students, and the catwalk shows were phenomenally produced, none of my photos of these things were really being used. And, whilst everyone else on the blogging team had been paired up with one photographer to one writer, I had been left to my own devices - meaning that no-one was writing stories to go alongside my photographs, and therefore they weren't being looked at. With no schedule, minimal guidelines, and only staggered intervals in which to upload my photos, I wasn't getting much done and felt like I could be spending my time far more productively. On top of this, some of the people higher up in the team than me seemed unsure about what move to take next - whereas I was raring to go, planning every next step myself and formulating blog layouts in my head. So, therefore, I decided to focus on the things that interested me the most: the fashion, the catwalk, backstage, and the pop-up events that were taking place. I'm going to be writing my own blog posts about the various different things I chose to photograph, my opinions on these different categories, and how well they worked at GFW. No one has written these pieces for me, so they are my own personal experiences and opinions regarding the designers, organisers, crew, makeup artists and sponsors of Graduate Fashion Week as a whole. And, having signed no contract with the people who gave me the job, I can also share with you the photos I took.

Graduate Fashion Week

On Wednesday, my alarm went off at 8am. I dragged myself out of bed, got ready - and was on a London-bound bus by 10am. I arrived at Liverpool Street Station at midday, with an hour left to get to Hackney and figure out where the Graduate Fashion Week's offices were. By the time I got there, I was sweating. The temperature in Norwich when I'd left had been overcast, but at lunchtime in London it was boiling, with ice cream vans on nearly every corner and sunglasses attached to everyone's faces. I found the offices, and was welcomed by Cat Kinselia, the production manager of Graduate Fashion Week and the woman I'd been emailing for the last few weeks. We were joined by her colleague Sam, and had a 15-minute, informal discussion in the meeting room before I was back on my way.

On Twitter about a month ago, I read a retweet by someone that stated that Graduate Fashion Week were looking for photographers and to please contact Cat. I did so, with a link to this blog and some other examples of my work, and was told that I would be good for one of the positions. On Wednesday, I dropped by the offices to talk about this position, and what my role will be during Graduate Fashion Week. And I couldn't be more excited with what I've been given. Covering 4 days, Graduate Fashion Week celebrates the work of all graduating fashion and textiles students, in a series of catwalk shows, exhibitions, and displays. During this period I will be photographing the sponsors involved with Graduate Fashion Week (George, L'Oreal, Karen Millen, to name a few), including their products, the products in use (i.e. on the models), their displays, and any celebrity endorsements they've chosen to bring along. I will be photographing alongside big names, and the images will end up on the official Graduate Fashion Week blog, as well as any associated websites. And, in the midst of all of this, I will also have free periods where I can go and photograph whatever I want backstage; the models, the crowds, the clothes - whatever I want. I'm going to be heading back to the offices soon to have a briefing about the role, and the work itself will begin on June 10th and continue until June 13th; the days will be long, and the travelling will be arduous. Fingers crossed that the weather will be nice!

To finish up, here is a photo that summarises my day in London: a businessman struggling against the unexpected heat, taken near Bank, next to the river where people were enjoying their lunch and a spot of ice cream.

Auschwitz

On the last day of our trip to Poland, we took a trip to Auschwitz. I shot with digital, film, as well a couple of Instax Mini. Though I obviously liked the way that the digital pictures looked, I much preferred the gloomy, overcast black and white film shots once I'd seen them developed. On a completely different level, however, are the Instax. Detached from the rest of the book due to their medium - and their hazy, glazed tone in comparison to the sharp, accurate photos in the rest of the series - they are timeless and ethereal. Instax, and instant film in general, are influenced directly by the temperature around them, meaning that on a gloomy, stormy day the temperature is low and the sun is hidden, and the Instax are therefore filled with cold blue tones and grey shadows. On a warm day, on the other hand, the photos would be doused in warm reds and glowing floors. On this particular day, the clouds were parted and rain was soaking us all from head to toe - and I really love the way these photos turned out as a result of that. Misty, with puddles reflecting the view back at us, the photos are eerie and seem to stretch onto a foggy infinity. I wanted to centre the main subject of each image, and really focus on similar shapes; and this is evident in pictures 3 and 4, and adds to the idea of the environment in general. 

Being at Auschwitz, at the time, didn't feel real and was hard to comprehend. These pictures are a reflection of that. 

Krakow: The Journey is available to buy and view here.

Krakow: A Journey

"Krakow: The Journey" can be found on Blurb here.